Subang Jaya residents protest telco tower project

A proposed construction of a telecommunications tower in SS18 here might have gotten the green light by authorities, but residents were only seeing red.

At a protest held by the residents here today, they claimed that the local authorities also failed to consult them before approving the project.

"They want to build a 30-metre tall telco tower near our main playing field. This field is where we meet every other day, where the kids play football, futsal, basketball, jog and we have community activities here every month," said SS18 Rukun Tetangga protem chairman Dr Hamidah Marican.

She said not only will their recreational and social activities be disrupted, but living too near to the tower would put the health of some 2,000 residents in the area at risk.

"We are baffled as to how the project can be approved without the local authorities consulting the residents first. We are the ones who are living here!

"We strongly object to such a structure being built here," she told Astro AWANI when met at the site today.

Dr Hamidah claimed that during a meeting with the authorities on Monday, the residents' committee had suggested an alternative site for the tower – an open area – but it fell on deaf ears.

"The suggestion was just...ignored! It is so disheartening. We were the last party to find out about the project. Erecting a telco tower near the SS18 playing field is just wrong," she added.

Earlier, about 50 residents gathered at the field to voice out their protest. "No telco tower! No telco tower!" were chanted in front of the media who were present. Residents also signed a petition to protest the project.

The residents said they hoped the telco company in question and the Subang Jaya Municipal Council would take the appropriate measures to ease the residents' concerns.