MBPP: Alert us about dangerous hillside areas

GEORGE TOWN: Penang is seeking information from the public on hillside areas deemed as dangerous following the storm which flooded 80% of the state last Sunday.
State Environment, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said the information can be given to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) or any representative of the state for verification.
He said the state government needs to know the exact locations so that specialist teams can be seconded to inspect and ascertain the soil status.
“Please come forward. We want to know where it is,” Phee said at the sidelines of the state legislative assembly sitting here.
Phee was responding to a news report that there are about 30 minor landslips along Penang Hill since a major landslide disrupted the funicular train service.
Phee also said that the state is willing to work with the federal government to address concerns over hillslope development.
The same principle applies to liaising with civil societies on this matter.
“We can work together. There is room to do that but the state government needs to know where the landslide spots are located. Inform us and we will check.”
Meanwhile, opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid (BN – Teluk Air Tawar) said Penang needs to allocate more funds to address the flood problem in the state.
She said channelling more allocation to address the flood problem is more important than the allocation for development projects like the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP).
“Allocation for flood mitigation projects is more important, rather than allocating it for projects like the PTMP,” she said when debating the budget speech at the state legislative assembly yesterday.
Jahara said the state government should review the budget with an emphasis on addressing the flood problem in the state.
She also welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s statement on the federal government’s willingness to allocate more funds to tackle Penang’s flood problem.
On Nov 7, Najib said 13 flood mitigation projects worth RM1 billion had been identified to overcome flood problems in the state.
Najib also said the federal government is willing to consider additional allocation on top of the RM150 million already approved to overcome flood issues in Penang.