A stop work order at last!

Dear YDP Pn Patahiyah

Finally we read in the SUN that MPPP has issued the Temporary Stop Work Order against the Earth Works Clearings in the Bolton Surin Project. If the Sun's report is accurate - it means that the Stop Work was issued late Tuesday (25th May) ie. 6 days after the blast and my first e-mail to all. Sadly this is just another example of how SLOW MPPP is and thus ineffective. Thus the acronymn for MPPP i.e. - Majlis Perbandaran Paling Perlahan.

May I remind the MPPP that it was your organisation that APPROVED this (Bolton SUrin) highly risky, questionable and dangerous project in 2006/7 on a Class III & Class IV hillslope AND thus it is your Legal, moral & ethical OBLIGATION to ensure that this project does NOT in any way put the residents lives at risk. Up to now, the occurances happening in Chee Seng (since 2008) show that MPPP has FAILED MISERABLY in this RESPONSIBILITY. You have failed us not only now but in a series of incidents since 2008 up till to date which thus CONFIRMS your ineffective role or ABILITY to monitor this project (and perhaps all other projects if this is a refection of your daily work and standards of work) to ensure existing residents safety which is very, very near a development project.

As such, TBRA and the "Chee Seng Gardens Action Committee Against Dangerous Hill Slope Development" now DEMAND to find out the following from our MPPP: -
a. Why has the project not been properly monitored over the many year to thus cause REPEATED cases of misery & danger (floods, dust, noise,
malaria, illegal foreign workers, night work, soil erosion run off, muddy flows into Sea & of course of Flying rocks) to residents?
b. Who is responsiible for this sad state of affairs (lack of proper monitoring) which has put us residents at risk of death and injury due to flying rocks
& other predicaments as mentioned above.
c. What Action will be taken against the irresponsible civil servants in the MPPP that have failed miserably in their duties. We in TBRA and the
residents in Chee Seng Gardens believe that there are elements of Gross Negligence in the manner they have carried out their duties and
demand that Disciplinary action be taken against them. Indeed the residents in Chee have indicated that they are willing to attend any Domestic
Inquiry against your errant officers to give evidence for any or all alledged negligence or Dereliction of duty.
d. What measures have been or will be taken to now safeguard the residents so that future blasting, if any more, is done under strict legal
guidelines and HOW can we be sure that strict and EFFECTIVE monitoring by our MPPP to ensure compliance by the developer. OR Perhaps
an order to STOP all further blasting and they can break those huge boulders with sledgehammers and pneumatic drills (below the hazardous
decible levels of course), so that the problem of flying rocks do not recur ever again

We, TBRA & the Chee Seng Gardens Action Committee Against Dangerous Hillslope Development, call upon our YDP to start responding to the residents directly via our correspondes (as you have not replied once) to the many shortcomings by our MPPP. Staying silent will NOT make the matter go away as has been practised by our MPPP over these many years. TBRA intends to take this matter to the very end. We assure you of our cooperation the minute we see your organisation:-
a. Start to engage the affected residents in a meaningful and EFFECTIVE manner, AND
b. Start to take measures that will control and irresponsible & wayward actions of the Developer of BOLTON SURIN

Finally, to our State Governement of Penang - TBRA formally anounces that as an organisation, we NOW CALL FOR all Councillors to the State's Municipal Councils be ELECTED directly by the people and should NO LONGER be appointed by the State Government. This, we firmly believe is the ONLY (and with the appointment of a fully independant & effective YDP) way that can change the effectiveness of our City/Municipal Council.

YDP, Pn Patahiya, We await earnestly for a response from you. Failing which we will organise further activities (including another round of Press coverage) to try to resolve the current unsatisfactory situation we have in Chee Seng (in particular) & Tg. Bunga (in general).

Thank you

George Aeria
Chairman
Tanjong Bunga Residents Association (TBRA)