GEORGE TOWN, Oct 25 — A Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) professor’s claim that loose sandy soil was used to fill land at the Bukit Kukus paired road construction site was inaccurate, the project consultant engineer said.

GEA (M) Sdn Bhd refuted the comments made by Habibah Lateh, who is a soil erosion expert, that the wrong type of soil was used at the construction site.

"She does not have prior information of the testings and the intent of the works carried out at the site,” the company said in a brief statement.

Habibah had on Tuesday claimed that sandy soil was used to fill the land after contractors had cut the hill and that it was highly unsuitable.

She also said there should have been strict monitoring to ensure the project contractor complied with standard operating procedures (SOP) when cutting and filling the land during construction.

Habibah made the comments after visiting the construction site following a fatal landslide last Friday, which killed nine workers and injured four others.

Both the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and the Penang Island City Council have issued stop work orders against the project pending investigations into the incident.

The Penang state government has also set up a special committee to investigate the incident.