May 7, 2008 By CHAN LI LEEN
THE Ipoh City Council will look into issuing a temporary stop work order for the construction of a sewage treatment plant by the Royal Perak Golf Club (RPGC).
State Health, Environment and Human Resources Committee chairman A. Sivanesan said the council would have to look into legal avenues on whether it could do so since RPGC had not contravened any laws.
Nearby residents, especially those living along Lorong Gopeng, were concerned about the possible stench and flooding problems in the future.
“Although everything has been carried out legally, RPGC has a moral obligation towards the residents who are worried about problems posed by the treatment plant in front of their houses,” he told reporters after meeting with Taman Golf residents.
Sivanesan said RPGC had agreed to issue letters of undertaking to assure such pro-blems would not arise but residents were still insisting that the club relocate the treatment plant.
“RPGC has the option to continue using its existing treatment plant or to relocate the construction of the new one elsewhere.
“Another suggestion is for RPGC to connect the proposed new treatment plant to one at another location but that would be very costly,” he said.
He added that it was not too late to halt the present construction as RPGC had only completed some 80% of the frame for the structure.
“RPGC would have spent about RM100,000 to date, much less than the RM5mil it will have to spend if it insists on continuing at the present site and later connecting it to elsewhere,” he said.
To a question, Sivanesan said the state did not have control over the administration of the club.
On another matter, Sivanesan who is also Sungkai assemblyman said he would assist some 40 fruit and vegetable farmers in Kuala Bikam to identify suitable land for relocation.
The farmers, who have been farming there for the past 40 years, were displaced after an 80ha piece of land was sold to the Defence Ministry to set up its base, he said.
“Instead of setting up its base, the Ministry leased out the land to two individuals at RM3,800 per month.
“Unlike other oil palm settlers and dwellers who were given compensation, these farmers were not paid a single sen or given alternative land to work on,” he added
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