State executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari says the Penang government will look into appointing consultants to conduct a geotechnical study of the slopes along Lorong Bukit Kukus in Paya Terubong. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
State executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari says the Penang government will look into appointing consultants to conduct a geotechnical study of the slopes along Lorong Bukit Kukus in Paya Terubong. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 4 ― The Penang government will look into appointing consultants to conduct a geotechnical study of the slopes along Lorong Bukit Kukus in Paya Terubong, state executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari said today after residents raised alarm over falling rock and debris there.

The infrastructure and transport committee chairman said he will call for a meeting with all relevant departments on the issue.

“The scope of the study will include rock slope stability analysis and soil investigation in the surrounding area,” he said in a statement.

He was responding to complaints by Grandview Heights residents of falling rocks and debris over the last several years from the hill slopes near the apartment block.

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Zairil, who claimed he was only informed of the issue recently, said they will also consider doing a rock mapping study.

“The state will be guided by the reports and recommendation of the studies for our next course of action,” he said.

He said the slopes first showed signs of instability more than 20 years ago when steel netting was put in place to cover the rock slope.

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Soil nails were also inserted and a gabion wall was constructed to strengthen the slopes, he added.

He said the Penang Island City Council erected a centre median in 2016 to prevent rocks from rolling onto vehicles and the building after incidences of loose rocks rolling down the slopes.

Last Monday, one of the apartment residents, S.Guru, told reporters that there have been incidences of falling debris and loose rocks from the slopes in recent years, damaging cars parked along the roadside.

He said a large boulder fell onto the road in 2018 but only that section of the road was blocked off while no efforts were made to stabilise the slopes to prevent future incidents.

The residents had written to the Paya Terubong Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) in 2019 and sent another letter to the Paya Terubong assemblyman Yeoh Soon Hin early this year.