Ban on Highland Development Lifted

Now, the Minister of Work has announced to lift the ban on highland development.

While I agree that there should not be a total ban on highland development, I am surprised that when announcing the lifting of highland development, there was no detailed information about how highland development should be supervised during the project implementation, who should be the monitoring agency since there are many agencies involved.

It cannot be left to local council where there is a lack of expertise.

If private and government consultants are involved in highland project, they should be held accountable. When the project is completed, who is supposed to monitor and for how long.

I regret to say that while the government has not announced its detailed findings in Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy, it has chosen to pre-empt the study by lifting the ban.

Every landslide provides an opportunity to the authority to investigate the actual cause of the landslide – what went wrong and who is responsible. Often nobody seems to be accountable. The usual finger pointing and blame game starts. There seems to be lack of political will to ensure safety in highland development.

Meanwhile, buyers must be more careful in purchasing hillside houses. We have never seemed to learn from the human tragedy that strikes residents of Bukit Antarabangsa.

(文告)

（吉隆坡16日讯）马华署理总会长拿督斯里蔡细历医生认为，公共工程部应该先公布国际山庄土崩的调查结果，才决定是否让山坡地区发展解冻。

他认同不该全面禁止国内的山坡发展计划，但政府尚未公布土崩调查结果，却率先为山坡工程亮绿灯的决定让他十分惊讶。

“工程部长宣布解禁，却未加以说明政府将会采取的监督措施。山坡地区发展涉及多个机构，究竟谁将负责监管进行中的山坡工程？要如何监管？我们总不能把所有责任留待严缺技术专才的地方议会处理。”

蔡细历也是马华政府政策监督局主任。他今日发表文告指出，如果有关计划的咨询专家来自政府和私人界，双方都有责任。此外，政府也须鉴定竣工的工程，该由谁执行监察工作？监察为期多久？

他认为，每一起土崩事件给关当局机会深入调查土崩真正肇因，包括查出问题的症结、鉴定该负责的单位。惟事发后，没有任何一方愿意承担责任，互相指责则司空见惯。政府也似乎缺乏政治决心来确保高原发展的安全。

“我希望国际山庄的事件能让各造引以为鉴，勿重蹈覆辙。”

蔡细历也提醒购屋者日后必须加倍小心选购山坡地区的屋业。