The Batang Kali Landslide: A National Tragedy

PRESS STATEMENT
The Batang Kali Incident: A National Tragedy
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The University of Malaya Student’s Union - Faculty Of Law (UMSU Law Faculty) would like to refer to news reports regarding the Batang Kali landslide which occurred on December 16th 2022. The tragedy which occurred at 2.30 a.m. at Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali, Selangor saw 31 people lost their lives whilst 61 people survived the landslide. Out of the 31 who perished, 18 were adults whilst the remaining 13 were children. A Search and Rescue operation commenced and involved over 250 personnel consisting of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Malaysian Army, Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence Force and the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance Rescue Team (SMART).

The search and rescue operation lasted for 9 days and officially ended on December 25th once the final victim was found. SMART commander Mohd Khairul Jamil stated that this was the second worst tragedy in terms of deaths after the Highland Towers tragedy in 1993. Selangor Police Chief, Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed stated that police investigations regarding the incident are 90 percent complete and investigations were being done under Section 304(a) and Section 290 of the Penal Code and the Local Government Act 1974. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government will give financial aid to the victims of the landslide, with RM10,000 given to the families of the deceased, while the survivors will receive RM1,000 each. The aid will be distributed via a joint effort between the Selangor State Government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

UMSU Law Faculty would like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of those who had lost their lives in this tragedy. We urge the government and the relevant authorities to conduct an independent and transparent investigation and that those responsible be brought to justice to answer for this national tragedy. We also urge that actions to be taken by the relevant authorities to ensure that this tragedy does not happen again. We hope that the government will take necessary action and recognise that Malaysia is in a climate emergency and enact a Climate Change Act.



University Of Malaya Student’s Union - Faculty Of Law
January 2023​

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KENYATAAN MEDIA
Tanah Runtuh Batang Kali: Suatu Tragedi Kebangsaan

Kesatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya – Fakulti Undang-undang (KMUM FUU) ingin merujuk kepada berita mengenai kejadian tanah runtuh di Batang Kali yang berlaku pada 16 Disember 2022 lalu. Tragedi yang berlaku pada jam 2:30 pagi di Father’s Organic Farm, Batang Kali, Selangor ini telah mengorbankan 31 nyawa manakala 61 mangsa terselamat. Daripada 31 mangsa yang terkorban, 18 daripada mereka merupakan orang dewasa dan 13 lagi merupakan kanak-kanak. Sebuah operasi mencari dan menyelamat yang melibatkan lebih daripada 250 orang petugas daripada Polis Diraja Malaysia, Tentera Darat Malaysia, Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia, Angkatan Pertahanan Awam Malaysia dan Pasukan Mencari dan Menyelamat Khas Malaysia (SMART) telah diadakan.

​Operasi mencari dan menyelamat tersebut telah berlangsung selama 9 hari dan ditamatkan secara rasminya pada 25 Disember 2022 apabila mangsa terakhir dijumpai. Menurut Komander SMART, Mohd Khairul Jamil, insiden ini merupakan tragedi kedua terbesar melibatkan angka mangsa korban selepas tragedi Highland Towers pada 1993. Ketua Polis negeri Selangor, Datuk Arjunaidi Mohamed menyatakan bahawa siasatan polis mengenai kejadian tersebut telah 90% siap dan siasatan dilakukan di bawah Seksyen 304(a) dan Seksyen 290 Kanun Keseksaan dan Akta Kerajaan Tempatan 1974. Sementara itu, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengumumkan bahawa pihak kerajaan akan menyalurkan bantuan wang ihsan kepada para mangsa, di mana RM10,000 akan disumbangkan kepada keluarga mangsa yang maut manakala RM1,000 pula akan diberikan kepada setiap mangsa yang terselamat. Bantuan ini akan disalurkan melalui usaha bersama Kerajaan Negeri Selangor dan pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO).

KMUM FUU ingin menzahirkan ucapan takziah kepada seluruh ahli keluarga mangsa yang terkorban dalam tragedi ini. Di sini kami ingin menggesa pihak kerajaan dan pihak berkuasa yang berkaitan untuk mengadakan siasatan yang bebas dan terbuka agar pihak yang bertanggungjawab dibawa ke muka keadilan bagi menjawab tragedi yang menyedihkan seluruh negara kali ini. Kami juga ingin menggesa agar langkah berjaga-jaga diambil oleh pihak berkuasa yang berkaitan untuk memastikan bahawa tragedi sebegini tidak berulang lagi. Kami berharap agar pihak kerajaan mengambil tindakan yang sewajarnya dan mengesahkan kecemasan iklim di Malaysia serta menggubal Akta Perubahan Iklim dengan segera.
 
Kesatuan Mahasiswa Universiti Malaya – Fakulti Undang-undang
Januari 2023


References
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/12/26/batang-kali-landslide-smart-commander-recounts-shock-at-number-of-deaths-in-malaysias-second-biggest-disaster/47158 
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/g/419403#:~:text=Sixty%2Done%20people%20survived%20the,%E2%80%93%20Decembr%2025%2C%202022. 
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/12/25/batang-kali-landslide-search-and-rescue-operation-officially-ends 
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/12/27/police-probe-into-batang-kali-landslide-90-per-cent-completed 
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2022/12/16/financial-aid-to-be-given-to-victims-and-heirs-says-pm-anwar ​