The UMNO Youth Committee Leader for Kota Raya, Haji Mohd Zaffarollah, recently took to his Facebook page to question how construction was allowed anywhere near the gas pipeline that exploded yesterday (Tuesday – April 1), especially considering residents in the area have voiced their concerns since last year!
He wrote, “Since December 17 (2024), residents have been expressing concerns. According to sources, even though it was the first day of Hari Raya (Monday – March 31), there was digging work using backhoes. The question is, how was their Planning Permission (KM) approved (considering it was by the) Petronas reserve?”
“Hopefully, (the local authorities) can answer this question and rumour immediately, is it true that the KM was given or did the developer violate the KM conditions?”
In December, a resident claimed that construction had crossed into a gas pipeline area
He also showcased a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation from December 17, 2024, where a resident had recorded the construction on his dashcam and claimed that the construction had entered the land where the gas pipeline was laid.
“This needs to be reported. If they hit the pipe, the explosion will reach my house. And these people are casually playing (with the land),”
“They’ve entered the boundary already, they’ve torn down the fence (to the reserve),” the message read.
Haji Mohd Zaffarollah added that he isn’t sure if the images shown are from the location of the recent explosion or if it was a different location, but if it is a different location, the authorities should take early action before another explosion happens.
They did, indeed, receive approval
According to a report by Harian Metro, the development project near the location of the gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights did receive approval from authorities.
Subang Jaya Mayor, Datuk Amirul Azizan Abd Rahim, shared that the project was not within Petronas’s Right of Way (ROW), and was granted approval and KM in 2022.
“The project went through the appropriate approval process, including obtaining permission from Petronas to use the ROW for the Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) route. In addition, the contractor involved is also a panel approved by IWK and Petronas,” he said.
When asked to address the speculations on social media, he said his party would not provide an official response at this time as a detailed investigation is still being conducted by Petronas, the police and other relevant authorities.
“We need to wait for the results of the investigation to find out the exact cause of the fire and explosion.”
However, he did mention that the project was supposed to be completed in December 2024, but was delayed because it was still in the process of obtaining the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).
“I am not sure about the exact cause of this delay because it is outside my jurisdiction. It may involve financial factors or others, but what is certain is that all approvals were obtained according to the prescribed procedures,”
“The project complies with all the conditions and regulations set by the authorities,” he added.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
Also read: Subang MP Urges Residents Not to Panic as Gas Pipeline Fire Did NOT Happen in Subang Jaya
