GEORGE TOWN, Dec 16 — Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has urged the authorities to set up a commission of inquiry to identify the cause of the landslide at a campsite at Father’s Organic Farm in Gohtong Jaya near Batang Kali, Selangor, today.
Its president, R. Meenakshi, said the inquiry should be conducted transparently and its findings made public.
“SAM was shocked to learn about the horrific landslide tragedy in Batang Kali ... we have warned many times about giving permission for earthworks and other forms of activity to take place on highlands and hillsides as these places are environmentally sensitive areas.
“How could a campsite be allowed in a hilly area? Photographs show that a major slope failure occurred under the nearby highway in that part of the campsite,” she said in a statement today.
As at 1pm, the death toll in this morning’s Batang Kali landslide stands at 16 people, the Ministry of Development and Local Government announced this afternoon. It added in a Twitter post that 61 out of 94 people are safe and that 17 people are still missing.
The search and rescue operation for victims is ongoing.
It was initially reported that about 100 people were feared trapped at the campsite following the 30-metre-high landslide.
Meenakshi said SAM also wants the authorities to determine if the farm owner had a licence to operate the campsite. — Bernama
