Frustrated over the non-completion of a road project after six years, 24 residents of the Pasir Panjang people's housing scheme in Port Dickson resorted to burning their house titles as a show of protest today.

Failure on the part of the contractor to complete the 17km road that was to connect Pasir Panjang to Linggi had resulted in frequent flash floods in the areas besides posing safety risks to the residents.

gempak protest jkr port dickson burn Rahimuddin Md Harun, who led the protest, told reporters that they had made repeated complaints to the authorities but all had "fallen on deaf ears".

Rahimuddin, who is also the deputy chairperson of Gempak (a non-governmental organisations that monitors implementation of government projects), said the residents had run out patience after waiting six long years for the project to be completed.

Another resident, Siti Rohani Muhammad, 28, said her son now suffered from asthma as result of the dust coming from the abandoned project during dry weather.

"I have lived here for five years and cannot take it any longer. If can, I want to move away elsewhere. During dry weather there is endless dust even when I close my doors and windows and when it rains, my house gets flooded," she said.

Negeri Sembilan Public Works Department director Roslan Mohd Taha, who was also present, said a new contractor had been appointed to finish the project and it was expected to be completed by the end of this year.

He added that a 1.5-metre retaining wall would be built in the interim to protect the residents' houses from flash floods.

- Bernama