THIRTY YEARS AND STILL WAITING FOR AUTHORITIES TO ACT

SEVERAL abandoned bungalow houses in Taman South-East-Asia, Seremban, are giving residents the creeps and they want the Seremban Municipal Council (MPS) to clean up the unwelcoming sight.

Over the years, the residents here have voiced concern as the unoccupied units covered with thick undergrowth have served as a haven for drug addicts, a convenient hideout for thieves and breeding ground for snakes and rodents.

Most of the residents have been living in the neighbourhood since they bought their properties and are not ready to move out because of its strategic location and easy access to public amenities.

Many of them have also spent a fortune renovating their homes.

Creepy crawlies: An abandoned unit covered with thick undergrowth in Taman South-East Asia, Seremban.

Taman SEA Residents Association president Jeffrey Chua said this is an affluent residential area and it is sad to see so many bungalow lots either not sold, unoccupied or simply abandoned by the owners.

Chua said since he moved there 10 years ago, he had many unwelcome visitors like reptiles to his home as his unit is right next to a row of four abandoned units covered with thick undergrowth from ground to the roof.

He said the residents association (RA) met once every quarterly and the issue of abandoned units always topped the list of issues to be discussed.

Chua, who is serving his third term as president of the RA, said this was not a new problem as those before him had also tried to get the authorities to solve their problems, but no action has been taken.

The residents are hoping this time the local authority would step in immediately to clear up the areas around the abandoned units and charge the fees to the owners as thirty-years is too long a wait.

RA secretary Ruben Rajkumar said what is more frightening is that large reptiles were seen lurking in the undergrowth and it is difficult to locate them despite the services of firefighters.
As secretary of the RA, Rajkumar have sent several appeal letters, e-mails and even to the council’s complaints website, but there was no reply from them.

But when he went to see them personally, he was told that MPS could not do anything as they were private properties and the council does not have the authority to enter the premises.

Most of the units are abandoned by the owners and residents are opined that MPS know the owners; therefore they can clear the areas and charge the fees to the owners.

With all avenues failed with MPS, the residents met Rasah MP Anthony Loke and the local councillor recently to help solve the problem