KUALA LUMPUR – The Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) has urged victims of the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights not to place blame on the council, pending the results of investigations by the relevant authorities.
This statement comes in response to numerous social media posts speculating that excavation work for a project on land designated as a gas pipeline reserve may have caused the devastating fire on April 1.
Scoop spoke to several victims at the two temporary evacuation centres (PPS) established at Dewan Masjid Putra Heights and the Subang Jaya City Council’s multi-purpose hall, Dewan Camelia.
Victims indicated that they had submitted formal complaints to MBSJ, urging the suspension of the construction work before it began in 2023.
Speaking to Scoop, Rahimah Hassan, an officer from both the town planning and landscape departments, clarified that MBSJ had not received any formal complaints from residents living near the site prior to the start of the project.
“As far as I know, we did not receive any complaints from anyone regarding the dangers posed by the construction site, and we completely deny such allegations. Perhaps complaints were directed to other departments, but on our side, we did not receive any.
“We also believe it is unfair for the victims to blame the council, as we ensured that all proper procedures were followed before approving the construction project.
“In fact, there is currently no clear evidence linking the fire to the excavation work, and I personally feel that it is unfair to blame anyone while the investigation is still ongoing.
“We hope the victims can remain calm and allow the relevant authorities to complete their investigations before jumping to conclusions,” Rahimah said when met at Dewan Camelia yesterday.
Yesterday, Subang Jaya Mayor Datuk Amirul Azizan Abd Rahim confirmed that the development project at the site of the Putra Heights gas pipeline fire had received planning approval from MBSJ in 2022.
Amirul further confirmed the legitimacy of the project, stating that it was not situated on reserve land or a right of way (ROW) for Petronas, and had received permission from the company to use its ROW for sewerage facilities.
Social media speculation surrounding the incident is currently under investigation by Petronas, the police, and other relevant authorities. It is also understood that the construction company, Hong & Hong Homes Sdn. Bhd., is under police investigation following the disaster, which left over 100 people injured and many others displaced.
Meanwhile, Rahimah added that MBSJ has been offering substantial psychological support to the victims over the past two days and has worked alongside various government agencies to provide stationery for schoolchildren who lost their belongings in the fire.
“We have been diligently caring for all the victims at our PPS centres, ensuring they receive psychological support, motivation, and all necessary assistance to help them return to normal life.
“We also found that many schoolchildren lost their textbooks, school bags, and stationery in the fire. We have been providing them with whatever we can to support their education,” Rahimah added. – April 3, 2025