Rock blasting work at the Bolton Surin project site in Tanjung Bunga on 14 May. The blast sent a rock flying; it landed on the slope and then rolled down to hit a tree, shaking it violently, according to an eye-witness.
A resident in the area managed to capture the blasting on video.
A police report was later lodged and the cops were also handed a set of the blasting permit criteria, which had been posted to Chee Seng Garden residents.
The police told the resident who lodged the complaint that they would do what was in their authority to try and stop the blasting. But the residents are worried that any moratorium would only be temporary. They are worried about the safety of their families as the rocks could fly anywhere.
What is the state government and MPPP doing to address the residents’ concerns?
dude, lame video record.
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I don’t understand what the state government is doing; they are acting like there is no government. This is hardly a sensible way to govern Penang. The developer has been allowed to do whatever it want after approval for the so called development project been given. Even it is our desire to defeat BN at all cost in the next general election, we are wondering with this type of incompetence, do we really want LGE running Penang state?
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LGE has a strange pro business interest idea that do not resonate with Pakatan Rakyat’s supporters. He seem to be afraid to upset any development project. He can close one eye or even both eyes if needed to pretend nothing has happened. This is not the first time, this Bolton Surin project courted controversy! The sensible way is not resort to rock blasting, they should depend on rock drilling which is expensive. But the developer should pay the price if they insist on carry on with the project, not to ask the residents nearby to bear the risk of having some of them killed. There should be a law that prohibit blasting within certain radius of residential areas. Somebody should look at the law and do something to stop this madness.
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Like the first commentator….it is really a lame video record. If any, I noticed that the blast radius was within the safe perimeter. The explosion was set off inwardly with minimal dusting and no flying debris. But I wouldn’t want to stay at the bottom of another hill slope development. I wrote the comment ‘cos I think it is also lame to blame ‘LGE has a strange pro business interest idea’ for just about any grievance.
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Lim Guan Eng’s DAP government in Penang says that it is different from the BN. Presumably, this means that Lim Guan Eng heads a more ethical and graft-free administration. They even talk about CAT = Competency, Accountability and Transparency.
So, how come it is taking this DAP CAT government soooooo looooong to stop this Bolton-Surin developer from destroying the Chee Seng hill-slope? What do you think is stopping this DAP CAT government from acting against a hill-slope developer that allegedly infringes MPPP development permit guidelines?
Or is this DAP CAT slogan just another very Malaysia Boleh political slogan? Which means it is meant to be promoted to make LGE and the DAP look good but in reality, it MUST not be implemented?
Meow.. Meow… When it comes to property developers, LGE’s DAP government is just a pussycat with no fangs and no claws. It’s meowing is louder than its actions. In fact, it meows loudest just before it goes to sleep to do nothing despite the Tg Bunga electorate’s grouses and demands.
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Everybody’s eyes are covered with $$$$, that is what I can say. They are not closing their eyes, it is just that it is covered. The whole Penang is lawless. Look at the illegal parking, heavily tinted cars, hawkers stores sprouting all over, que jumping, vadalism, illegal coversion of houses from residential to commercial, motorcyclist jumping traffic lights, littering, robbery,……
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What the video try to show is a lack of blast area security, failure to use appropriate blasting shelter, inadequate guarding of the access roads leading to the blast areas, and the fact that it is done in a residential area without proper evacuation. Other nuisances such as noise pollution, dust generation and post detonation fumes should not be ignored. To say it is lame because the state government is not BN state government, but your loving LGE run state government. STUPID!!!!!!!
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Wonder wether all those pro-LGE hardcore supporters will be as nice to a BN state government or not?
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Khoo Jin Hup, illegal parking, heavily tinted cars, etc, etc are happening every where in Malaysia la, not only in Penang.
Looks like u hv not been out of Penang.
