On behalf of the residents of Taman BP3, Bandar Bukit Puchong, I wish to complain against the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) and the Selangor state government for allowing illegal cabins and containers to be placed at two of our playgrounds since August 2006.

The owners of these illegal cabins are the JKP Zone 21 representative, Abdul Hashim Samad and the chairman of Umno Bandar Bukit Puchong, one Zawawi. They claim that the purpose of these cabins are for a 'tapak billik gerakan pilihanraya dan aktiviti kemasyarakatan' (election operations room and for social activities).

However, no notice whatsoever were given to the residents before the cabins suddenly appeared in August 2006. Lately, we also have received information that the cabins are also supposed to be used as a store for tools and equipment as the two individuals are also landscaping subcontractors for MPSJ.

Despite all our complaints to MPSJ, numerous articles in the media and a appeal to the Selangor menteri besar, MPSJ - at their council meeting on March 14 - decided to issue the owners of the cabins permits for a duration of 12 months. This is a reversal of their earlier decision on Jan 31 which rejected the owners' application and gave them a 30-day notice to remove the cabins from our playground.

By its latest decision, MPSJ has thus decided to go against the wishes of the residents and to support the illegal cabin owners by giving them permission to 'squat' on our playground. They seem to have blatantly ignored the Town & Country Planning Act and the Local Government Act 1976 by allowing a political party to take over a part of our playground which is a public field for the benefit of residents.

Why couldn't the cabin owners use the underutilised Balai MPSJ located in nearby Taman BP2, Bandar Bukit Puchong, for their activities instead of hijacking our field? They could also have rented the many vacant shoplots at our Taman or used the vacant Gerai MPSJ for their political activities instead of using our playground.

How can these projects be allowed to continue against the wishes of the residents who purchased their properties facing these fields and who fear an adverse effect on the value of their properties due to these projects?

Is the Selangor government slowly turning Selangor into a cowboy state where different rules apply to different people? Where politicians make their own rules and 'closing one eye" is becoming the new culture? Where the rule of law is replaced by the Rule of Convenience (there are 42 other illegally sited containers in the MPSJ district)?

Or is it because MPSJ is subservient to political interests which must prevail over the residents' rights? This decision also goes against the 'zero squatter' policy which the Selangor government proudly initiated in 2005. A political party is now conveniently allowed to become a squatter on our playground.

MPSJ and the Selangor state government must come to their senses and order the removal of these cabins from our playgrounds with immediate effect. Only this decision can restore the residents' faith in both the MPSJ and the Selangor government. Please leave our playgrounds alone for the benefits of the residents and their children. We do not want outsiders to abuse our playground for their own interests.