SHAH ALAM - A recent sinkhole incident in Kampung Kerinchi was caused by a faulty Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) pipe, according to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
During a visit to the site on Wednesday, Dr Zaliha confirmed that the damaged pipe had destabilised the surrounding land, leading to the collapse.
"We have reviewed the situation and received information indicating that this incident was caused by a problematic IWK pipe located deeper underground.
"This caused the surrounding land in the area to become unstable, ultimately leading to the incident,” she said when met by reporters during her visit to the land subsidence site in Kampung Kerinchi on Wednesday, which was also attended by the Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Zaliha also said that immediate actions will be taken by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
"The drainage system broke, so immediate action will be taken by DBKL and the relevant authorities to ensure that this pipe is repaired as quickly as possible.
"The most important thing is that the IWK pipe needs to be repaired first, followed by the pipes in the surrounding area,” she said.
This incident marks yet another sinkhole occurrence, following last week's sinkhole shocking incident involving an Indian tourist at Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur (KL).
Vijayaletchumy, 48, fell into the sinkhole that appeared suddenly on the pavement in Jalan Masjid India where she was walking towards a nearby temple.
The authorities believe the woman was then swept into the underground sewer tunnels as waters gushed due to recent heavy rain.
In a related matter, Zaliha also addressed accusations that she did not visit the site of the Jalan Masjid India sinkhole tragedy.
She clarified that she was in Kuching, Sarawak when she first learned about the incident on Aug 23, but upon arriving in KL, she promptly went to the scene on Aug 24 to gather updates from authorities.
She stressed her commitment to addressing safety concerns and refuted claims made by Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Dr Puad Zarkashi, who had slammed her for not visiting the site.
Zaliha assured that she has been in direct contact with relevant officials and the Indian High Commissioner to keep up with the developments.