KUALA LUMPUR: There's a growing concern among the residents of Taman Kelab Ukay, Bukit Antarabangsa that there is still soil movement on the slope behind their homes and this in turn is further worsening the damage to their houses.
Resident, Normal Serin, 55, said a crack on her kitchen wall which was initially the width of a pin has since widened to that of a pen.
"When a few of my neighbours and I dropped by to collect clothing and other necessities from the house, we noticed that the crack had widened.
"Even the five foot floor extension behind the house had also disappeared completely. Yesterday (Saturday) when we left the house, the flooring was still there but it was not visible anymore," she said when met outside her house.
Normal is one of the 5 families affected by the landslide which took place in the early hours of Saturday.
Along with seven other family members, they are temporarily putting up at De Palma Hotel provided by the government for a week, to enable them to find temporary accommodation for 6 months, until the landslide repair and rectification works are completed.
"We are very scared that if soil movement continues for a few more days, it would cause more damage to the structure of the house," she said.
Normal said despite having to put-up elsewhere, she will make it a point to keep tabs daily on the repair progress as well as the condition of her home.
She acknowledged and thanked the local authority and other government agencies for their efforts in helping the affected residents following the landslide.
"We are very grateful to all those who, have come forward to help us including politicians, the council as well as the welfare department who are taking care of our immediate needs, including accommodation at the hotel."
She said so far only four affected families are putting up at the hotel, whereas one family moved in with their relatives.
Another resident who did not want to be identified said it was not easy to find a suitable place to rent for just six months.
"There are many factors which we have to take into account before we can agree on a place to rent. The children are traveling to work and we should also take into consideration the distance and all other issues before we can rent a place," he said.
Of the seven houses affected in the landslide, one is a tahfiz, while another two houses belong to the same owner.
The landslide in the early hours of Saturday following rain took place at Jalan Kelab Ukay 4 in Bukit Antarabangsa.
The 2.20am incident occurred on the rear portion of a row of houses which caused trees on the slope to collapse when the soil gave way, cutting off a small stream at the foot of the slope.
Some 40 residents from the seven affected houses were evacuated by the Fire and Rescue Department and temporarily placed at the nearby De Palma Hotel.
On Saturday, the Housing and Local Government Ministry approved a RM2 million allocation to stabilise, repair and build a restraining wall to avoid any future landslides. This is expected to be completed in six months.