save the hills, please

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Technical issues

A LOT of issues related to the Damansara 21 project was explained to residents of Medan Damansara during a briefing by the technical consultant with the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) yesterday at the Bukit Damansara Community Hall, which also saw the attendance of Kuala Lumpur City Hall and Federal Territories Ministry officials.

Mohd Taufik Haron, who is with Ikram's forensics unit, explained that three previous proposals submitted by the developer, SDB Properties Sdn Bhd, were rejected by City Hall upon Ikram's recommendations as no buffer zone between the project's boundary and houses at Lorong Setiapuspa 1, 2, 3, and 4 were proposed.

The developer had installed an improper drainage system (it utilised a pre-cast U drainage system, when only cast in-situ drains are allowed for hill-slope developments as the former can cause water to infiltrate into the soil).

The developer also failed to completely address the issue of slope stability at the southern part of the development area and at Jalan Kasah.

Requirements set by Ikram, which are included in SDB's fourth proposal, involve a 4.5m flat buffer zone from the boundary of residents' homes — extending into the boundary of the project area.

There will also be a sturdy wall system utilising hand-dug caisson walls measuring 1.5m in diameter on three layers of the hillslopes, which will increase the FOS to 1.5m.

Then, there will be new fencing for residents' homes and a walkway that will be maintained by City Hall. The estimated cost to the developer is estimated at RM6.6 million.

Meanwhile, also recommended is for City Hall to form a technical supervision team during the construction process.

This will be formed by several agencies — including City Hall, the Public Works Department, Ikram, the Mineral and Geoscience Department, and the Drainage and Irrigation Department. - The Malay Mail

Malay Mail report 23rd October 2009

ONE month. That's the time frame given by Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad yesterday to Medan Damansara residents to submit a memorandum if they want to put a halt once and for all work on the Medan Damansara 21 project.

City Hall, meanwhile, will not be making any decision as to whether the project proceeds or not — choosing instead to pass the final decision-making to the Federal Territories Ministry after the one month is up.

This was announced during a meeting between City Hall officials, a technical consultant from the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) and Medan Damansara residents at the Bukit Damansara Community Hall yesterday.

Ahmad Fuad said that City Hall will prepare a Cabinet paper and include the memorandum, along with other documents submitted by residents, to be submitted to the ministry.

“Something must be done without further delay. However, it is not easy for us to make a decision at this juncture as we do not want to be seen as siding with either the developer or the residents.

“If the FT Ministry is also unable to come to a decision, we will persuade them to push the decision to the Cabinet.”

Ahmad Fuad said that residents must be practical and live with the fact that the damage was done.

“Now, it's time to find a solution to the problem at hand. Residents can continue to question and challenge who was at fault. But in the meantime, no decision has been reached and the hillslope can collapse again at any time.”

Residents raised several questions with City Hall, chief among them being why development was first allowed on hillslopes with a gradient of over 35 degrees.

Meanwhile, Ikram spokesman, Mohd Taufik Haron from its forensics unit, explained to residents the technical details it had garnered from its analyses of the hillslopes making up the proposed development area.

Regardless of whether development works had taken place at the hillslopes or not, he said that residents
— especially those living at Lorong Setiapuspa 1, 2 and 3 - were living in a hillslide potential area as the hillslopes behind their homes were in the gradient range of over 45 degrees, going well into the 60-degree range.

The analyses on the cross-sections of the hill-slopes also revealed that their factor of safety (FOS) were below 1.4, the minimum mark imposed on hillslope developments in the country.

Medan Damansara Residents' Association secretary, Peter Raiappan, in addressing Ahmad Fuad, said that residents will prepare a memorandum as advised.

On Monday, Malay Mail reported that Medan Damansara residents will find out whether the disputed Damansara 21 project will continue or be shelved when the project developer meets with City Hall for a briefing.

Residents claim that the high-end development — which would feature 21 luxury bungalows, priced between RM10 million and RM15 million each — is unsafe.

The association has argued that the slope gradient is unsuitable for a development of such a scale.

Their fears stem from incidents such as one on June 11 last year, when an uprooted tree at the site fell and pierced through the roof of a house, damaging the master bedroom.

A landslip on Aug 26 last year caused the collapse of a retaining wall separating the project and nearby homes. A second landslip the next day caused extensive damage to the kitchen of another home. Two families were subsequently asked to evacuate after the Fire and Rescue Department identified their homes as being of high risk.

Following the Dec 6 Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy, which killed six people and saw 14 houses destroyed, the FT Ministry issued a stop-work order on the Damansara 21 project.

