After eight years of sleepless nights, the residents in Rawang, Selangor, who had been fighting against the controversial high-tension wires project,were finally handed good news from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

PKR MP for Selayang William Leong announced today that the Selangor government has reached a consensus with TNB, which will see the project taking an alternative route, avoiding the residents' village.

NONE Speaking to the press this morning, Leong said the proposed route was put on the table at for discussion at the meeting of Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES) yesterday, and subsequently won the state government's nod.

He said the alternative route will be announced by TNB after the government-linked company finalises technical matters.

However, he said the new route has meet three criteria set by the state government.

These are:

  • The project will not enter Kg. Sg Terentang or other residential areas;
  •  It will not go through any school or factory; and,
  •  It will not harm the resident health and safety.

 Previously, the state has proposed three alternative routes to TNB but it was rejected by the latter.

“TNB not using any of the three routes proposed by the state, but the new route is better than the three,” said Leong, who was present at the meeting yesterday.

The PKR treasurer-general is confident that TNB will solve all the procedures in a month or two before handling the final proposal to the state government to win approval for  the project to take off.

  Residents’ rep thanks Pakatan

NONE Goh Ah Kow, chairperson of the Rawang Action Committee against High Tension Transmission Cable, was seen to be visibly relieved by Leong’s announcement.

He thanked the Pakatan state government for solving the issue and ensuring  safe homes for the people.

However, he cautioned the people to be overjoyed until TNB has completed its alternative route.

“We are concerned that TNB may break the promise if Pakatan loses state power in the coming election,” said Goh, who is also the village head.

Therefore, he urged the people to vote for a government that can safeguard their interests.

“In 2008 election, we hung a banner in our village, in which we said if you vote for MCA it would mean to demolish your village,” he recalled the bitter struggle back then.

The RM324 million project began in July 2005 and was supposed to have been completed in August 2007.

But strong opposition from the local community kept the project at bay.. The residents claimed that the higher-power lines would expose them to the dangers of electro-magnetic waves, which studies have shown could cause cancer, leukaemia among children and infertility among women.

The issue had led to the  MCA’s loss of  Selayang parliamentary and Rawang state seats in the 2008 polls.