My Overview on Landslide in Malaysia

Landslide History in Malaysia

The record of landslides in Malaysia was compiled by Abd Rasid (2006) as shown on Appendix. He reviewed some of the landslides occurred in Malaysia from 1990 to 2004. The earliest written record of landslide in Malaysia is the rockfall that occurred on 7 December 1919 at Bukit Tunggal, Perak, which claimed 12 lives and damaged property. After the country gained independence in 1957, the first national tragedy was a landslide at Ringlet, Cameron Highlands which occurred on 11 May 1961. About 700 people and two bulldozers came to assist and approximately 30 people were rescued. This tragedy, however, claimed 16 lives.

From 1973 onwards, a considerable number of landslides were reported in the local newspapers. From 1973 to 2007, indicates an increase in the number of fatalities with an increase in the number of landslides (PWD on National Slope Master Plan (NSMP), 2009-2023).

The Highland Towers tragedy on 11 December 1993 that claimed 48 lives had a major impact on national policy. Lack of storm water planning and design is the main reason that the cause of landslide. It was due to this landslide that on 18 May 1994 the Cabinet Meeting made a decision to; (a) form the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART); (b) form a mechanism under the National Security Council (MKN) in the Prime Minister’s Department for the management of disasters on land. These two major decisions by the Government were later implemented by the issuance of National Security Council Directives No. 19 (MKN Arahan 19) and No. 20 (MKN Arahan 20). It was also around this time that the public began to become aware of landslide hazards. The highest fatality recorded for a single landslide event, was on 26 December 1996 where a debris flow caused by Tropical Storm Gregg wiped out a few villages in Keningau, Sabah and claimed 302 lives.

Most major landslides resulted in fatalities and injuries. However, some major landslides along highways, although without fatalities, resulted in serious disruptions to the transportation network and adversely affected the public. For example, the rockslide at Km 21.8 of the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) in 2003 claimed no fatalities, but it is the landslide with the highest economic costs to date because of the high direct and indirect cost associated with the half-year massive traffic congestion, road closures and diversions in the Klang Valley.