KUALA LUMPUR — The Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) Residents Association has alleged that repeated warnings over the National Landscape Department’s office project at Jalan Abang Haji Openg were ignored by authorities, despite early concerns over tree clearing and slope safety.
Chairman Abdul Jabar Ahmad Junid said residents, together with him, had raised objections over the extent of tree removal at the Bukit Kiara-adjacent site after approval for the project was granted.
He said that during earlier stakeholder engagements, authorities had assured residents that tree-cutting would be carried out in phases.
“So at that time, when we had the stakeholder meeting with the National Landscape Department and Dewan Bandaraya, they told us that they would cut the trees partially, step by step,” he said.
However, he claimed that when work began in 2023, the entire area was cleared, sparking concern among residents.
“At that time, people started to get angry, and see what happened now,” he said, referring to the recent mudflow incident. He added that residents were concerned about the loss of greenery in the area.
Abdul Jabar also raised safety concerns over the construction site, alleging that the Public Works Department (JKR) failed to install adequate hoarding as a preventive measure.
“We also raised concerns about this issue. The hoarding used at the site appears to rely on a single type of metal structure, which may not be sufficiently stable,” he said.
“During heavy rain or strong winds, the barrier can shake, raising questions about its safety and durability,” he added, noting that residents had nevertheless been assured by JKR that the structure would hold.
Separately, Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) and the TTDI Residents Association said the incident was preventable, insisting it originated from the construction site.
In a statement shared on FoBK’s Facebook page, the groups said the hoarding collapse, flooding and mudflow from the Jabatan Landskap Negara headquarters project site following a severe evening storm was “totally preventable”.
They said they had “repeatedly engaged and warned the project owner (JLN) and project executor (JKR)” as early as May 2021 over safety and environmental risks.
The groups also said they had proposed an alternative, suggesting that the headquarters be located in rented office space within TTDI instead of being built on the Bukit Kiara site.
Even after approval was granted in 2022, FoBK said it continued to push for a “Conservation-First” and “Nature-First” approach.
“FoBK recommended that the project be approached on a ‘Conservation-First’ and ‘Nature-First’ basis, i.e. minimise land disturbance, build small, execute gently in phases, and build in harmony with the landscape instead of cutting,” it said.
However, the groups alleged that their recommendations were not adopted, claiming that JKR and contractors proceeded with their own approach, resulting in repeated mudflow incidents from August 2025 leading up to the latest episode.
The recent mudslide also triggered flash floods in surrounding residential areas following continuous heavy rain.
Despite cleanup efforts and improved hoarding around the site, muddy runoff still reached the entrances of nearby homes.
The project has since been issued a stop-work order by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud said DBKL will no longer allow high-risk slope developments to proceed “in one go”, stressing that such projects must instead be carried out in controlled phases. – April 21, 2026