PETALING JAYA, April 1 — Compensation for residents in residential areas affected by the gas line fire incident at Putra Heights will be borne by the government and Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made the assurance after a briefing by authorities during a site visit at Jalan Putra Harmoni here.

“The responsibility of restoring, fixing and replacing the affected residential areas, we (federal government, state government and Petronas) will take full responsibility.

“With that, please do not worry, but it will take time,” he told reporters after a site visit here.

Anwar also said Petronas and if needed the federal government, will immediately provide a payment of RM5,000 to owners whose houses were completely damaged for temporary lodging expenses.

Anwar also said Petronas and if needed the federal government, will immediately provide a payment of RM5,000 to owners whose houses were completely damaged for temporary lodging expenses.

Anwar added that the federal government’s main priority was to ensure the safety of everyone involved, noting that rebuilding process of damaged homes might take up to a year or more.

He said preliminary discussions with the Housing and Local Government ministry, state government and Petronas have indicated that their houses will not be restored in a short time.

“Determining the cause requires a little time with a thorough investigation. “So our utmost priority now is safety and so far, this seems to be under control.

“That’s why I chose to visit there myself to prove that it is safe,” he said. He said the government’s next step is to hold a discussion with the various residential associations for suggestions on the way forward.

For the time being, Anwar said residents whose houses were affected are still not allowed to return home but assured that all government machinery will be mobilised for the clean-up effort.

“So right now, Petronas and the government team are discussing how we can take temporary but reasonable action,” Anwar said.