Activists opposing the construction of high-tension cables in Kampung Sungai Terentang, Rawang welcomed the federal government’s promise to resolve the matter which has been pending for the past six years.

However, the committee warned MCA’s vice-president Donald Lim, who had made the pledge, not to make use of the issue  a “pre-election gimmick”.

“This issue cropped up six years ago when MCA’s Tan See Hang was the Rawang assemblyperson and Chan Kong Choy was the MP in Selayang,” pointed out Goh Ah Kaw, the Anti-High-Tension Cables Committee chairperson.

Donald, who is also the party’s Selangor chief, was quoted by Chinese-language newspapers as saying that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had instructed him to deal with the ongoing issue.

According to Donald, Najib during his walkabout together with leaders of BN component partners in constituencies in Selangor, had issued the orders but the former said that he was not quite familiar with the problem.

Goh told reporters at a press conference at the Parliament lobby that MCA should have extended their assistance at the height of the issue, which now raised concern about the party’s sincerity.

NONE “We have sent countless memorandums and held meetings with MCA in the past, but Lim says they are unaware. We are baffled at his response,” said the committee’s deputy chair, Lim Seng Cheong ( right ).

“There are only two explanations. It is either the MCA did not bother to discuss the matter or they just don’t care,” said Seng Cheong, adding that the “sudden interest” added fuel to the speculation that Donald may contest in Selayang in the next general election.

Goh, however, said any party is welcomed to stop Tenaga Nasional Bhd’s (TNB) construction and redirect it to an alternative route.

Under TNB’s initial proposal, which was announced in 2005, more than 60km of transmission lines were to be constructed at an estimated cost of RM300 million.

The project, which was to be completed in 2007, was halted due to objections from residents.

Selayang PKR parliamentarian William Leong and Rawang assemblyperson Gan Pei Nei added that the Selangor government had hired a consultant from Australia who is expected to submit a report on the matter by the end of the month.

“Once the report is prepared, Selangor will try to negotiate with TNB to reroute the cables,” said Gan.