Many residents of Taman Supreme in Kuching are protesting the construction of a telecommunications tower in the middle of their housing estate as it may affect their health and property values in the area, reported Free Malaysia Today.
Foundation work for the 30-metre-high tower along Jalan Nyato has already started in February, but 98 residents have inked a petition to the owner, Sacofa Sdn Bhd, to stop the construction.
According to Sarawak DAP Chairman Chong Chieng Jen, the parties involved in this matter should have first consulted the residents before proceeding with the project.
“There is a conflict between the interests of the people here and those who would benefit from such a tower,” said Chong, referring to the fact that the tower will cover the nearby VivaCity Megamall.
He pointed out that residents are worried that the existence of such an eye-sore would bring down the real estate prices in the area.
“They (Sacofa) should not have gone into an existing residential area and built it against the wishes of the homeowners,” Chong noted.
Lim Kuet Wong, a 75-year-old resident who has resided in the housing estate for 40 years, also raised the possibility that the invisible waves emitted by the tower could negatively impact their health.
Meanwhile, Sacofa refuted that the telco tower could harm one’s health. Instead it will enhance phone services and internet connection when completed.
According to its Corporate Affairs Officer Mohamad Sait, the tower conforms to international standards and its radio frequency emission will be 790 times lower than what is allowed by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“There are no health effects at all. The emissions are far below safety levels,” he said, adding that the tower will function as a receiver and a transmitter to meet LTE and 4G coverage requirements.
In addition, they have conducted a research identifying the site at Taman Supreme as an ideal location for the tower. The company has also followed the guidelines of the sale and purchase agreements.
However, Mohamad declined to comment on whether the telco tower would lead to a drop in property prices within the vicinity.
Image sourced from Aspire
Radin Ghazali, Content Writer at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories email radin@propertyguru.com.my
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