KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — The Housing and Local Government Ministry has formed a committee to study how Ampang land occupied by the condemned Highland Towers may be repurposed, said Zuraida Kamaruddin.

The minister said the land has been left idle following the collapse of one of the tower blocks in 1993.

"The committee, comprising all stakeholders and ministries, will have its first meeting tomorrow to decide how to move forward,” Zuraida told a news conference.

She said the land parcel currently held by the Insolvency Department could be redeveloped into a housing project for the Bottom 40 of Malaysians.

According to Zuraida, she has been trying to address the issue for the past 10 years as Ampang MP, but was unable to make headway as she had then been an opposition MP.

"So as a minister, I hope I can solve this issue and probably provide homes to the poor,” she said.

The Highland Towers collapse was among the deadliest landslides in Malaysia, causing the collapse of Block 1 of three at the site and resulting in 48 deaths.

The remaining towers were initially to be repaired and reoccupied, but were later condemned when authorities concluded that these could not be safely rehabilitated.