The Perak state Health Department has suggested that 500 residents in Bukit Merah, Perak who live within half a kilometre of the safety buffer zone of four factories be relocated to a safer area.

bukit merah housing estate The bold relocation plan was submitted to the state goverment by Health Department director Dr Ahmad Razin Ahmad Mahir on May 22, 2009.

A study conducted by the department revealed long term exposure to air and noise pollution from these factories may cause a host of serious health problems, including lung cancer.

Factory safety regulations specify that houses be built 500 metres away from the factories, but in the case of Taman Bukit Merah, these regulations were ignored.

Houses were built as close as 50 metres away from the factories.

Plan submitted in May

The four factories were built before the emergence of the three housing estates - Taman Bukit Merah, Taman Badrishah and Taman Impiana - all located in the Menglembu area of Ipoh.

rela civil suit shooting death 130906 a sivanesan A Sivanesan (right) , exco committee chairman for health and environment during Pakatan Rakyat’s tenure, blamed both the Ipoh city council for approving the housing plan, and the developer for ignoring safety buffer zone specifications.

Health Department director Dr Ahmad Razin submitted a relocation plan to the Barisan Nasional health, local government, consumer affairs, environment, transport and non-islamic affairs committee chairman Dr Mah Hang Soon.

Razin also directed the four factories - Seal Polymer Industries Sdn Bhd, PMW industries Sdn Bhd, Malay Sino Chemical Industries Sdn Bhd and TOR Mineral (M) Sdn Bhd - to take safety measures to reduce the level of noise and air pollution.

Second opinion sough t

Razin said that a study by the state Environmental Department between July 29 and Aug 2 last year showed that air and noise pollution levels were within the permissible level.

Another study in November also showed that there was no increase in pollution-related diseases like bronchitis, asthma, acute respiratory tract infection and conjunctivitis among the residents.

However, Razin said the state Health Department has engage the services of environmental health specialists from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to get a second opinion.

“The residents are living in constant fear of being affected by chronic diseases and city council must take concrete measures to alleviate these fears,” said Razin.