Two years of walking in darkness - The Star

May 20, 2008 Story and photos by STUART MICHAEL

Complaints on faulty streetlights and other issues to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) have fallen on deaf ears for nearly two years.

Nothing concrete has been done to resolve the many problems raised by the residents in Damansara Sutera apartments in Jalan KIP Utama at the Kepong Industrial Park.

The faulty streetlights are along a 300m stretch of a major road.

A week before the March 8 general election, council workers were seen repairing some streetlights and the residents were delighted.

Let there be light: The electricity bill for the four street lamps outside the apartments is paid by the residents.

However, two weeks later, after the election was over, the streetlights were off and the place was in darkness again.

StarMetro reported on the streetlight problem in October 2006 and, except for the two weeks when the lights were on during the election campaign period, the problem has not been resolved.

According to Damansara Sutera apartment joint management committee chairman Chan Chee Hoe, there are 15 faulty streetlights along Jalan KIP Utama.

“The residents are fed up with the council for not doing anything about the problem for the last two years, although we keep raising the issue,” Chan said.

A resident, who wished to be identified as Lim, said she had once managed to speak to the council engineer Azizul Hakim who had promised to send someone to check the problem.

After nothing was done, Lim said over the next two months, she had called Azizul 15 more times but could not get through to him.

“There are about five car break-ins in two months because residents have to park their vehicles outside the apartment compounds. Thieves have stolen car radio, number plates, tyres and rims and even vehicles,” Lim said.

“If there are streetlights, it will be safer for our vehicles and residents.

“We don't know when this problem will be solved.

Chan said residents had paid a monthly fee for four streetlamps near the apartment guardhouse three years ago to ensure that the road was lit up.

Tan Siew Ying, 50, who has been living in the area for the last two years, said each time she walked to the shop at night, she feared that someone would mug her as she was a snatch theft victim a few years ago.

MPS public relations officer Helda Syima Abu Talab could not be reached for comments.