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On the blasting in Bolton Surin project site, I am sure that when residents purchased houses in Chee Seng Housing project, they are aware its near hill slope. The statements made by some learned friends here should be more constructive rather than pointing fingers without any sense in the learned mind. What if there is soil erosion and earth tumbles down onto Chee Seng Housing? Still blame LGE and DAP? Chee Seng Housing was built when? Will fingers be pointed at the previous state govt. or the so called favoured party ? What is actually “Blasting” be it for housing project or hill clearing? Not taking side on political party or name reference, I would like to inform our learned critics here that, to add more knowledge to their political bias mind is to contact the nearest Jabatan Mineral& Geosains to update themselves with more knowledge on blasting. The video shows good “control blasting” and rocks rolling down within the safe perimeter of the site has nothing to scream about and pointing finger at LGE and the DAP does not help to resolve anything, in comparison to tons of abnormalies generated by the party favoured by the critic. Please be realistic and grown up, oh Critic. Dont use names, point fingers or bring politics into your arguement / complaint.
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How can the government let this continue? I emailed pictures of an email I receive from friends about the problem the Surin project is causing – floods, etc to Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang. None of them even bothered to reply. This is really disappointing of the present government. What kind of caring government is this when the allow things like this to happen?
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How far is the blasting from the nearest residential building ?
Can someone give an estimation ?
What about safety precautions like ensuring that the area had been free of humans before the blasts commenced ?
Although the MPPP could demand better control of the situation, I doubt they could stop the project without inviting litigation in court which the council would likely lose.
What is YB Phee stand in this ?
Has he explained to the residents why the state government is satisfied that the developer has complied with all the necessary statues relating to the implementation and construction of this project ?
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Kee, You are right
But DAP thru LGE promised a different Penang. We see the same…
The video shows a rock flying.
The police permit categorily states NO rock are to be allowed to fly
The hill slopes are bare and NOW VERY STEEP.
The water run off into the seas are polluting the seas even more.
Just check the seas of Moon light Bay, Miami, Shamrock and Tg. Bunga when ever it rains and see the brown waters that fan out. A sight to behold and to cry over….
THe sick Golden goose (Tourism – via our used-to-be beautiful white beaches) has died. Now we have only brown or “Golden” muddy sands…
Don’t believe – just go to any of the beaches that I mention and scoop up 5 inch deep of sand with your hands and see what you have. Layers of mud beneath the now “golden” sands which used to be white
The list goes on but I am tired of repeating myself
To the DAP Govt that I supported, please do the needful. STOP all Class III & IV hillslope development because if you cannot even control the Bolton Surin thru your MPPP (Now termed as Majlis Perbandaran Paling Perlahan), this will carry on happening for all other projects in the future (besides Bolton Surin-lah) and peoples lives are put in danger and the environment will suffer.
For those who say this is a lame excuse of a Video, wow…. I wonder what you want. Perhaps a death with a rock flying out onto the homes of houses just 30 meters away will sway your opinion
Regards
George Aeria
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If no rocks can fly, it means there is no energy and no energy means no blasting! But there are 2 form of blasting – control and uncontrol. Also not all the area contain same strength of rock and due to weaker rock, they have more energy than others.
I live in a flat area but was one of the pioneers of a new development which is located closer to the main road. Due to development, the lorries are carrying earthwork and construction material passing our area everyday. So I must stop construction of the new township and deny squatters to move into the new flats? Also now, there are more cars and bikes jaming and polluting and should we in the first place deny or stop people from moving my neighbourhood?
The problem is Majlis just chincai. They never or do not know how to put silt trap, or monitoring in place. Why the majlis did not fine the developer or contractor? Are the enforcement people DAP members or UMNO members? Can anyone answer this question? …
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What I can see from the video is actually pretty tightly controlled blasting. Of course, there’s no guaranteed safe way to carry out explosive blasting, and I really wouldn’t want to be staying at the houses nearest to the work site.
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In response to P.K.Wang: When residents of Chee Seng purchased their homes, they did so in the 1960s. Were you born then P.K.? Why do you twist the facts and blame the residents of Chee Seng for purchasing homes next to hill slopes when they are clearly the victims of Bolton-Surin’s illegal activities? For your information, Bolton-Surin only started destroying the hills of Chee Seng a few years ago. Chee Seng residents have been around living peacefully on the hill-slopes for over four decades. People like you P.K.Wang really are ignorant of history and facts. You are a bigot in desperate need of a genuine education since by your comments, it is clear that your parents wasted their resources attempting to educate you in your youth.
