KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): Planning permission applications for the construction of buildings in Kuala Lumpur will no longer be considered without a geotechnical study prepared by certified engineers, under a new directive issued by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
The letter was issued to the directors of DBKL's City Planning Department, Building Control Department and  Infrastructure Planning Department, as well as to the secretariat head of the local authority's one-stop committee.

It is unclear whether the directive will affect projects which have secured approvals for the aforementioned processes. The Edge has reached out to a DBKL spokesperson, who declined to elaborate on the letter.

On Monday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa was quoted as saying that DBKL has been directed to collaborate closely with geologists and infrastructure experts to evaluate and mitigate the risk of future sinkholes.

Second sinkhole spotted on Jalan Masjid India

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 28): Another sinkhole has been reported on Jalan Masjid India here, about 50 metres from where the ground suddenly collapsed, swallowing a woman pedestrian last Friday.
The latest incident is said to have occurred at around 2.30am on Wednesday, believed due to the heavy rain and storm on Tuesday night.

Speaking to The Straits Times, Professor Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin, president of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia, said the close proximity of the first and second sinkholes hints at a link between the two. There could be a service pipe that has been compromised running underground. If it has been compromised, this would affect the soil’s integrity and the water seepage would erode the soil,said Prof Chiang.