Officials urged to halt hillside projects and probe landslide approval after doctor’s death

A landslide on a hillside development in George Town resulted in the death of Dr Wong Kar Lin, prompting Penang Gerakan leader Oh Tong Keong to demand a thorough police investigation into the project's approval process. Oh highlighted that residents had protested the development as early as October 2017, raising concerns about water runoff and slope safety, yet the project proceeded and later appealed. He called for an immediate halt to all hillside projects in Penang until a comprehensive compliance audit is completed.

Police chief Datuk Dennis Lim reiterated that the case remains classified as a sudden death report, despite a post-mortem indicating blunt-force trauma and breathing difficulties. Oh also urged the Penang Island City Council and state authorities to publish a transparent report on existing hillside projects and their risk assessments. The appeal reflects broader worries about public safety in densely populated, slope-adjacent neighborhoods.