A group of irate residents from Tanjong Bungah is extremely upset with the police for allegedly not taking any action against a hillside developer's blasting activities which resulted in a flying rock hitting a home in the area.

Tanjong Bungah Residents Association chairperson George Aeria who has written several scathing emails to Chief Police Officer Ayub Yaakob on May 20 and 21, lamented that the police had been "slow to investigate the matter".

Aerie claimed that residents have lodged police reports on May 19 and 20 related to the flying rock incident, and have written to Wira Ayob since May 20.

stone from blast site penang The incident occurred at 4.20pm on May 19 sending a rock soaring to 500 feet in the air to hit a house along Jalan Chan Siew Teong, damaging its roof, claimed Aeria. No one, however, was reported injured.

"We do not need the police to come into Chee Seng Gardens in a convoy of cars and four-wheel drives to dramatise to the residents that some sort of action is being done, as clearly nothing came out of it," said Aeria, referring to a police visit to the affected area in February.

Complaints of hillside development have been heard from residents since mid-2009 and all blame have been directed squarely at the previous state government under former chief minister Koh Tsu Koon for issuing permits for the construction work.

Police charged with being laid back

"The police have only on May 25 gone over to interview the home owner when repairs have already been undertaken on the 21st by the developer, who told the owner ‘don't worry, Auntie, we can settle this, please do not make a police report'," said Aeria.

"The police have not yet called or spoken to the complainant of the police report who did a video of rock hitting the roof of house No. 172," he added.

Aeria said buses, motorcycles and cars were seen passing the site even as the siren was sounding, while the blast occurred and flying rocks seen landing on roof tops.

tiles broken by stones from blast site penang He added that documentary evidence in the form of video clips dated May 12, 17 and 19 were submitted to the police at the Tanjong Tokong branch.

"Despite all these actions by concerned residents, what we have is continuous blasting resulting in flying rocks for nearly two years, thus showing that proper guidelines and safety measures were not being followed or practised," Aeria said.

When contacted, Wira Ayob was not very forthcoming in his response, merely stating that the police were investigating the matter and will take the necessary action soon.

Meanwhile, Tanjong Bungah (DAP) assemblyperson Teh Yee Cheu, said a temporary stop-work order has been issued against the developer by the George Town Municipal Council.

Teh added that the developer Bolton Bhd had been told to stop all earthworks pending investigations into rock-blasting works at the site near Chee Seng Gardens.

He expressed some helplessness in resolving the issue and urged all parties including the media to highlight the matter so that "something can be done" to assist the residents.

"Developers often say they have taken all the necessary precautionary measures so when accidents happen, it is an act of god," he said.

 

"The problem is the permit to undertake these construction activities have been issued way beyond 2007, but we are trying our best to resolve it otherwise we have no choice but to try another approach, which we will publicise later, " he added.