ERRANT developers who committed minor offences under the earthworks by-laws will be fined up to RM20,000 under proposed amendments drafted by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said the present RM2,000 fine was outdated, adding that the increase was proposed following the Bukit Cahaya case.

Recently, several developers were taken to court over the illegal work on separate parcels of land around the agriculture park.

Ong said the amendment would act as a deterrent for developers and ensure that the environment would be preserved when development projects were carried out.

“We want to amend this by-law, although it is for a minor offence,” he told reporters after winding up the debate on the Royal Address.

The by-laws, under the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, give local authorities the jurisdiction to impose fines against developers if they carried out unapproved earthworks.

On another issue, Information Minister Datuk Paduka Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said RTM delayed its broadcast of Tuesday morning's earthquake in Sumatra, as the station took time to get verification from the authorities concerned.

“We knew about the earthquake as soon as it took place.”

By 12.50am that day, TV1 and TV2 had obtained the information but did not broadcast the news immediately without verification first as it did not want to create panic, he said.

The stations had to check the validity of the earthquake with the Meteorological Services Department first before broadcasting the news, he added.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the ministry would hold a forum with relevant parties, like the architects, engineers and the Housing and Local Government Ministry to discuss the issue of building structures, in view of incidences of tsunami and tremors.

Samy Vellu said the Works Department would set up a special committee to study the installation of an early warning system at high-risk slopes.

He said the proposed committee would consist of relevant parties like the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), PLUS, MTD Prime Sdn Bhd, Geoscience and Mineral Department and Remote Sensing Department.

“Three locations will be identified for a pilot study to be carried out,” he said when winding up the debate on the Royal Address.