JOHOR BARU: Residents in the Ayu Bersatu area of Taman Pelangi Indah have voiced their objection to the construction of a Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) substation near the housing area.
Ayu Bersatu Residents' Association president Wilson Chin said residents were worried about the effect the presence of the substation will have on their health and safety.
"The substation is being constructed too close to the houses with the nearest house being only about 30 metres away.
"We are worried about what will happen in case of an emergency, as well as the effect of living so close to such a facility," said Chin.
He said TNB had a dialogue with the residents over the project in March.
"They have assured us about the safety of the project and said there is no conclusive evidence that the presence of the substation would have any adverse effect on the residents.
"They pointed to the fact that the residents near a substation in Kangar Tebrau have not been affected even after a long time. However, residents are not satisfied and want the project to be moved to another location," said Chin.
He said they were also wondering whether the project had received the necessary approval from the relevant authorities like the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB), Department of Environment, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and the Fire and Rescue Department.
"We were told that the substation is part of the masterplan for the area but we are still shocked that it is so close to our houses," said Chin, after a dialogue with Tebrau member of Parliament Steven Choong on the matter. Some 150 residents attended the dialogue.
Meanwhile, Choong said he would arrange a meeting between the residents and Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal within the next two weeks.
"I have actually submitted a letter on this matter to the former Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian just days before he resigned. Now that there is a new menteri besar, I will arrange for a meeting with the residents' representative to discuss the matter," said Choong.
On the question of approval for the project, Choong said he will contact the relevant authorities to get the necessary information.