Selangor Gerakan has slammed the Selangor government alleging that it pretends to be sympathetic when handling the issues of public importance, yet repeatedly shirks its responsibilities.

Its chairman David Ang said this was shown in the recent controversy over the construction of the high voltage transmission lines project in Taman Cheras Hartamas, by Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

"The local residents strongly voiced their protests many times and had asked TNB to stop the construction until the parties involved had a dialogue," he said in a statement today.

"They even wrote to the state government. But TNB and the state just passed the buck to each other and neither seemed to care to talk with the local community.”

He added the briefing called by the TNB had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation to the residents.

The parties had arrived an agreement on the distance between the high voltage transmission lines and the houses of the residents, but Ang noted the distance between Mahkota Cheras high voltage transmission line project and residence was only 21 metres now.

“The safety of the local residents is being ignored. We know for a fact that the state government must give consent to any project in the state," he said.

This was exactly the same way how the state government handled another controversial construction, the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (Dash), he said, adding that Selangor exco member Zaidy Abdul Talib reportedly merely telling TNB to observe guidelines and regulations, demonstrated the state government's attitude.

"If the state continue to pass the buck to the federal government and TNB, it is shooting itself in the foot," said Ang.

The local pressure group "Pylon Issues Support Team" had staged a protest on Aug 10 at the construction site where the police arrested few protestors.

The project started in 2010 but only two pylons were finished, with another pylon built halfway, after which the construction stopped because of protest from residents.

But in early August, the residents discovered that TNB had transported construction materials to the pylon sites, and contractors seemed poised to resume construction. This led to the latest round of protests.