Doctor dead, six homes emptied: Why did the Paya Terubong slope give way?
The Fire and Rescue Department received the call at 8.36am. Health Ministry personnel pronounced Kar Lin dead at 9.10am
TWO days after a landslide buried the kitchen of a Paya Terubong home and killed a 73-year-old doctor, six houses stand empty and building work on the hill behind them has been halted. What caused the slope to fail is still unknown and residents say they saw it coming.
What happened
Dr Wong Kar Lin was preparing breakfast for his family on the ground floor of his home in Lebuh Rambai 13, Taman Seri Rambai, on Sunday (Oct 25). His wife, Chang Mei Nuo, 68, and her mother, Wong Poh Lim, in her 80s, were upstairs. Both got out in time.
Poh Lim told Sinar they rushed downstairs and found Kar Lin already under the rubble.
“We were very shocked and ran out to save ourselves. It all happened so fast,” she said.
Dr Wong had lived with his mother-in-law for three decades and she described him as a good son-in-law. Mei Nuo said she was grateful rescuers recovered her husband’s body intact.
A neighbour in his 30s known only as Lim was asleep when the incident occurred at a house about 20 metres away. “I heard a loud noise like thunder at about 8am. It was so loud because the location is very close to my house,” he said.
The Fire and Rescue Department received the call at 8.36am. Health Ministry personnel pronounced Kar Lin dead at 9.10am, and firefighters brought his body out at about 11.20am.
The post-mortem found he died from a heavy blow to the chest and breathlessness after being buried. ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad, the Northeast District police chief, said the case is classified as sudden death and the investigation will continue until complete.
What authorities have done
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) ordered an immediate halt to condominium construction and roadworks on the hillside.
Stop-work orders also cover slope stabilisation works behind the affected row of houses.
MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the project has been running for more than a year and that the cause will be investigated, including any link to the development.
Six houses involving five families were ordered to evacuate, and a community hall was activated as a relief centre.
Rajendran said the affected residents were advised to move out and the Land Office would coordinate their accommodation.
State infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari asked those living nearby to follow the authorities’ advice and stay away until the area is confirmed safe.
Police are guarding the empty homes and keeping people out of the area. Abdul Rozak said there is no end date for the cordon yet.
“We have not determined the duration because the police are not technical experts on landslides. We are only making sure the area and the six houses left behind are not trespassed on,” he said, adding that officers will stay until the technical authorities decide.
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh urged residents living near the slope to evacuate for a day or two until it was declared safe to return.
The district office later said the order is expected to last five days, pending technical assessments.
The Public Works Department (JKR) and the Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) are preparing geotechnical reports, expected in about three days.
Is the slope still moving?
On Sunday the district officer said soil movement was still detected despite dry weather, and that a heavy crane and a large concrete block on the site could fall if the ground shifted.
By Monday, Rajendran said the slope was stable after water pipelines were relocated, with no signs of further ground movement.
He cautioned that prolonged rain could weaken the soil. Experts warned police that further rainfall could trigger a recurrence of the incident.
Why did it happen?
Officials do not agree on an explanation yet. The district officer said preliminary findings point to a leaking water channel and a clogged drain, which sent water into the affected house.
Zairil said slope stabilisation works were still ongoing when the landslide occurred.
“The development area on top of the hill also involves roadworks and a residential project,” he said, adding that the real cause still needs a detailed investigation. thestar
Rajendran declined to speculate pending an investigation by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) possibly involved.
He said it would take at least three months, but displaced residents need not wait for it to finish before returning home.
Paya Terubong assemblyman Wong Hon Wai said it was too early to say whether the housing project was to blame.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) wants the state to answer for it. Its president, Meena Raman, said residents and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had warned that large-scale hill-cutting in a sensitive area endangered nearby homes.
“The state government must explain how this tragedy happened and why it could not be prevented,” she said calling for action against the company responsible if negligence is found.
What residents say
Lim says the warning signs were there.
“Every time there is heavy rain, mud flows until it covers the road. As far as I can see, the developer only sends workers to clean the road,” he said.
He said he had complained but found it hard to give solid proof as he is not an expert.
He also said a similar slide happened about 10 years ago near a small temple at the back of the area. It was repaired, but residents remain uneasy.
“Residents opposed the project, but it went ahead. Jalan Bukit Kukus is already known for landslides, so we wonder how a project like this could be approved,” he said.
Lim also repeated a claim from other residents that the development was first planned at 20 storeys and later became a 47-storey project after a change of developer.
Hon Wai said residents appealed against the project about nine years ago, and the Planning Appeal Board imposed conditions on the developer.
Rajendran said complaints reached MBPP through a WhatsApp group with residents and were forwarded to the developer, who was told to improve safety.
Evacuated residents also say the aftermath has been confusing.
Jenny Toh, in her 50s, said they were told to book hotels and claim later, with no details on the process or who pays.
“Nobody knows where to go,” she said.
Ten members of her family live in her house, and she said water has also entered the back of her home.
Not the first time
In October 2018, nine people were killed in a landslide at the Jalan Bukit Kukus road construction site linking Paya Terubong to Relau.
In October 2025, another landslide at Bukit Paya Terubong struck at least 12 vehicles, but no injuries were reported.
Sinar Daily reported on Sunday that two vehicles, a BMW and a Honda City, were badly damaged after being struck by a landslide in Tanjung Bungah at about 6.50pm.
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