Dr. Nor Shahidah from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia mentioned that incidents such as sinkholes do not occur overnight, especially in areas built on limestone which is prone to dissolution. Geological processes take hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years to cause significant changes to the landscape. She dismissed claims circulating online that Kuala Lumpur is unsafe and there is a potential for a sudden emergence of a giant sinkhole. She also pointed out that the area’s proximity to a major river confluence could potentially lead to ground saturation, underground water flow, and erosion that might hollow the soil stratum.
Flash floods hit several areas of Kuala Lumpur, including the city centre, the day before the sinkhole incident. The Institution of Engineers, Malaysia noted that the sinkhole in question was approximately 24 meters from the Klang River. Dr. Lim mentioned that human activities can also trigger cave-ins, citing a 2014 incident in the Golden Triangle area caused by a burst water pipe. IEM president Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin suggested that utilities could be associated with the sinkhole based on photos and videos of the site. Dr. Lim added that similar incidents may have occurred in the past but were not reported as they did not cause harm to people or vehicles.
The safety of Kuala Lumpur, a city with almost two million inhabitants and nearly 9 million people in Greater Kuala Lumpur, has been called into question following the recent sinkhole incident. While experts agreed with Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif’s reassurances about the city’s structural integrity, concerns linger about the safety of development in the area. Dr. Lim emphasized that most construction projects in Kuala Lumpur would have adhered to specific standards, especially those involving tunnels for underground trains. He pointed out that accidents can happen anywhere and not just limited to Malaysia.
Dr. Maimunah mentioned on Sunday that a task force consisting of various authorities such as the Department of Minerals and Geosciences, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the Royal Malaysia Police, and the Public Works Department has been established to study development safety in the capital. Despite concerns raised by the recent sinkhole incident, experts believe that Kuala Lumpur has been developed over a long period and that claims of it being unsafe need to be substantiated with strong evidence. The city’s extensive network of infrastructure, including underground facilities, would have been constructed following thorough investigations by international experts. Accidents and incidents are part of urban life, and precautions need to be taken to ensure safety in development projects.