Bukit Antarabangsa residents to sue gov't

updated 9.50pm Residents of Bukit Antarabangsa hit by a weekend landslide that killed four people said today they were planning to sue the government for cfompensation.

The disaster was the latest in a series of slippages in Kuala Lumpur's up-market northeastern suburbs, triggering a frenzy of finger-pointing over who is to blame for the continuing loss of life and property.

"We have set up a legal team which is collecting concrete evidence for us look at before we decide to take any legal action," said N Muneandy, chairman of the residents' association at Bukit Antarabangsa where the landslide hit.

"If we have concrete evidence then we will go against the authorities concerned. It is not our fault at all. We are the victims," he told AFP.

"This landslide occured because of the residents erecting houses on the slopes," he added. "The authorities had ignored signs that appeared over several years," he added.

In 2006, four people were killed and 43 homes destroyed in a nearby suburb and in 1993 a 12-storey Highland Towers collapsed, burying 48 people mainly maids and children."We have the evidence like photographs taken before the landslide and complaints lodged with the local authority," said Muneandy.

Without stating the amount of compensation to be sought, he said some residents had notified the relevant local authorities about the possibility of landslides happening.

"They had reported about fallen trees which indicated that something undesirable could happen, but the local authority only sent people to cut the trees and there were no other preventive measures taken," he added.

Need To Tighten Security

Muneandy also urged the government to immediately form a special committee with representatives of the residents included so that they could be kept informed of any development in Bukit Antarabangsa.

"This is important as the problem involves the safety of our lives and homes, and therefore we want the government to act fast," he said.

Earlier, representatives of the Bukit Antarabangsa residents held a discussion with the landslide search-and-rescue operations chief, Khalid Abu Bakar.

During the discussion, Khalid promised to intensify security surveillance in the landslide area to prevent looting and urged residents with problems to personally come forward to lodge police reports.

"We did get requests from residents who wanted to come in to get their belongings, including their cars stuck among the rubble, but we cannot allow them to do it now as the ground is still unstable and could endanger their lives," he said.

In the latest development, rescuers have this evening found a decomposed body, believed to be missing Sri Lankan maid Lourdes Mary. However, it was later discovered to be the carcass of a dog. The search will continue tomorrow.