Fatal landslide at campsite near Genting Highlands is 'unprecedented' in Malaysia, says geology expert - CNA

IMPROVING SAFETY

Dr Shahidah gave suggestions on what can be done to make the area safer, including investing more in putting up a strong and rigid structure that can sustain massive movement from the slope.

She added that the government needs to ramp up enforcement against illegal campsites, especially those at the toe of slopes as they may bear the brunt of a landslide.

“Although the campsite itself does not diminish nature directly, the location and also the implementation of the site itself are far from sustainable,” she said.

The campsite operator at Father's Organic Farm did not have a valid licence to host such activities, Malaysia’s Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming told reporters.

Dr Shahidah said: “We need to have strict rules to curb the trend where opportunists try to make money out of nature."

“Also we need to have a sound monitoring system that is able to give us the precursor warning or threshold once (there is) imminent danger,” she added.

While the risk of a landslide can be minimised, its occurrence is not entirely avoidable, she said. She noted that Malaysia is in a region that experiences wet and humid climate all year and that the country’s soil cover consists of thick residual soil.

“Soil is a loose part of rock - once it has been disintegrated, a small disturbance from water or even shaking could induce movement and this is what we experienced now,” she said.

Awareness is also important, Dr Shahidah said, noting that the Meteorological Department of Malaysia has warned residents and tourists of heavy rainfall.

“People need to take extra caution with this warning. Don’t simply go to an area that is prone to landslides,” she said.

People should find out the history of an area before deciding to go there, she added.

“When areas have evidence of ... landslides every year, it means that they are unstable in general,” she said.

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2022-12-16 11:29:00Z
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