Residents say no to telco tower in Seremban 2

A TELECOMMUNICATIONS transmission tower set up in haste near a residential area in Seremban 2 has irked residents and nearby small business operators.

More than 100 residents gathered recently at the site of the transmission tower, which is located just metres away from two restaurants, to protest against the structure which they claimed may be a potential health hazard.

For a cause: Residents from Central Park in Seremban 2 protesting against the setting up of a telecomunications transmission tower near their homes.

The residents, mainly from Central Park, whose homes are just a few hundred metres away from the tower, sought the help of Bukit Kepayang assemblyman Cha Kee Chin to resolve the issue.

Cha said he had already conveyed the residents’ concern in a memorandum to the Seremban Municipal Council (MPS) as well as the state energy, water and communications committee chairman Datuk Ismail Lasim.

“I have yet to receive a reply from the authorities so we do not know if the structure was approved. It was built over a three-week period during the recent holiday season and many residents were not aware that a transmission tower was being built until the final structure was put up.

“The first thing is to establish if the tower was approved. At the moment, it is being energised by a diesel-powered generator which is in itself causing air and noise pollution. We also have to speak to the landowner as the tower is situated on private property,” he said.

Cha hoped that the local authorities would in future be cautious when approving plans to set up telecommunications base stations or towers within or nearby residential areas.

“Although the Malaysian Commu­nications and Multimedia Com­mission (MCMC) guidelines on these towers state that it is not a health hazard, its difficult to allay the fears of residents.

“Many residents worry about the long-term effect of being exposed to these towers and we cannot blame them as nobody can guarantee that emissions from these towers will not pose health risks in the future.

“So, it is up to the authorities to practice caution when approving these towers,” he said.

Residents said there was no reason to set up another transmission tower in the area as mobile phone reception, especially in the vicinity, was good.

“Why don’t the authorities have better guidelines on the setting up of these towers?

“This is not the first time that residents are protesting against such structures being built near homes. The authorities should take note and be more concerned about the health and safety of residents,” said one resident who refused to be named.

Another resident, Soon Kong Seng, 60, said the smell from the diesel-powered generator being used to supply electricity to the tower was unbearable.

“Although my home is located more than a few hundred metres away, we still can smell the diesel,” he said.

Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Raja, said the setting up of the tower took many of the residents by surprise.

“Many of us were busy during the holiday season and hardly noticed the work going on.

“If we had known earlier about the tower, we would have definitely protested before the structure was built.” he said.

Currently, guidelines on Safety and Health Aspects of Base Stations and Mobile Phones issued by the Health Ministry has also showed that people living nearby would not face any harmful effect.

Cha said he had also raised the matter with the state Department of Environment and was told that a team would be dispatched to the site to assess if the noise coming from the diesel-powered generator was within the permissible level.

(adapted from The Star Metro)