Taman Kinrara folk want structures removed

Thursday, 09 February 2012 10:08

RESIDENTS in Taman Kinrara Section 2, Puchong, are questioning the necessity of having five telecommunications structures within close proximity to their homes, and the legality of those structures in getting the necessary approvals.

Taman Kinrara Section 2 Rukun Tetangga (RT) chairman Charli Loh said it was ridiculous to have five such structures on the rooftops of two rows of shophouses, which are located near the residents’ homes.

“The first telecommunications structure was put up in 2008,” said Loh, 66.

“After I lodged a complaint, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) responded in October 2009 that the council had issued a notice to the telecommunications company to remove the structure.”

The notice, dated Oct 7 2009, stated that the telecommunications company had to remove the structure within 30 days before Nov 6, 2009, failing which the MPSJ would demolish the structure.

Fearing for their health due to the possible effects of radiation emitting from the telecommunications structures, Loh said the residents lodged several additional complaints on the structures that, at that point, remained illegally constructed.

The MPSJ responded in a letter dated February 2010 that in October 2009, the owner of the structure sought a postponement on the demolition action, on grounds that the construction involved a “punch through” method and that the state government was in the midst of drafting a guideline on the construction of transmitter structures and new telecommunications towers.

The MPSJ stated that they would delay any demolition action until the guideline is issued by the state government, and any queries on the health effects of radiation from telecommunications structures could be directed to the Malaysian Nuclear Agency (ANM) and Health Ministry.

In another letter dated October 2011, the MPSJ’s Building Department said that it accepted the results of the radiation test conducted by the ANM on April 2010.

“The radiation test report and comments from ANM indicated that the radiation emitted from the telecommunications structures at the site in Taman Kinrara Section 2 was at an acceptable level and would not endanger public health,” stated the letter.

The residents also suspected that the MPSJ gave the approvals for the structure permits before the radiation test was conducted.

Loh, a Taman Kinrara Section 2 resident of more than 20 years, is unhappy with the lack of direct action from the authorities and expressed concern for the health impact on the local residents.

“I lost my wife, Ooi Lean See, who died in December 2011 at age 59 after a short battle with cancer,” he said.

“Her death was quite sudden as she was in perfect health before that. My wife led an active lifestyle, practised a vegetarian diet and did not smoke.”

Loh’s family believes that Ooi’s illness was due to prolonged exposure to the radiation from the telecommunications structure, as her health rapidly deteriorated over the recent few years and a doctor said a possible cause of tumour growth was due to external radiation.

After the residents approached him for assistance, Puchong MCA chairman Datuk Wong Hock Aun said he helped them to write a letter to the MPSJ requesting a copy of the radiation test report and comments from ANM.

“We will engage a specialist to study the report. It is important to get a copy of the report as evidence of the health effects of radiation emission,” he said.

“If the need arises, I will assist the residents in lodging a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which is the regulatory authority for telecommunications industry.”

From The Star