KOTA SAMARAHAN: Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen expressed his dismay over a carpark turned into a waste disposal site by illegal dumpers in Kota Samarahan.
Hence, he called on Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian who is the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Minister to act on the matter.
The car park behind the shophouses at Taman Desa Ilmu Lorong 22M1 in Kota Samarahan had been converted into a garbage dump.
“I walked over to the spot yesterday at the request of a shop owner in the vicinity, even though the area is beyond my constituency and it’s a terrifying sight.
“The car park space is now a garbage dump, with maggots crawling out of the rubbish placed on the floor, flies flying everywhere, and an unpleasant stink in the air.”
“There was a wooden cabin that was supposed to be a resting place but is now just packed with rotting boards and sacks of garbage,” he explained.
According to him, the shop owner filed a complaint with the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) through the state government’s one-stop complaint email services in August of this year, and while the response said that the situation had been resolved, no progress was made on the ground.
He went on to say that not only had the shop owner filed a complaint, but so had one Penghulu Tan and another Kapitan, yet the garbage was still rotting and building up in the parking lot.
“I immediately wrote to the MPKS to request for action after visiting the waste dump site.”
Among the actions sought were the removal of the waste and the location for washing and cleaning, the demolition of the small broken wooden hut, the placement of larger rubbish bins in the area, and an increase in the number of rubbish collections per week.
Earlier this year, MPKS chairman Datuk Peter Minos said the council was “at war” with illegal dumping occurring in parts of its jurisdiction.
He said the waste that was dumped by irresponsible quarters are a sight for sore eyes and most “deplorable”.
“The illegally dumped waste is unsightly and becomes a breeding ground for mosquitos, rats, insects and even snakes.
“We are trying very hard to catch the culprits but they are elusive and cunning. If we catch them, we will hit them hard with outright fines – especially repeat offenders.
“They are giving us a bad name and we have every right to fight back,” he said.
