GEORGE TOWN: The state government has admitted that the Department of Environment (DOE) rejected an application to build a residential project in Tanjung Bungah, where a landslide killed 11 people on Saturday.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif, however, said a collective decision was made to approve the application during a One-Stop Centre committee meeting on Feb 18, 2015, which involved more than 20 federal and state agencies.
“The DOE’s view was only one agency’s view, whereas we consider the views of other agencies before giving the approval to the developer. Commencement of work was given on Jan 18, 2016.
“Furthermore, the DOE supported a planning permission application for two other projects, which is in fact closer to the granite quarry compared to this project.
“Hence, the issue of distance does not arise. For this project, the site is 500 metres away from the blasting point and 180 metres away from crushing point.
“The project also complied with other requirements, including the ones given by the Housing and Local Government Ministry for a Class II project,” she said today.
The building plan, she said, was submitted on April 15 2015 and was referred to technical departments for a review before being approved on May 19 the same year.
The landslide on Saturday morning at Lengkok Lembah Permai in Tanjung Bungah claimed the lives of eleven workers, including a Malaysian, and injured at least three others.
The final victim’s body was extricated this morning.