KUALA LUMPUR – Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has questioned the credibility of the recently released forensic report on the Batang Kali landslide, alleging a conflict of interest in the investigation.
“The report is not professional, not neutral. How can the Public Works Department (JKR) investigate JKR? This is a conflict of interest,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today, during the debate on Supply Bill 2024.
Lim referenced a statement by a Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan Abdul Rahman, chairman of non-governmental organisation Victims Malaysia, who said hill slopes in the area had been subject to human activity in the past by JKR when building the Batang Kali road, as well as other land clearing activities near the landslide site at Father’s Organic farm, based on Google Maps satellite images.
These past activities, however, were not taken into account in the report, Lim said.
“There had been land clearing in the area. There were anthropogenic activities that are not acknowledged in the forensic report.
“The road drainage maintained by the JKR near the landslide site also did not appear well maintained on the day of the incident,” Lim added.
He then questioned how JKR could investigate activities that had been done by “their own people.”
“Is the report a cover-up for something? I propose the Budget 2024 allocate funds for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate this carefully, to ensure the true cause of the landslide, and how to prevent future incidents.
“Only this will bring justice to the victims and their families,” Lim said.
The December 16 landslide at the Father’s Organic Farm campground involved a total of 92 victims, of whom 31 perished and 13 of those were children.
A special committee called the Landslide Working Group Committee (JKKTR) was formed to investigate the tragedy, and the forensic report was released to the public last week.
The report concluded that “cumulative rainfall” five days before the landslide and “antecedent rainfall” 30 days prior were to blame, while finding no evidence that anthropogenic activities had contributed to the landslide.
The JKKTR was led by JKR’s Slope Engineering Branch, and comprised other technical agencies such as the Department of Minerals and Geosciences Malaysia (JMG), Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (JUPEM), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), Department of Meteorology Malaysia (METMalaysia), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and professional bodies. – October 23, 2023