KUALA LUMPUR — All development projects on critical slopes in Kuala Lumpur will now have to be carried out in phases, with authorities to check on work done after every phase to ensure safety and reduce risks to nearby communities.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud, who said this today, noted that slopes with a gradient of 25 degrees or more would be officially classified as “critical”, and therefore subject to stricter phased development requirements.
“Effective immediately, all slope works must be carried out in phases to allow inspections by authorities and ensure compliance with approved plans. Subsequent phases can only proceed once initial works are deemed satisfactory,” he said, as reported by The Star.
Fadlun said the tightened guidelines were introduced following the mudflow incident on April 18 at the Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara recreational park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), where a retaining wall along Jalan Abang Haji Openg collapsed after heavy rainfall.
The structure was part of an ongoing project under the National Landscape Department (JLN), which manages the park.
The mayor made these remarks after visiting the site together with Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh. Also present were Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) president Leon Koay and TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Abu Hafiz Abu Hurairah.
Residents had expressed anxiety following the incident and after earlier land works in the area.
TTDI Residents Association spokesperson Khairuddin Rahim, speaking on a recent Scoop Insight podcast, said the situation has left the community feeling unsafe.
“For the first time in almost 50 years, residents living directly in front of that area are living in fear,” he said.
He added that the recent mud flow had severely unsettled households, particularly among elderly residents.
The April 18 incident saw mud and debris wash into parts of the neighbourhood, reviving long-standing concerns linked to hillside development activities in the surrounding area.
Khairuddin also noted that the sudden clearing works carried out for the National Landscape Department project had caught residents by surprise.
“Everybody was shocked because it happened within just two or three days,” he said.
He added that the speed of the clearing work had further intensified community fears.
In a related update, Yeoh announced that DBKL had imposed a 300-metre buffer zone for a proposed development opposite the park, taking into account its possible impact on nearby residents and the environment.
“I am very aware of how important parks are, not just for those living in Bukit Kiara, but for everyone in Kuala Lumpur.
“People need green spaces for recreation and to unwind,” she said. – May 4, 2026