SHAH ALAM: A briefing on the reconstruction of damaged homes for the victims of the Putra Heights gas pipeline explosion on April 1 is expected to be held within the next two weeks.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that, for now, efforts are focused on securing rental housing for them before proceeding with the reconstruction.

“This involves a substantial allocation from the federal government, so we are currently awaiting their commitment. However, preliminary discussions have taken place.

“I have personally met with Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming on the matter,” he told reporters after the Ehsan Raya Meriah Lain Macam event organised by the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation at Wisma PKPS today.

PUTRAJAYA, April 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed gratitude for the strong commitment shown by the Chairman of Myanmar’s State Administration Council (SAC), Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and the Prime Minister of Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG), Mahn Win Khaing Than, towards humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in the country.

“The spirit shown by both the SAC and the NUG is that the priority must be humanitarian efforts and reconstruction, while they would do whatever is necessary to avoid any extension of the fighting.

“So I take that in good spirit. I am very happy and I thank them, particularly the SAC, which gave a very firm commitment to ensure that our forces, civil society and the military helping out will be given a clear undertaking that it will be a peaceful venture,” he told reporters after attending the Finance Ministry’s Hari Raya Open House here today.

Earlier, both leaders (from SAC and NUG) pledged to extend the ceasefire in the country and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers following the devastating earthquake last month.

Anwar said the assurances were given during separate discussions he held with both leaders during his recent working visit to Thailand.

Anwar also held a virtual meeting with Mahn Win Khaing Than to discuss Myanmar’s escalating humanitarian needs.

Myanmar state media reported that the military government has granted amnesty to nearly 4,900 prisoners to mark the country’s traditional New Year, with an independent watchdog noting that at least 22 of those released were political detainees.

Just two days after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) was deployed to Naypyidaw under Operation Starlight III, conducting search and rescue (SAR) operations and distributing aid.

The Myanmar Meteorological and Hydrological Department has reported 109 aftershocks since the initial quake, including a 6.4-magnitude tremor.

The disaster has left more than 3,600 people dead, over 4,800 injured and at least 141 still missing.

An estimated nine million people, including 2.7 million children, have been severely affected across 58 townships in East Bago, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Southern Shan and Sagaing. —

Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari has told the opposition to refer to the state government’s website for the latest and detailed information on the Putra Heights gas pipeline fire.

This came in response to a Bersatu assemblyman’s complaint recently.

Afif Bahardin, the elected representative for Taman Medan, had expressed regret that Perikatan Nasional assemblymen were not invited for a special briefing held last week by the state government on the incident.

Amirudin said the special briefing was held following a request by government assemblymen.

“And the briefing focussed on aid distributed to the victims.

“But there’s a website (by the state government). If he (Afif) wants to keep track of the aid given, he can always check the website,” Amirudin told reporters at an event here.

He went on to dismiss the claim by Afif, who is also the Selangor PN secretary, that the decision to marginalise the opposition assemblymen was not only undemocratic but an attempt to manage the narrative.

“It’s a baseless claim,” he said, adding that the cause of the incident is still being investigated.

Hussein said police were looking into elements of negligence or mischief in the incident.

The blaze involving one of three natural gas pipelines broke out at about 8.10am on April 1, sending flames more than 30m into the sky, with temperatures soaring to 1,000 degrees Celsius.

It took nearly eight hours for the fire to be extinguished. The blast left a crater 8m deep and 70m wide. As a result, 111 victims required medical treatment for burns and breathing difficulties.

KUALA LUMPUR: The recent gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights may prompt financial institutions to reconsider how they assess properties before approving financing, according to property consultancy Henry Butcher. 

In its second quarter (Q2) newsletter, the firm suggested that banks and lenders might begin checking whether properties are located near gas pipelines, following the April 1 incident that devastated the residential area. 

Henry Butcher Malaysia chief operating officer Tang Chee Meng said this concern is likely to extend to both buyers and valuers. 

He noted that buyers will begin asking whether a property is located near a gas pipeline, while valuers will also factor that into their market assessments. 

Tang added that adjustments would be made in much the same way as for properties located near flood zones, power lines, cemeteries, steep slopes or sewage treatment plants, all of which are elements that typically reduce a property's appeal and value. 

The explosion damaged a total of 219 homes: 81 were destroyed, 81 partially damaged, and 57 affected without structural harm. 

Losses have been estimated at RM65.4 million. 

Last week, the Malaysian Institute of Property and Facility Managers (MIPFM) cautioned that property values around the explosion site could drop between five per cent and 20 per cent in the short term. 

MIPFM president Ishak Ismail said Shah Alam experienced a comparable drop in property values following the severe floods that struck the area in late 2021.