Kota Damansara residents plan to lobby Carrefour France in their bid to stop the construction of Carrefour hypermarket in their area, which will located next to a primary school.

section 11 kota damansara protest 080809 resident association representative hesham belweil "Carrefour would not be allowed to operate in France if they fail to abide to corporate social responsibility standards,” said Hesham Belweil, a Section 11 resident association representative.

“If they can practise corporate social responsibility there, why can't Carrefour Malaysia (do the same here)?"

About 100 residents today staged a protest near the construction site where work is being carried out to complete the complex, targeted by year-end.

Muhammad Hanan Abdullah, another resident association representative, said that they had sought help from federal government agencies, including the Public Complaints Bureau and Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs.

section 11 kota damansara protest 080809 posters "The government agencies are supportive of our cause but they have not done anything," lamented Hanan.

He then turned to the few politicians who were present at a press conference held after the protest and told them, "I challenge you to stop the construction."

The press conference was attended by Kota Damansara state assemblyperson Dr Nasir Hashim, MIC Youth deputy chief S Murugesan and National Consumer Complaints Centre chief executive officer Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah.

The residents are objecting to the construction of Carrefour at their doorsteps because it is located next to SRK Seksyen 11 Kota Damansara. Only two meters separate the hypermarket and the primary school.

Apart from fearing for the safety of school children, residents are worried about the traffic congestion in the area.

MIC leader: Ministry has revoked licence

At the press conference, Murugesan claimed that the federal government had revoked the business licence of the proposed hypermarket.

"(State executive councillor) Ronnie Liu has however stated since the federal government has revoked the hypermarket’s licence, the building would be given to another company," he complained.

section 11 kota damansara protest 080809 dr nasir hashim and t murugesan Murugesan vowed to pressure the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs to take further action on the matter.

Meanwhile, Nasir, who is constituency’s state representative, said that he would do everything he can to support the residents.

Today’s protest was part of the residents on-going efforts to stop the construction of the hypermarket since November 2007.

After Pakatan Rakyat took over the state government last year, the residents sent a protest memorandum to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.

According to the residents, the Pakatan-controlled local council has yet to rescind the development approval for the construction of the hypermarket.