Saturday, April 12, 2008

Save Ampang Hills: An uphill task?

"Housing developers in Malaysia are like drug pushers. They don't care how many people die as long as they make money." - anon resident of Ulu Ampang
I am sure many agree with the statement above although the truth is some housing developers are worse than drug pushers. In the case of the Ulu Ampang residents who met today to defend the Ampang Hills, they are faced with an uphill battle as the local council and the developer are said to be bent on going ahead with a hillslope housing project.

"Green" Bloggers
This will prove to be a stiff test for the new Selangor Government. State Exco Elizabeth Wong, who blogs, met up with the residents and told them that the new government will look into the matter properly.

How properly, blogger Rusdi Mustapha did not ask. But he wrote: "It takes only a handful of corrupt people to destroy nice surrounding." View his pictures and read his posting Trail of destruction, yet developers and local government refuse to spare Ampang Hills.
Another blogger, Tony Yew, is impressed with the presence of two Members of Parliament at the gathering. One MP vows that she would "stand at the top of the hill" to stop the project from harming the hills. I am impressed too. Read his posting here.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:43 pm

    When will MPAJ learn? How many more lives do they want to sacrifice before they stop approving risky (n proven dangerous) hillslope projects. But as long as the money keeps coming, I guess they don't want to be educated. Maybe we can give them free housing, put these MPAJ guys up in homes under the retaining walls on top of the hills. Then we'll ask them, what do you value more - safety or profit?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hills destroy
    Natural paradise losses

    Many people cry
    Telling others about decay
    Of human souls greedy of money
    Not helping thy neighbors
    Living peacefully amongst natural settings

    The State governments
    Formulate guidelines and enforcement diligently
    Periodic reports must be submitted
    By the local council presidents

    Housing developers don’t care
    About environment or natural disasters
    When there is money to be made
    They will come quickly

    When local council officials don’t do work properly
    The by-laws and whatever name passed
    It served no purpose on the hapless environment
    Many people cry raping on the unprotected hills
    Yet the developers just go marching in

    ‘I have approval! I have authority!’
    The locals only stand helplessly
    The local council presidents don’t take calls
    Or replies to concerned residents

    Now a new government in the state
    The leader must right the wrong quickly
    It can’t be carried out without proper consultation
    Catch the culprits involved…………….
    Let them pay for raping the hills

    We are here for a short while
    Don’t make Mother Earth
    A hell paradise for our children
    If we don’t stop the raping of hills now

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous9:13 am

    Paved paradise, they've put up a
    parking lot (and a new hillside
    condo)

    (with apologies to folksinger
    Jonie Mitchell)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous10:35 pm

    We should haul up all our past Selangor MB to task. How can they keep approving these hill developments when there's tanah runtuh left and right? How much money has gone thru their greedy little fingers? Can the ACA check?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:50 pm

    MPAJ = No sustainable development
    MAA = No corporate social responsiblity
    MPAJ + MAA = No concern for Rakyat

    ReplyDelete