KUALA LUMPUR – Victims of the Putra Heights gas pipeline fire are fuming as they accuse the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) of approving a shop lot near their homes without proper groundwork, a decision that ignited the catastrophic blaze they had warned about.
Their anger follows widespread speculation on social media that excavation work for a project on gas pipeline reserve land triggered the massive blaze yesterday.
It is understood that the construction company, Hong & Hong Homes Sdn. Bhd., is currently under police investigation over the incident, which has left more than 100 people injured and many others displaced.
During a visit to the two temporary evacuation centres (PPS) at Dewan Masjid Putra Heights and the Subang Jaya City Council’s multi-purpose hall, Dewan Camelia, several residents told Scoop that they had lodged official complaints with MBSJ in 2023, urging authorities to halt the construction before it commenced.
Shahrul Hamdan, 39, who lives just 50 metres from the site of the explosion, said his repeated warnings about the potential dangers of the project were ignored.
“I have sent multiple complaints to MBSJ since last year, warning them about the dangers of this construction, but they ignored me every single time. I even mentioned in my letter that I could smell strong gas in the area, but no one took it seriously. Now, look at what has happened.
“I have friends who work in the gas sector, and they warned me that any excavation near a gas pipeline is extremely risky. I was worried that one day, the gas would leak and lead to a disaster—now, my worst fears have come true.
“Because of MBSJ’s carelessness and the recklessness of those involved, we have lost our homes, our belongings, and our peace of mind. None of them will take responsibility for this mess.
“Instead, we are the ones left to suffer. We are in talks with a lawyer and planning to sue MPSJ for their negligence. They ignored our warnings, and now we are paying the price. We won’t let this go without a fight,” Shahrul said when met at Masjid Putra Heights.
Another victim, Wan Aidid Wan Hassan, 25, shared a similar frustration, saying MPSJ’s town planning department should have conducted proper assessments before approving the project.
“My wife, my baby, and I were nearly burnt alive because of the carelessness of the authorities involved in approving this project, and I am certain that the massive fire was caused by it.
“We live near the construction site, and every day we would hear a lot of heavy drilling. I called MPSJ to complain many times, but they always dodged my calls. At one point, I gave up, but I never expected the repercussions to be as severe as this.
“We are grateful to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and the Selangor state government for providing us with aid, but we hope that in the future, MPSJ will do their due diligence before approving such construction projects,” said Wan Aidid when met at Dewan Camelia.
However, Kamarudin Haji Mat Rata, a plumber and electrician, believes blaming the authorities is futile, as such incidents are unpredictable.
“From a technical perspective, I believe there was movement below the land during construction, which could have caused the gas pipe to leak.
“Hence, I prefer not to speculate, as incidents like these are unpredictable. I believe the authorities are investigating the matter, and we should wait for their final conclusion,” he said.
Subang Jaya Mayor Datuk Amirul Azizan Abd Rahim confirmed that the development project had received planning approval from MBSJ in 2022.
He also said that the project was legitimate, clarifying that it was not located on reserve land or a right of way (ROW) for Petronas.
He added that Petronas had granted permission for the use of its ROW for sewerage facilities. – April 2, 2025