Selangor needs to relook building plans, says Yeoh over quake fears

PETALING JAYA (June 11): Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh (pictured) wants the Selangor government to consider having a contingency plan following the earthquake that hit Sabah last week.

She is urging state executive councillors Ean Yong Hian Wah and Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad to relook building plans and the approvals for developments by local and city councils in the state.

Ean is in charge of local government, new village development and the legalising of factories while Iskandar is in charge of building management and urban living.

"It is crucial that they look into the building requirements and make the necessary provisions. All the buildings in the state are not designed to withstand an earthquake," she told reporters after launching the newly upgraded bus stop on Jalan SS19/17A this morning.

Yeoh, who is also Selangor speaker, said the quake tragedy in Sabah could also happen in the state.

She was commenting on The Malaysian Insider report today that there is a possibility that an earthquake may also hit Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas.

Universiti Malaya Geology Department Associate Professor Mustaffa Kamal Shuib was quoted as saying that this could happen as the federal capital is located near the epicentres of ancient fault line zones.

"These fault lines seem to have been reactivated by active tectonic plate boundaries and this was a cause for concern, especially since many structures in the city were not built and designed to withstand earthquakes," he had said.

Mustaffa said that the general perception had always been that Peninsular Malaysia was safe because it is located far away from the Pacific Ring of Fire.

"But in recent years, there is evidence of earthquakes with focal points or epicentres right under our feet, due to the reactivation of old fault lines,” he had said.

There are four fault line zones in Peninsular Malaysia – Bukit Tinggi (Pahang), Kuala Lumpur, Lepar (north of Pahang) and Seremban (Negri Sembilan).

On Tuesday, Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Phesal Talib had also said that DBKL would review the construction of new highrise buildings in Kuala Lumpur, especially the safety aspects of these buildings to withstand earthquake tremors.

He had said the views and advice of relevant experts would be sought with regard to this.