November 19, 2009 20:13 PM

Taman Cheras Awana Flat Residents Reluctant To Move Out

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Bernama) -- Despite a second landslide occurring near the Taman Cheras Awana Flats, near Kajang early Thursday morning, residents of the flats are refusing to move out although they have been ordered by the relevant authorities to do so.

Most of them believed that the landslide that occurred on the hill slope near the building at 3pm Wednesday, which buried three cars and a motorcycle, posed no danger.

A check by Bernama at the scene found most of the residents were carrying out their normal daily activities and no family had left the flats.

On Wednesday, 50 residents from 10 families from the flats were ordered to move out immediately after the landslide to a community hall near the area with the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) providing aid to them.

A flat dweller, Rashitah Kamarudin, 56, said she refused to move to the relief centre as she felt the landslide would not hit her unit although it was facing the hill slope that had collapsed.

"I live here with my husband and child, and we are used to seeing such incidents. I notice that there is no danger although what occurred yesterday was worse than the first landslide last year," she told Bernama when met at her unit.

A driver who had been staying there for nine years, Anthony Raj, 40, said he too would not leave the house that he had bought because he felt more comfortable staying in his own home compared to the accommodation provided by the authorities.

He said that the MPKj had come to monitor the situation of the hill slope Thursday morning.

"I see them (MPKj) observing the situation at the hill slope but did not do anything," said Anthony who had taken one-day leave following the land slide.

A check by Bernama also found that the collapsed hill slope had been covered with plastic sheets to reduce soil movement during the rain and the road into the area had been closed to all traffic.

-- BERNAMA

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