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Andrew,
Of course the trees will be cut down and there will be some earthworks. Is the land a forest reserve? If not and if you own it, will you leave it unproductive and as owner, you leave the land just to please your neighbours? If there are big snakes and elephants you may complain that your neighbour do not take care of the land. If the hills were destroyed a few years ago could it be the planning or even the approval was done before the classifications of hill slopes were implemented?
Malaysia and particular Penang is growing and more land is need. The point is that, the authority needs to MANAGE, CONTROL and MONITOR the development. Everyone wants a dream house just as Billions of people in China wants to burn petrol and drive his own cars!
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Andrew – the residents of Chee Seng garden also do live on the hillslope and the hill was also cut when the Chee Seng garden houses were built. Chee Seng gardens were not built in the 1960s, but early 1940s(I know as I stay there). Ratu built the Twin Towers, Ratu Mutiara, Coastal Towers etc and they also did built on hill slopes and Chee Seng garden residents also had to put up with their daily activities. As long as the blasting is controlled and worked on safely, I should not see why is there an upcry about this. We cannot stop development, but we can ensure development is done in a safe and consistent manner. As such, if the Surin project would to be cancelled, what would happen to the bare hill and who would to compensate the buyers? Legal action will also be taken against the government and the whole agenda will be a mess. It’s best to have the government, developer and a rep for Chee Seng garden to have a sit down talk and reconcile instead, rather than pointing fingers.
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I am appalled that the developers of that hillside development site have been permitted to carry out such a clearly dangerous activity, as blasting rocks with explosives so close to a built-up, private residential area, with the development area also being right above (what I believe is) a public access road AND without apparently, it seems, taking reasonable precautions to prevent, manage and also minimise risks which may directly cause or indirectly lead to potential harm/injury to local residents, other members of the general public and to their private property.
The video shows the blasting being done at 3.00pm on a Thursday/ working weekday afternoon while there were people and motor vehicles close by and using the public spaces and highways at that time! That is clearly dangerous and appears to be not in line with good practice guidelines for such activities.
There was a siren sounding at different frequencies at the time of the blasting but what does that mean to the general members of the public who either live in that local residential area or who may only happen to be passing by that area while the rock-blasting is taking place?
Are there adequate and sufficient warnings given and signs displayed to clearly communicate the necessary notices and warning information to the general public and road users about times of blastings and recommended precautions to be taken to protect themselves and their property from the dangers posed from the developer’s blasting activities?
Have the developers met, discussed and agreed with the local residents and other affected/interested parties in that vicinity how they will ensure that all required precautions are being taken to appropriately address all known and clearly foreseeable risks to persons and property and also how they will address other disruption and health and safety issues such as the need to minimise pollution to people there from noise, smell, dust, other hazardous debris, etc.?
Are bilateral meetings held regularly between the developer and the local residents so that both parties are clearly aware, without any ambiguity, as to exactly what is going on in that residential area and public space so that all parties are clear about their expectations and can come to an agreement on how they will work together to fairly balance their competing private, public and business rights and interests?
After hving viewed this video here and reading some of the background blurb, I would suggest that the local residents, if they have not done so already, form an action group and then contact (i) the developer and request an urgent meeting and also request that all further rock-blastings be stopped temporarily until that meeting has been held (ii) engage a lawyer so that if your action group cannot come to an acceptable agreement with the developer, you can then instruct your lawyer to apply to the court for an injunction for what I see as a potentially clear case of public nuisance (a criminal offence) and/or private nuisance (a tort) against the hillside property developer based on that video evidence posted here.
I attach two links from Wikipedia which should provide you with some detailed information on public and private nuisance law and cases and I wish you the best of luck in resolving this nuisance based dispute with your local developer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_nuisance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuisance
“Imagine Power To The People” John Lennon.
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