LETTER | Rawang folk initiate petition to tackle air pollution

LETTER | Over the years, dirty air and odours have permeated into residential areas in the northern part of Rawang.

Regularly, quarries and construction premises near the Latar expressway discharge a big cloud of white smoke from their chimneys. It is so obvious that one can see the white smoke from a kilometre away and the visual is even clearer at the Rawang Bypass expressway.

As a result, residents who live at Batu 15, Batu 16 and Reef Commercial Center, Rawang, suffer from coughing and sore throat. Particularly, Taman Setia Jaya, Taman Setia, Lotus Rawang and Reef Commercial Center are seriously affected.

I am a local resident. I lodged complaints against the pollution to the Environment Department, Public Complaints Bureau and Selayang Municipal Council.

On May 17, 2021, I lodged a complaint to the Environment Department and it took the department about half a year to reply.

On Oct 12, 2021, Selangor Environment Department official Jannaton Abdullah responded by saying that my complaint was received and it was under investigation according to the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

When checking the Environmental Department’s complaint system, the status of the complaint is still “under process”.

The Public Complaints Bureau has never replied to me.

As for the Selayang Municipal Council, an official called Mazlina replied that an investigation was conducted and found out that a premises processing concrete material had caused a nuisance. A notice was delivered to the owner of the premises to mitigate the dust and smoke pollution.

Despite the complaints, the air pollution continues. Neighbouring residents can still see the relevant premises discharge a big cloud of smoke day and night, even in the wee hours.

One can notice cars, yards and balconies of neighbouring residential areas regularly covered with a thin layer of dust just after three or four days. Residents are discontented.

Resident Swee Chong Wah said he suffered from continuous coughing and sore throat. The 70-year-old believed that the operation of the premises did not comply with the requirements of the Environmental Quality Act.

Upset by the deteriorating situation, Swee and I initiated a petition to call upon the relevant authorities to take necessary steps to rectify the problem amid the ongoing 15th general election.

Within a span of two weeks, we managed to collect 176 signatures from 94 individuals and 82 commercial premises in the area. These signatures represent the discontentment of residents towards the pollution.

It is remarkable that commercial premises have been very cooperative when asking them to sign. Unexpectedly, we have 82 shop lots to support us.

We handed over the petition to Pakatan Harapan candidate for Selayang William Leong Jee Keen and BN candidate Chan Wun Hoong in the hope of highlighting the issue amid the campaign period.

While receiving the petition, Leong, who is a three-term MP for Selayang, responded that he would look into the issue and take necessary steps.

Chan, who is an MCA candidate, said he would look into the petition and try his best to attend to this issue. Meanwhile, he appreciated the self-initiated petition carried out by us.

The petition calls upon the candidates to find solutions, arrange dialogue between the owner of the premises and residents as well as take any necessary steps to tackle the said problem. We hope our voice can be heard by the relevant parties.

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