Residents demand assurance on proposed LRT track alignment

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 8, 2011): A group of residents from Putra Heights and Subang Alam are demanding that Syarikat Prasarana Berhad (Prasarana) give them some assurance that the proposed light rail transit (LRT) track alignment near their residential area is safe.

At a press conference in the Parliament lobby today, the residents’ Task Force For LRT Kelana Jaya Line Station 11 and 12 claimed that an independent geologist had advised against the construction of the track in the area.

The group said the findings of the report, done by Geological Disaster Programme Co-ordinator in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Prof Dr Tajul Anuar Jamaluddin, revealed that the uneven slopes and former quarry around the proposed sites for the eleventh and twelfth stations to the Kelana Jaya LRT lines posed a risk to users.

“Syarikat Prasarana, through Minconsult Sdn Bhd has failed to address any of the technical issues raised by the eminent authority on disaster risk management, Dr Tajul in his report.

“We want to know, in black and white, whether it is safe for the people... we are not against development,” said the task force’s chairman Prem Kaur.

Prem said Tajul’s report stated that the environmental impact assessment report and the geological report, among others, were incomplete.

“We fear the sight of disaster stricken projects in the past such as the Bukit Antarabangsa and Pantai Remis landslides; MRR2 (Middle Ring Road 2) flyover cracks; the collapse of the Highland Towers, Taman Hillview and the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium roof – which were all government approved,” she said.

The group is also urging the Selangor state government to conduct an independent study on the hill slopes and quarry.

Prem said the group has been waiting for three years for an answer from the state government but had yet to receive any.

Also present were PAS parliamentarians from Kota Raja, Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and Shah Alam, Khalid Samad.

Siti Mariah urged the state government to verify the complaints made on the extension.

She added that Prasarana had already begun preliminary work at the site although they have yet to address the queries brought up by the residents.

Khalid said the site currently had Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s pylon towers but it was stable.

“However, the LRT pillars are certainly not and added with the vibration of the trains’ movements, it will be worse,” he said.

Khalid said Prasarana may feel that the objections to the line are from a “minority group” of people were an inconvenience.

“These are not concerns raised because of inconvenience... all we want them to do, is do it right from the beginning,” he said.