KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 27): Planning permission applications for the construction of buildings in Kuala Lumpur will no longer be considered without a geotechnical study prepared by certified engineers, under a new directive issued by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

The directive was issued by Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif, according to a letter issued by DBKL's executive director for planning Datuk Zulkurnain Hassan on Monday that was sighted by The Edge. 

“You are requested to take action to defer the issuance of development orders, building plan approvals, building construction permits, and earthworks approvals until the approval of the geotechnical study report prepared by a certified engineer,” read the letter. 

The letter was issued to the directors of DBKL's City Planning Department, Building Control Department and  Infrastructure Planning Department, as well as to the secretariat head of the local authority's one-stop committee.

It is unclear whether the directive will affect projects which have secured approvals for the aforementioned processes. The Edge has reached out to a DBKL spokesperson, who declined to elaborate on the letter.

On Monday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa was quoted as saying that DBKL has been directed to collaborate closely with geologists and infrastructure experts to evaluate and mitigate the risk of future sinkholes.

"The Federal Territories Department and DBKL will also strengthen the standard operating procedures for development by ensuring geotechnical studies done by certified engineers are submitted at an earlier stage, specifically during the planning approval application process," Zaliha said in a statement.

This follows the incident in Jalan Masjid India last Friday in which a 48-year-old tourist from India fell into an eight-metre-deep sinkhole.

The victim, identified as Vijayaletchumy, was walking on a concrete path outside the Malayan Mansion when the sinkhole opened up and swallowed her whole.

Search and rescue efforts are currently ongoing.

Additionally, another landslide was reported on Monday on Jalan Pantai Permai, Kampung Kerinchi.