RELATIVE TRANQUILITY OF BUKIT ANTARABANGSA AGAIN SHATTERED BY LANDSLIDE

By Yong Soo Heong

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 (Bernama) -- The relative tranquility of Bukit
Antarabangsa, a hilly township comprising upmarket and middle class bungalows,
condominiums and terrace houses was broken this morning following a landslide
that originated from Jalan Wangsa Ukay 9 at Taman Wangsa Ukay.

Tonnes of earth and boulders rolled down several houses just before dawn,
at 4am, today, in an area about 1.5 km from where one of three blocks of the
Highland Towers collapsed on Dec 11, 1993 taking 48 lives.

The landslide happened so fast but word got around through SMSes, radio or
tv, and many people made a beeline to the disaster area.

The town centre, comprising a supermarket, a petrol station and two rows of
shophouses, was unusually jam-packed with cars of curious onlookers, ambulances,
and vehicles from the police and civil defence.

At daybreak, this writer joined a group of onlookers at a row of abandoned
houses at Jalan Wangsa 9 overlooking the disaster area.

They decided to circumvent a security tape which had been put up by
security officials to prevent people from going near the edge of the
slope.

The group of us was about 15 to 20 metres from where it all
started.

Suddenly the earth started to move slightly and many of the uprooted Flame
of the Forest trees resumed their descent.

The onlookers, many of them armed with camera phones, then ran
helter-skelter.

Come to think of it, we were precariously near where disaster
struck.

Many of the people there said the landslide must have been caused by the
heavy rains over the past few days. This was just at Jalan Wangsa Ukay 9 today.

At the main road leading towards Bukit Antarabangsa, a handful of workmen
were seen putting concrete reinforcement against a giant boulder which appeared
to be tilting towards the road. A stone's throw away, water was trickling from
the crevice of another boulder.

Last week this road was temporary closed for a day when some boulders fell
on to the road.

The workmen appeared to be racing against time. Another disaster could be
in the offing if this giant boulder were to give way when more rain
falls.

It would mean that one of the main arteries connecting Bukit Antarabangsa
to the Middle Ring Road II could be cut again, just as it happened last week and
a few years ago.

Bukit Antarabangsa is a famous hillside township in Ulu Klang, a popular
residential area, in sSelangor, Malaysia. It is dubbed the Beverly Hills of
Malaysia because many famous Malaysian celebrities and artistes live
here.


-- BERNAMA