GEORGE TOWN, August 29 — Penang will intensify monitoring of high-risk slopes as the monsoon season nears, with the Public Works Department (JKR) keeping a close watch on identified hotspots to prevent landslides, said state Infrastructure, Transport, and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari.
Speaking after officiating a geotechnical engineering seminar today, he said predicting the exact location of landslides is difficult, but proactive monitoring is being prioritised, especially during heavy rains. Zairil noted that while the state is exploring the use of advanced technology such as sensors and satellites, cost remains a key constraint.
A pilot project is currently underway along Jalan Tun Sardon in Balik Pulau, where sensors have been installed in partnership with a local company to serve as an early warning system. “If proven effective, we may consider expanding the system to other high-risk slopes, though a full rollout would be costly,” he said.
He added that Penang continues to collaborate with the federal government on slope mitigation, with JKR Malaysia providing technical expertise and funding. In the past two years, federal allocations have been used to strengthen and repair several slopes along federal roads in Balik Pulau and Batu Ferringhi, while JKR Penang has also been engaged to assist with works on state roads.
