BANTING, Aug 30 — The government is planning mitigation measures to address the potential risk of sinkholes, following a recent incident involving an Indian tourist that has heightened public concern.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the matter has been brought to the Cabinet's attention, which has decided that immediate action is needed to identify high-risk areas.
"Currently, we have not identified specific areas at risk of sinkholes, but efforts are underway to identify such areas, similar to how we have identified over 2,000 risk-prone slope locations," he told the press after opening Section 1 of the West Coast Expressway today.
Nanta added that the matter was also discussed in a recent Cabinet meeting. Moving forward, the government will focus on using science, technology, and artificial intelligence to address and prevent such incidents.
On August 23, Indian national Vijaya Lakshmini, 48, went missing after falling into an eight-metre sinkhole along Jalan Masjid India while en route to a nearby temple.
The search and rescue operation, now in its eighth day, continues this morning in efforts to locate her.
— Bernama
