Mohanthas (third from right), with other Bukit Tunku residents and representatives from DBKL and MCMC during a meeting to discuss the construction of a telecommunications tower along Jalan Langgak Tunku in Bukit Tunku, Kuala Lumpur. — LEW GUAN XI/The Star
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will be meeting Bukit Tunku residents tomorrow to discuss the construction of a telecommunications tower in Jalan Langgak Tunku.
A letter from DBKL’s Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department to the residents said the session would be held at Menara DBKL.
The session was arranged after a group of Bukit Tunku residents met DBKL officials on Dec 1 last year to voice their objections against the construction of a telecommunications tower in their neighbourhood.
They demanded that DBKL halt construction and hold an engagement session to obtain affected residents’ feedback on the project.
Mohanthas Narayanasamy, one of the residents, said it was DBKL’s responsibility to take care of Kuala Lumpur residents.
“We want DBKL to conduct a public engagement session to obtain our input.
“Once that is done, we will respect any decision made by the authorities,” said Mohanthas.
The construction site is located beside a bus stop along Jalan Langgak Tunku.
The bus stop is also in front of Tijani 2 South, a residential area with 54 houses.
Mohanthas claimed that the position of the telecommunications tower had breached conditions.
“The distance between a telecommunications tower and property should be calculated from the edge of the property instead of from where the house is built.
“The ongoing construction of this telecommunications tower does not meet this condition,” he said.
DBKL’s Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department director Mohamad Riduan Abdullah, in a letter dated Nov 30 last year, said DBKL had approved the construction of the telecommunications tower based on guidelines.
“One of the guidelines is that the distance between a telecommunication structure and the edge of a building must be 10m.
“All the guidelines have been made public via DBKL’s website,” he said in a letter sighted by StarMetro.
He also said the ongoing construction was following a DBKL-approved request made by a houseowner to remove an existing telecommunications tower located in front of his bungalow.
The new site is located less than 100m away from its last location.
Mohamad Riduan, in the same letter, also refuted the residents’ claim that the telecommunications tower might emit radiation that could cause cancer.
“No study so far has proved that radiation from telecommunications towers would increase the risk of cancer.
“In fact, based on a test conducted, the radio frequency emitted by telecommunication structures across peninsular Malaysia was too low to have any impact on health.
“Nevertheless, the public can still file complaints regarding health and radiation directly to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission or via its website at aduan.mcmc.gov.my,” he added.
DBKL had since issued a notice to halt the construction of the tower until further notice.
