Council wants geotechnical report
NST 29/4/2004

WITH immediate effect, developers must submit a geotechnical report for any structure or new building in the municipality to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council.

Council (MPSJ) president Datuk Abdul Hakim Borhan said this was mandatory in order to prevent soil erosion and structural damage.

"The council needs to implement this now," he said, adding that it had found cracks in many houses and buildings due to soil instability," he said.

"In some cases, there is a gap of almost two feet between the floor and ground level and this is worrying."

Abdul Hakim was speaking at a full board meeting recently.

Some existing areas with this problem are USJ1, Taman Puchong Indah and Lembah Perdana.

He said meetings had been held among MPSJ, the developer and residents to address the problem.

"In such cases, we will ask the initial developer to take responsibility. The extent of the damage will be categorised on whether it can be repaired, and if it can, whether residents have to move out until
repairs are done. The third category applies to structures which are too dangerous and residents have no choice but to vacate completely," he said.

"If the residents have to move out temporarily, the developer has to compensate for the rent. And if residents have to vacate their houses,

then the developer has to bear the cost of a new house in a different area."