RESIDENTS staying in Taman Bukit Teratai in Ampang want the four telecommunication towers located on the rooftop of a shoplot at Jalan Teratai 1/2 be taken down.
On Saturday, some 50 residents gathered at Bukit Teratai food court to state their stand against the towers which were constructed in 2002.
These residents claimed that five deaths have occurred since 2009, of which one was cancer-related.
A resident Chen Kok Ling, who has lived in the area for 10 years, said his wife fell ill and passed away due to cancer last year.
He believed that his wife died due to radiation effects from the telecommunication towers.
Another resident, Tan Bee Choo said his 24-year-old son was fighting cancer in the hospital.
Pandan MP Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said that he would write a letter to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) on the issue.
“I was informed that this telecommunication towers must be about 50 metres away from any residents area.
“There are residents staying in apartments less than 20 metres away,’’ said Ong, who was with Teratai constituency public complaints bureau chief Ben Liew Pok Boon at the area.
Maxis Communication Berhad representative Yusry Yusof said the company followed the guidelines that were given by MPAJ and MCMC during the installation of the telecommunication towers.
“We have always followed the guidelines given by MCMC and local authorities,’’ he said,
MPAJ Building department telecommunication unit representative Mohd Quazrin Abdul Rahim said applications for the telecommunication towers were approved in 2002 and there were no objections from residents then.
“If there is now an objection, we will look into the matter,’’ he said.