Open letter to Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa, Group Chief Executive Officer, Telecom Malaysia Bhd
How did you manage to obtain approval to construct a huge tower right next to a resevoir? Isn’t the vinicity around a sensitive and essential service/utility a secured site strictly off-limit to unauthorised personnel? I will not speculate on how you managed it though I have my own opinion.
By Bobby Chiah
2 November 2011
Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa
Group Chief Executive Officer
Telekom Malaysia Bhd
Level 51, North Wing
Menara TM
Jalan Pantai Baru
50672 Kuala Lumpur.
Dear Dato Seri,
I am writing to you on behalf of 196 families residing in Kipark Selayang Condominum located in Bandar Baru Selayang.
Directly opposite our condominum separated only by a narrow road is a hillock with a resevoir located near to its summit.
At the beginning of May this year, during the May 1st. extended holidays you rushed through the construction of a huge telecommunication tower right next to the resevoir itself.
This tower, despite its great height and situated on elevated ground, is still at eye-level to the top half of our building and, furthermore, is practically sited at our doorstep.
If this base station is allowed to be fully operational, it will emanate and blanket our entire building with high and extremely hazardous electromagnetic fields (EMFs) 24/7, day in day out, year in year out. Its insidous reach will penetrate every nook and cranny of the entire building and no residents, especially the children who are more susceptible, can escape from its harmful effects.
Fortunately, we have an Ahli Parlimen, Y.B. Tuan William Leong Jee Kean, whom, on our appeal, promptly issued a stop work order to Majlis Perbandaran Selayang on 18 May 2011.
However, today, 2 November 2011, work has resumed on the site and is the reason I am writing this open letter to you.
Firstly, how did you manage to obtain approval to construct a huge tower right next to a resevoir? Isn’t the vinicity around a sensitive and essential service/utility a secured site strictly off-limit to unauthorised personnel? I will not speculate on how you managed it though I have my own opinion.
I also wonder whether Dato Seri really practises Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). Because if you do, how could you knowingly put 196 families, excluding those living in nearby houses, in harm’s way?
Various studies have shown that EMFs can cause brain tumors, leukemia, birth defects, miscarriages, chronic fatigue, headaches, cataracts, heart problems, stress, nausea, chest pain, forgetfulness, cancer and other health problems.
Some experts are convinced that the threat is very real.
For instance :-
1. Dr. David Carpenter, Dean of the School of Public Health, State University of New York believes it is likely that up to
30% of all childhood cancers come from exposure to EMFs
2. The Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) warns ” There is reason for concern and advises prudent avoidance.
3. Martin Halper, the EPA’s Director of Analysis and Support says ” I have never seen a set of epidemiological studies
that remotely approached the weigh of evidence that we are seeing with EMFs. Clearly there is something there.
4. In November 1989, the U.S. Department of Energy reported that ” It has now become generally accepted that
there are, indeed, biological effects due to field exposure.”
5. In March 1990, the EPA recommended that EMFs be classified as a Class B carcinogen – a “probable human
carcinogen and joined the ranks of formaldehyde, dioxins and PCBs; and
6. Last but not least, in the 31 May 2011 report by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) it states
” IARC has classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B)
based on an increased risk for glioma a malignant type of brain cancer associated with wireless phone use.
(Please refer to The Star report ” Cellphones increase brain cancer risk.” of 2 June 2011.
And, here, we are not talking about emission from a tiny cellphone but from a huge base station that will be thousands of times stronger and infinitely much much more potent.
Furthermore, it is an acknowledged fact that properties in the vicinity of a telecommunication tower, especially a huge one, will see their values plummet.
As it is, we are already facing threats from an existing telecommunication tower to the side of the hillock. We definitely are not going to accept further endangerment from your base station; more so when it is situated right at our doorstep.
So, unless Dato Seri is willing to subject your own family and neighbours to the same calamity you so intend to force onto us, please stop work immediately and, better still, dismantle the monstrosity ASAP.
Yours sincerely,
Bobby Chiah
c.c. YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Abdul Khalid bin Ibrahim
Dato Menteri Besar Selangor
By copy of this letter we fervently hope that YAB Tan Sri Dato’ Sri, who have been kept abreast of this issue right from the
beginning, will exercise his authority to permanently enforce the stop work order.
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On 3 June 2011, I attempted to post a similar open letter to Dato Sri Zamzamzairani Isa via “The Star”. Disappointingly but NOT unexpectedly they refused to publish it.
I did not pursue the matter further because by then, due to the prompt and decisive intervention of our Member of Parliament, Y.B. Tuan William Leong Jee Keen, who issued a stop work order on 18 May 2011, work had ceased.
Before I proceed further, I like to put on record our appreciation and thanks to Y.B. Tuan William Leong. We are indebted to him.
The hiatus, unfortunately, did not last long for today, 2 November 2011, work has resumed. Mountings were fixed on the tower in readiness for the installation of multiple transmission discs; in direct violation of the stop work order.
You are our last resort and we hope you will let us bring to public’s awareness our predicament by posting my letter in your website. We believe that, unless their callous attitude and lack of corporate social responsibilities are exposed to public’s odium and shame, they will not willingly abandon the project. To them might is right.
I also want to expose the complicity of Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS). They claimed that they gave approval to Telecom to erect the huge tower on that site, despite its close proximity to a high density residential buliding, was because the residents did not object or complain.
This is a blatant lie. In reality, we were intentionally kept in the dark and lied to. When work first started, when asked, we were told they were only carrying out repair works on the pipes from the resevoir. We now know they were actually laying the foundation for the tower.
They then waited until the extended Labour Day holidays when we have no access to MPS to erect the tower. Work was carried out at superspeed. Despite its great height, it practically sprung up overnight like Jack’s beanstalk. By the end of the three days holidays it was almost 100% completed!
The reason for the haste is quite obvious.They were banking on the assumption that once completed those affected will lose heart to protest. This strategy may have worked well for them in the past but, for this instance, they did not foresee the tenacity of a 68 year old grandfather, me.
Someone once told me that there is no greater love than grandparents’ love. To be frank, I used to be a bit sceptical about that. But, after this, I know for a fact that when it comes to protecting my two granddaughters aged 4 and 6, to ensure that they will be able to live a long and healthy life and not to be cut down by a brain tumor or other forms of cancer, I will not hasitate to take on any goliath no matter how powerful or connected.
I will fight them with any means fair or foul. In short, I will be relentless.
Regards,
Bobby Chiah
