Families move out as things turn shaky

The Star 26/6/2006

NUMEROUS cracks are beginning to show on the walls and floors of Khaw Eng Chuan’s rented house at Kampung Michael Chen in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya.

In the nine years that Khaw lived in the house, located on a slope, he had never expected a landslip to occur close to his home. But, last Wednesday, it did.

Khaw was shocked to find that a large part of the compound in front of his house had collapsed, missing his home by only 1.5m. He discovered the cave-in when he returned home at about 4pm.

“It rained heavily that afternoon,” said Khaw. “I left home about 3pm and returned an hour later to discover the collapsed portion.”

Fearing for the safety of his family, Khaw packed their belongings immediately and moved out. The family managed to rent a place at Seri Setia apartment.

Below the slope where Khaw lived, there are more houses. These, too, have cracks, and the owners and tenants have also evacuated from the homes immediately.

Kampung Tunku assemblyman Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the landslip affected 10 homes.

“As the area is a potential danger to residents in the vicinity, we have arranged for them to be temporarily transferred to Kota Damansara,” he said.

Petaling Jaya City Council will issue evacuation notices to the 141 remaining households in Kampung Michael Chen by this month end.

They are to move to transit homes so that their area can make way for the building of low-cost flats under the Selangor Government's Zero Squatter programme.

The monthly rental of RM124 for each of the transit home will be borne by developer Taipan Focus for the next two years until the new development is ready.

“Soon after the evacuation, the developer can clean up the area and begin building works which is expected to be completed in 2008,” said Wong during a visit to the affected area on Friday.