Address rubbish-related issues

The Star, Thursday March 6, 2014 

by choo woon lim

S in Kajang have a long wish list of issues for their new assemblyman to address.

Chief among them are illegal rubbish dumping, irregular rubbish collection and clogged drains. The current dry spell has led to another worry — the threat of fire.

During a visit to Bandar Mahkota Cheras recently, the roads could be seen lined with plastic bags filled with dry leaves. 

A resident, who only wanted to be known as Chin, said she was worried the leaves would catch fire.

“I hope the bags of leaves can be cleared quickly,” she said. 

Rubbish left uncollected at shophouses have also become an eyesore. 

A Taman Taming Indah resident, who only wanted to be known as Lim, said the lack of rubbish bins along walkways, had led to people throwing their rubbish everywhere. 

“Passers-by see the piles, especially in front of unoccupied lots, and just throw their rubbish there too,” he said when met outside the shops in Bandar Mahkota Cheras. 

The local park is also marred by the sight of uncollected bags or rubbish which had been torn open by strays. 

Meanwhile, Taman Kajang Mewah Rukun Tetangga (RT) chairman Ahmad Jamali Sepihie said drains in his housing estate were clogged up with rubbish and leaves. 

“I am worried because of the rise in dengue cases recently,” said Ahmad Jamali. 

Sungai Ramal Luar Rukun Tetangga chairman Abdul Rahim Sudadi said rubbish was being thrown into the river by irresponsible squatters living nearby. 

“The problem has been going on for over a year,” said Abdul Rahim.

Jalan Reko Rukun Tetangga chairman R.G Kandasamy said rubbish collection in his area in Taman Desa Seroja was irregular. 

“The council should check on their contractors regularly to ensure they are doing their job,” he said. 

Taman Setia resident Yong Swan Khong said there was a lot of rubbish near the market in town.

“Because it had remained uncollected for a long time, people had started treating the place like a dumpsite. 

“However, the authorities cleaned up the area about a month ago,” he said. 

 

He added that until recently, rubbish collection in his housing area had been erratic. 

“Sometimes, the rubbish is uncollected for several weeks. However, recently, the collection has been regular,” said Yong, attributing this to the coming by-election. 

“It is always like this. Whenever an election is coming up, they will clean up their act,” he said.