Residents crying foul over approval of workers village

NIBONG TEBAL: Residents of Taman Seri Tambun are crying foul after the state government approved a proposal to build a workers village less than five kilometres from the residential area.
Cheng Swee Khoon, 45, who spoke to theSun, said Penang Housing exco Jagdeep Singh Deo had announced the approval of the project in October without calling for a public hearing on the matter.
"We held a peaceful demonstration and submitted a petition which was signed by more than 10,000 people, however, the state government has chosen to ignore the people's views," Cheng said.
The state government had approved the project consisting of three blocks, 11 floors and 369 units.
Cheng expressed concern of social problems occurring in the area as a result of having hundreds of foreign workers staying in the vicinity.

When contacted, Hartini Tan from Gerakan Bukit Tambun's People's Representative Committee said the state government had failed to hold a public hearing with the residents.
"Why was the public hearing called for early November after Jagdeep announced the approval of the project on Oct 18?
"So it appears that this is not a public hearing but more of a briefing session for the residents," she said.
When contacted, Bukit Tambun assemblyman Law Choo Kiang said he had submitted the residents petition to the state government and had also urged for the workers village to be built elsewhere.
"Jagdeep had held a meeting with three landowners in the area in August and briefed them on the project.
"The landowners had objected to the project. I had also expressed my objection and asked for another location to be selected," he said.
It was reported on Oct 15 that Jagdeep had announced that the Seberang Prai Municipal Council had issued a C1 form to the developer to start construction.