Selangor Dredging and Damansara 21

10 QUESTIONS FOR SELANGOR DREDGING MANAGING DIRECTOR, TEH LIP KIM

What qualities do you look for when people seek employment in your company? – Bulbir Singh

Selecting the right people to work with is important. I believe in teamwork and since we have to work together to achieve common goals, it is important that we have a common set of values.

While the company has a set of corporate core values, I would also look out for people who have their own personal values – honesty, integrity and a sense of care and responsibility for their loved ones. How people conduct their personal lives speaks volumes of how they will conduct themselves work-wise too.

What is the latest with Damansara 21? – Residents of Bukit Damansara

(Damansara 21 is SDB’s hillside project to build 21 bungalows in Damansara Heights in Kuala Lumpur. Following the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide last December and strong opposition from residents in the area, the project was issued a stop-work order.)

This development has had a lot of “airtime”. I wish to reiterate that we have obtained all the approvals necessary to develop this piece of land. Above and on top of this, we were also directed to follow an even more stringent approval process, which had been set–up by the Federal Territories Ministry.

This Special Committee for Hillslope Developments comprised 16 technical departments and agencies. After going through this rigorous process of obtaining approvals from all members of the committee, we got the amended development order from City Hall in December 2007.

The latest developments are based on the recent recommendations by Ikram (the Public Works Institute of Malaysia).

This is over and above what is normally required for development projects. We have been requested by City Hall to make additional changes to the boundary of our land.

Originally approved for a three-metre set-back from the boundary, it has now been increased by an additional 1.5-metre flat land set-back, making it a total of 4.5 metres (15 feet).

In fact, with this new request, we are giving an additional 453.5 sq m (approximately 5,000 sq ft) for the neighbouring residents to benefit from.

In addition, the entire set-back area, measuring about 1360.5 sq m (approx 14,700sq ft), will be developed into a landscaped walkway at our cost.

These adjustments to the boundary will cost us an additional RM6.6mil for additional earthwork, demolition of drains that have already been installed, construction of new walls and landscaping. We will also have to redesign nearly half of the homes in the project, which have already been granted approval.

You have had a lot of problems with Damansara 21. Is this something developers have to live with all the time? – Anita, PJ

Hopefully not! All property developers purchase a parcel of land for commercial reasons with a return on investment in mind.

When all approvals have been given, this should be honoured. We have complied with all the laws, regulations and authorities’ guidelines SDB bought the land in 2005 for about RM50mil.

This parcel of land was purchased complete with a development order and a building plan approval for 25 homes. Because we wanted to reduce the density of the development, we resubmitted our development plans.

We obtained our amended development order after waiting for 20 months and having gone through 16 technical departments and agencies.

The project is now under a stop-work order and earthworks are only half complete. To date we have spent RM18mil out of the entire earthwork cost of RM34mil.

The analogy to this would be like someone undergoing an open heart surgery, which has been left uncompleted! In fact, there had been two minor landslips on the land, and both incidences had occurred during a stop-work order period.

As MD of a company which has been listed since 1964 and with more than 11,000 shareholders, I am accountable to my shareholders.

We have followed every process and obtained every necessary approval to develop this piece of land.

We have other developments in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Singapore and there had never been any issues with these developments. Especially in Singapore, once all the approvals have been obtained we have been able to proceed smoothly.

For so long as all laws have been duly fulfilled, all investors should only be dealing with business risks and nothing more.

How would you describe your taste in interior decor? – Tan Bee Bee, PJ

I like clean and linear designs. In relation to the layout of homes, natural light, ventilation and linear spaces are the hallmark of an SDB home.

I don’t really have a preference for a specific type of style, but homes should look and feel cosy and comfortable.

Homes that are too stark and minimalist feel like an art gallery, and that does not really work for me. Then again, neither do homes that are overly “personalised” with bric-brac and lot of clutter!

I like the contemporary look, but interspersed with a few older pieces to give the home a personal touch and a more lived-in feel. I have some pieces of furniture at home which used to belong to my parents.

Are you grooming anyone to run the show at SDB? – Lee Meng Sin, KL

No, not at the moment. I am in my early forties! I would like to think that I can follow my father’s footsteps; he worked until he was in his 70s! On a serious note, SDB is run by a group of professionals, who are able to make sound commercial decisions.

How do you spend your non-working hours? – Joanne Lau, Penang

I believe in work-life balance. I enjoy spending my spare time at home with my kids and do try to keep healthy by exercising. I incorporate cardio, flexibility and strength into my work-out.

