Anger boiled over after some 500 residents opposed to the construction of high tension cables near their neighbourhood turned up at a briefing to find Tenaga National Bhd (TNB) and their elected representatives absent.

The briefing was organised by the newly formed Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) Zon 24 TNB High Tension Cable Action Committee, which comprises residents from around Cheras Hartamas and Taman Bukit Segar Jaya who are oppose the project.

The residents had invited the power company for the briefing at their neighbourhood to voice their grouses but no TNB representative turned up.

cheras high tension tower briefing 261211 eadon ching Teratai state assemblyperson Jenice Lee, Selangor state government representatives and Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) representatives were also not present.

"Even though we sent four bus load of residents to TNB (to invite them for the briefing), they did not show up today. This is evidence that they do not respect us," said action committee head Eadon Ching ( left ), who proceeded to toss the name stand of TNB and Ikram onto the floor.

The only representatives present were MPAJ local councillors S Supiramani and Sally Sim, and Pandan MP Ong Tee Keat's aide Cindy Leong.

Residents from Cheras Hartamas and Taman Bukit Segar Jaya protested outside the Selangor administrative building in Shah Alam and TNB's headquarters in Bangsar last Wednesday, during which they had also handed out invitations for today's briefing.

The high tension cable construction had been put on hold since October, after Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim ordered TNB to engage with the local residents first.

‘Selangor MB misled'

However, the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES) allowed the project to be restarted after the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram), which was appointed by TNB, concluded that there would be no risk of landslides from the construction of high tension cables on the hills surrounding the two neighbourhoods.

cheras high tension tower briefing 261211 03 "We believe TNB has misled the menteri besar. It said only two or three residents were opposed to this project... is that true?" said Ching, to which the crowd responded with a resounding "No!".

He said the power company had given the impression to the state government that its only concern was landslides.

"How can the hills not be affected when you have to clear the trees to install the high tension cables?

"Our health will also be affected (from radiation) and this area will become a black area, the prices of property here will depreciate if the pylons are built," said Ching.

The menteri besar, he said, should give fair treatment by engaging Australian experts to study the project and propose alternative routes, just as his government had done in the Rawang high tension cable controversy.

Ching said that the residents of Cheras Hartamas and Taman Bukit Segar Jaya had made several alternative proposals to TNB, including building the cables underground or upgrading the existing power lines, but to no avail.

Legal and technical teams formed

The action committee will now form a technical team comprising engineers and geologists as their previous recommendations had been dismissed on grounds that these were "not professional".

A legal team, Ching said, had also been formed and it may consider filing an injunction against the project.

cheras high tension tower briefing 261211 mpaj councilor Earlier, an argument broke out after MPAJ councillor Supiramani ( right ) attempted to pin the controversy on Pandan MP Ong, to which his aide Leong marched up the podium and started scolding Supiramani.

Speaking to reporters later, Leong said the project was approved by the state government and Ong, as a federal legislator, could only provide support but had no authority over it.

However, Ching called on residents to unite against the project, regardless of their political affiliations, and vowed to keep up the pressure against the high tension cables.

"We will hold more briefings at the place and time of our choosing. When TNB holds a briefing, it wants us to go to Bangi or Kajang... but the pylons will be built here, so we want the briefings here," he declared.

The action group is the second of its kind in recent years, following the still unsolved high tension cable project that is to cut across Kampung Sungai Terentang in Rawang, which is facing fierce opposition from local residents, who have blocked the TNB team from entering their village.

Later this afternoon, Lee issued a statement on her Facebook page that she was not invited for the briefing. 

"The briefing was initially scheduled on Dec 21, but this newly formed committee does not agree with the venue chosen and I was told the briefing would be postponed to January," she said. 

She claimed that there was a political agenda behind the briefing and it was not aimed at resolving problems.