Tower construction needs proper consultation for win-win situation, says DAP man

MIRI (Dec 4): There have been complaints voiced out by many residents at Jalan Ficus in Luak here, who are very concerned about the construction of a telecommunication tower close to the neighbourhood.

According to Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak secretary Alan Ling, whom the residents had forwarded the complaints to, the situation seems similar to that occurring at Taman Hin Chin last month.

“It appeared that there was no prior consultation with the residents of that area. The construction seemed to be carried out in a rush, and not in a transparent manner,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

“Such act raised suspicion among the residents and they stood up to confront the contractors to demand for the project to halt, pending mutual dialogues and further discussions,” he added.

Ling visited the site on Saturday to assess situation upon receiving the complaints, and there, he met some residents who informed that that councillors from Miri City Council (MCC) had also come down to the site earlier.

“I wish to humbly appeal to the Sarawak Multimedia Authority to carry out consultation prior to any plan to construct.

“The crux of the matter is not opposing for the sake of opposing, as everyone welcomes better and more improved telecommunication coverage.

“But building this kind of infrastructure, the process must be properly handled, with due consideration to the health and risks of all. It must be sited on a proper place,” he stressed.

Ling also called upon the MCC to protect land plots that had been reserved for housing estates as recreational areas.

He said the construction of infrastructures such as telecommunication towers should not sacrifice or jeopardise the interest of the residents to enjoy public amenities.

He pointed out that in most cases, the reserved land plots were not equipped with recreational facilities, but instead, were turned into tower site overnight, which the residents found to be unacceptable.

“Please consider their feelings and have the courtesy to engage with the residents. Do not just bulldoze the projects into the housing areas,” he said.