POLICE DO NOTHING!

Police blasted for ignoring 'flying rock' incidents
Susan Loone | May 27, 10 1:18pm
A group of irate residents from Tanjong Bungah is extremely
upset with the police for allegedly not taking any action against a
hillside developer's blasting activities which resulted in a flying
rock hitting a home in the area.

Tanjong Bungah Residents Association chairperson George Aeria
who has written several scathing emails to Chief Police Officer Wira
Ayob Yaakob on May 20 and 21, lamented that the police had been "slow
to investigate the matter".

Aerie claimed that residents have lodged police reports on May
19 and 20 related to the flying rock incident, and have written to
Wira Ayob since May 20.

The incident occurred at 4.20pm on May 19 sending a rock soaring
to 500 feet in the air to hit a house along Jalan Chan Siew Teong,
damaging its roof, claimed Aeria. No one, however, was reported
injured.

"We do not need the police to come into Chee Seng Gardens in a
convoy of cars and four-wheel rrives to dramatise to the residents
that some sort of action is being done, as clearly nothing came out of
it," said Aeria, referring to a police visit to the affected area in
February.

Complaints of hillside development have been heard from
residents since mid-2009 and all blame have been directed squarely at
the previous state government under former chief minister Koh Tsu Koon
for issuing permits for the construction work.

Police charged with being laid back

"The police have only on May 25 gone over to interview the home
owner when repairs have already been undertaken on the 21st by the
developer, who told the owner ‘don't worry, Auntie, we can settle
this, please do not make a police report'," said Aeria.

"The police have not yet called or spoken to the complainant of
the police report who did a video of rock hitting the roof of house
No. 172," he added.

Aeria said busses, motorcycles and cars had been see were seen
passing the site even as the siren was sounding, while the blast
occurred and flying rocks seen landing on roof tops.

He added that documentary evidence in the form of video clips
dated May 12, 17 and 19 were submitted to the police at the Tanjong
Tokong branch.

"Despite all these actions by concerned residents, what we have
is continuous blasting resulting in flying rocks for nearly two years,
thus showing that proper guidelines and safety measures were not being
followed or practised," Aeria said.

When contacted, Wira Ayob was not very forthcoming in his
response, merely stating that the police were investigating the matter
and will take the necessary action soon.

Meanwhile, Tanjong Bungah (DAP) assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu,
said a temporary stop-work order has been issued against the developer
by the George Town Municipal Council.

Teh added that the developer Bolton Bhd had been told to stop
all earthworks pending investigations into rock-blasting works at the
site near Chee Seng Gardens.

He expressed some helplessness in resolving the issue and urged
all parties including the media to highlight the matter so that
"something can be done" to assist the residents.

"Developers often say they have taken all the necessary
precautionary measures so when accidents happen, it is an act of god,"
he said.

"The problem is the permit to undertake these construction
activities have been issued way beyond 2007, but we are trying our
best to resolve it otherwise we have no choice but to try another
approach, which we will publicise later, " he added.


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Best regards,

Susan Loone
Email: susanloone@gmail.com
Blog: www.sloone.wordpress.com