I have been learning about natural therapies recently and believe that the body is able to heal itself by living and eating well. I have started to apply this into my daily routine and am a lot more conscious of what the family has for meals!

Whenever the opportunity arises, I also believe in sharing resources and experiences with people, be it in terms of work, health and personal development.

Who are your favourite interior designers and architects? – Billy Ooi, Penang

I don’t have a particular favourite designer or architect, but I am very attracted to designs that are simple and have clean lines – very “back to basics”, which are reflected in Japanese designs and the contemporary Malaysian homes of the ‘60s and ‘70s.

I feel homes of this era were designed to allow lots of natural light and ventilation, which is ideal for our tropical climate.

What is the Chan and Teh family connection and how does that impact upon SDB? – Wong Kam Siew, KL

My late mother came from the Chan family. At the moment, the Teh family controls and runs SDB.

What is your 10-year plan for Selangor Dredging? – Lee Seng Chee, KL

We started property development in 2004. To date, we have six developments – five in the Klang Valley and one in Singapore. Our aim is to continue building niche boutique developments, and it has to encompass spacious internal layout and outdoor living spaces for the family to enjoy.

I am personally very involved in concept development for all our properties.

We have a customer service arm that takes care of your renovation, rental and maintenance needs and all our homes in Malaysia come with a 36-month defect liability period.

Our idea is to walk the extra mile with the purchaser upon handing over of the home. We believe that all these will help the homes appreciate in value.

Within the next 10 years, we foresee being more active overseas, such as in Singapore, as we feel there are very clear guidelines over there.

How do you divide your time between work and the family? How many children do you have and how old are they? – Monica Chan, Segambut

I have two boys, aged 5 and 3, and am very conscious of my time management. I make sure I don’t stay in the office too late so that I have some “down” time at home for myself and the family.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

We were featured in the Singapore Straits Times

Debate over hillslope project revived By Hazlin Hassan, Malaysia Correspondent

KUALA LUMPUR: When retired government servant Peter Raiappan bought his home in a middle-class suburb in 1970, the hillslope overlooking his backyard was filled with trees.

Today, the trees are gone and the slope in the Medan Damansara estate in Kuala Lumpur is being turned into a bungalow retreat for the rich.

'When we bought the houses, the developer then had showed us a plan of the area. The hill was marked as a green lung and we were assured that it would not be developed,' the 65-year-old told The Straits Times.

Four of the residents, including Mr Raiappan, are being sued by the developer of the Damansara 21 project for protesting against its planned development.

The issue highlights the current anger against projects built on slopes, following a recent landslide that killed four people and turned life topsy-turvy for thousands of others in the neighbouring state of Selangor.

The 21 bungalows being built in the Damansara 21 project will each come with a swimming pool.

Each house costs between RM10 million and RM15 million (S$4.1 million and S$6.2 million). The project is being developed by SDB Properties; it paid RM50 million for the land.

The developer, in a statement issued in September, said it 'continues to stand by its commitment to ensure that all works in the project will be carried out in a proper manner, in full compliance with all conditions imposed by the relevant authorities and with the residents' safety in mind'.

The area's municipal authority, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, had said that the land was private property and not a designated green lung and all relevant authorities had given the green light for the project to go ahead.

Work started last December. Earlier this year, nearly 20 residents from Medan Damansara knocked on the doors of the Anti-Corruption Agency in Putrajaya to hand over papers alleging corruption on the part of KL City Hall when it allowed the developer permission to build on the slope.

The developers filed a defamation suit against four of the residents association's office bearers in their personal capacity at the High Court three months ago.

Besides Mr Raiappan, those sued are association president P. Subhakaran, former association president Abdul Shukor Abdullah and Mr Randhir Singh.

Following the deadly landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa a week ago, the government has halted the Damansara 21 project pending a review.

But Mr Singh said that it is not good enough and they want the government to scrap the development. 'We will challenge the suit. The project is a monster staring at us. We fear for our safety and we have the right to speak up for it,' he said.

But many developers felt the Bukit Antarabangsa incident had caused all of them to be painted unfairly.

Mr Eddy Chen, chairman of The Hillslope Development Task Force of the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association, said banning all hillslope projects was not the way out.

'A blanket ban on all hillslope developments is not a sustainable long-term answer,' he wrote in a column in The Edge, a financial newspaper, yesterday.

He said that more stringent rules for the maintenance of slopes and the holistic involvement of all relevant parties in adhering to a slope-safety management and warning system was more important.