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Residents in Stampin protest against telco tower

The residents of Stampin Tengah, Hakka Avenue and the surrounding area are against the erection of a telecommunication tower in the middle of their housing estate.

Yesterday, the residents have come together with the MP for Stampin, YB Julian Tan and I, to stage a protest at the construction site. Thereafter, the residents embarked on the collection of signatures from all the other residents to protest against the construction of the said tower right in the middle of their residential area.

Their main concern is the risk to their health from the long-term and constant exposure to the radiation and electromagnetic waves that will be emitted from the transmission equipment to be attached to the said tower in future when it is in use.

After the collection of the signatures, YB Julian Tan will assist the residents to submit the letter of protest to the chief minister, the director of Lands and Surveys and Sacofa Sdn Bhd on Monday.

The authorities should not approve the construction of such telco-tower right in the middle of a densely populated residential area. A responsible government should respect the views of the residents when it comes to such matter.

In Sarawak, the state government has given a blanket approval to Sacofa Sdn Bhd to plan, construct and operate telco towers. As a private company with profit as its main objective, it is little wonder that Sacofa does not take heed to the concern of the residents and the people when it comes to constructing telco towers. All it matters to Sacofa is ‘profit’.

Therefore, when the people start to come together to complain about the erection of a telco tower in their housing estate, the government must step in to restrain Sacofa.

Erection of such telco towers should be governed by similar guidelines as the erection of high-voltage power lines. It should avoid the densely-populated residential areas.

As such, I urge the state government to respect the wishes of the residents in the area and to immediately stop the construction of the said telco tower.


CHONG CHIENG JEN is MP for Bandar Kuching and assemblyperson for Kota Sentosa.

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