Housing assistance being considered for Serendah landslide victims - Noh

The government is considering providing housing assistance to 64 families affected by a major landslide in Taman Idaman, Serendah, early yesterday.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar said his ministry, however, would first have to study the complete report on the landslide incident which was expected to be ready soon.

"There are two options in assisting the affected residents if their houses are declared to be no longer safe for occupation and have to be demolished.

"They will be given housing assistance through the People's Housing Project (PPR) or a low-cost house built for those who own land," he told reporters when met at the site of the landslide which occurred at 1am yesterday.

Noh said the ministry would build the PPR homes at a suitable location for affected residents who owned no land.

"God willing, the ministry will provide a house for each of the affected families, but the Selangor state government should assist the federal government identify a suitable site to build the houses in the Serendah area."

Noh said the ministry also did not dismiss the possibility of building container homes for the affected victims who were now placed at Sekolah Rendah Agama Serendah before the houses were ready.

The landslide resulted in 340 people from 64 families ordered to vacate their homes and police have classified the affected site as a Red Zone, a prohibited area.

The public including the residents are not allowed to be within 600-metre radius of the site, with police stationed there to watch over the evacuated houses. -- Bernama