KUALA LUMPUR – A recent mudslide near Bukit Kiara has reignited scrutiny of hillside development in the capital, as residents and environmentalists question whether existing safeguards are being properly enforced.
Khairudin Rahim, spokesperson for the TTDI Residents Association, stressed that Kuala Lumpur already has comprehensive policies and guidelines governing construction on slopes and environmentally sensitive land.
“We have all the checks and balances on paper,” he said during the Scoop Insight podcast. “Every single means of ensuring balanced developments, care for the environment, it’s all there.”
Yet Khairudin argued that recurring incidents are rooted in inconsistent enforcement and the frequent granting of exceptions.
“And it’s always back to, there are always, unfortunately, exceptions made, whether overtly or covertly, that results in the repeated failures,” he added.
The Bukit Kiara mudslide is emblematic of a wider pattern seen across the city. Flooding remains a chronic issue despite mitigation measures and official assurances.
“For example, flooding in KL, it’s still there, it’s still happening,” Khairudin said. “And you say it’s because of heavy rain. I laugh every time when the authorities say the floods happened because of heavy rain.”
He noted that much of the city’s infrastructure, built decades ago, was never designed to accommodate today’s dense developments and growing population.
“When you do all this planning, you have to plan ahead,” he explained. “The drainage was never meant, when it was built 30 years ago, for fivefold increase in population, and 20 other blocks of concrete happening. But the drains are the same.”
Friends of Bukit Kiara vice-president Tan Boon Hua said Kuala Lumpur’s challenges are not unique, though they are more visible due to rapid urbanisation and population density.
“If I were to add to that, I think it is not just a KL problem,” he said. “Because KL is the highest populated, the most dense urban centre, so we see a lot more of this.”
Boon also pointed to widespread objections to the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan and City Plan as evidence of growing public unease over development decisions.
“Just look at the number of judicial review that is currently going through the system to challenge the validity or soundness of the gazettement in the KL city plan,” he said, adding that these are symptoms of improper planning.
Similar issues, he noted, can be observed nationwide, from urban overdevelopment to large-scale deforestation in ecologically sensitive areas.
“It’s not just constructing a building per say,” Boon said. “You go to Cameron Highlands, look at how the forest there has been just cleared out.”
Khairudin echoed this frustration, emphasising that natural disasters are too often attributed solely to weather rather than poor planning or weak enforcement.
“If you look back at the purpose of all the rules out there, it’s very good to prevent exactly what’s happened,” he said. “The question is, how were they implemented? Were they supervised? Were there good checks and balances? Were people made accountable for doing all the right things according to specifications?”
The mudslide at Jalan Abang Haji Openg on April 18, 2026, prompted an immediate stop-work order on the hillside development. Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) also issued a compound notice to the contractor overseeing the RM6 million National Landscape Department project.
For residents and environmental advocates, the incident underscores the urgent need for stronger governance, stricter accountability, and a sustained commitment to safeguarding communities and the environment amid Kuala Lumpur’s rapid growth. – May 1, 2026