Murray Hunter
Will Putra Heights become Malaysia’s Bhopal?
Bureaucratic indifference may set in
Apr 05, 2025
The alleged contractor which sparked a massive gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights has created a disaster which has some parallels with the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, India.
At the time of writing the Putra Heights disaster has 111 victims in hospitals. More than 235 properties have either been totally destroyed or damaged from the resulting fire. More than 1,000 people are now homeless.
While the Federal and Selangor governments have given RM 5,000 grants to victims and provided emergency housing, this is not enough to replace the homes, chattels, cars and memorabilia that the people of Putra Heights have lost.
In addition, the whole question of why such a potentially dangerous pipeline could be allowed to run through housing and residential areas is a total lapse of government responsibility towards its citizens. No-one should be put in any proximity to dangerous substances like flammable gases at high pressure. Its just an accident waiting to happen, which unfortunately it did.
Petronas in a press release on April one took responsibility of the gas line, through a subsidiary Petronas Gas Berhad. Consequently, it should be Petronas which is assisting households. It appears Petronas is being slow to take up this responsibility, leaving it to the state and federal governments.
Bhopal Revisited
In another press release by Petronas on April1, it mentioned cooperation with government and the actions it is taking to secure the pipeline and get it up running once again. The best Petronas could give was its sympathies to families and victims of this disaster. There is no talk of assistance.
There are questions about the costs of compensating victims, and hints that the government might be expected to assist. There are risks in such bureaucracy that residents may not be adequately compensated for their losses.
There are concerns that any compensation may fall sure of actual losses incurred by many families. In such as case, any short falls may be to be sort by a class action against Petronas Gas Berhad. If, that is the case, this will become a mini version of Bhopal, where victims had to run to the courts.
Finally, how could town planning allow such dangerous pipelines so near residential areas. Town planning in Malaysia needs a complete review to ensure such a tragedy never occurs again.
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kt comments:
Was the gas line constructed not in accordance with the official town planning? Was it constructed long long after the town planning specifications were decided upon?
When the Peninsular Gas Utilisation Project plan , including the route alignment was laid out in the 1980s and early 1990s, most of the route was undeveloped or lightly developed , including the Putra Heights area where the explosion occured.
ReplyDeleteThere is the "No Go" Zone, where no construction is permitted, and the Buffer Zone where development is allowed but supposed to be restricted.
It appears the "No Go" zone is respected, the entire route clearly has no buildings on it.
However, Local Councils have steadily allowed construction , including Housing Estates to be approved close to or within the Buffer Zone.
Tough questions need to be asked, demanding answers.