KUALA LUMPUR: The families of the victims of a landslide tragedy at the Father's Organic Farm in Jalan Genting, Batang Kali, Hulu Selangor, want the government to release a full report on the incident immediately.
Loh Teng Shui, the representative of the victims' families, said they were waiting for answers on what transpired.
"We don't know which department to go to or which authority to contact (for more information).
"We hope the government can provide the right channels for us to get information," he was quoted as saying in an FMT report today.
On Jan 19, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said a full report on the incident was expected to be completed by the end of last month.
Previously, Nik Nazmi informed the cabinet that his ministry had presented a preliminary report on the tragedy to the cabinet on Jan 4.
He said the initial report was prepared by the Minerals and Geosciences Department and the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia. However, until now, no report has been published.
In December last year, the police had stated that the investigation into the incident was almost 90 per cent complete.
Loh, in a press conference today, reportedly said he had not received any update on the investigation carried out by the police.
"What happened to the investigation? Will the police's investigation report be released along with the incident report?
"This is what we want to know because we have no other channels to get information.
"We can read only news reports, and in the end, we feel very disappointed."
Loh said while the victim's family did not want to point fingers at anyone, they wanted the authorities to be held accountable.
"We were told that the campsite might be in a 'restricted' area. If so, we shouldn't have been there (in the first place).
"This incident could have been avoided. Therefore, we want an explanation through the report."
Meanwhile, Loh claimed that several vehicles that were not affected in the landslide were all damaged when they were towed out of the scene.
In addition, he said, many personal items were found missing.
"This adds salt to our wounds. There should be a proper standard operating procedure on how to handle victims' vehicles during a disaster.
"Even a victim's family was charged RM1,450 by a towing company. The amount is too high, and we don't think it is appropriate because this family has already gone through so much difficulty."
On Dec 16, a landslide at the Father's Organic Farm campsite in Batang Kali claimed 31 lives, including 13 children. Sixty-one people were rescued in the 2.30am incident.
