The authorities have been urged to close down a batching plant in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur until everybody is satisfied that the facility does not pose a health risk to residents living nearby.

Batu MP Tian Chua said the plant, which mixes cement and concrete before it is shipped to construction sites, releases small particles into the air that can be potentially harmful.

NONE"Residents in Sentul have put up with this batching plant operating in their residential area, with several schools nearby as well. The fumes are definitely unhealthy and dangerous to the surroundings.

"The large commercial vehicles moving in and out of the area are definitely putting residents and the schoolchildren at risk," Tian Chua said.

He was responding to report quoting YTL Corporation spokesperson Mohd Said Bani that the company's "cement plant" in Sentul has adhered to Department of Environment requirements since it began operation.

However, in a written reply given to Chua in Parliament, the Natural Resources and Enviroment Ministry says the plant is a"batching plant", not a "cement plant".

It also states that plant has yet to be registered with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety.

Questions about the suitability of having the YTL Corporation plant in the densely populated township of Sentul was ignited by the death of Siti Rohani Mohamad Saadi, 30, in a motorcycle accident involving one of the plant's lorries.

Tian Chua said Kuala Lumpur City Hall should have taken the needs of the residents and the safety of the schoolchildren into account before allowing the plant to operate.

In view of the recent developments, he added, City Hall should reassess the situation and ensure that companies that do not meet the necessary requirements be relocated or made to cease operations.