CONGRATULATIONS to MRT Corp on opening the first phase of Putrajaya line.

Congratulations too, to Najib and family for having the honour of riding the train before the official launch by the prime minister through a tweet request because Najib loves trains.

We in Taman Tun Dr Ismail would love to have peace and quiet. We are not tweeting but had officially written to Apad, Prasarana and the Department of Environment (DOE) in September 2021 about the noise in our area.

Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd responded that noise readings are below DOE approval limits but we are not privy to these readings. A follow-up letter in December was not even acknowledged.

The Star Metro published our complaint in early March 2022. 

Lingkaran Trans Kota (Litrak), the concessionaire of Damansara-Puchong Highway, said it would hold a joint meeting with MRT Corp and the DOE to discuss matters raised by the residents.

MRT Corp inspected the site at Pinggir Zaaba, noticed that the ambient noise was too high, promised to ensure the trains and tracks are well-maintained, and it would extend its full co-operation to find a solution.

Pinggir Zaaba residents have been discussing noise issues with MRT Corp since construction commenced in 2012.

For more than three years of construction, residents were inconvenienced when Pinggir Zaaba was reduced to a single lane and works continued well into the night and early mornings, less than 15m from our houses.

The first official complaint to the DOE was in 2017. It carried out two separate measurements which showed many incidences exceeding its approval limits.

At a meeting at Apad on October 10, 2018, Pinggir Zaaba residents made three proposals: sound barriers at LDP, placement of sound absorbing materials under the MRT viaduct and double glazing for 25 severely affected houses in Pinggir Zaaba.

Apad also instructed MRT Corp to review DOE measurements and give technical feedback to answer the allegation and feedback on the three proposals. Until today, there is no feedback.

In a meeting on March 27, 2019, at DoE, it was proven there were instances of ‘air overpressure’ and MRT was supposed to provide train running schedules on October 4, 2018, for comparison with vibration measurements made by the DOE when trains pass by Pinggir Zaaba. Till today no feedback received.

To cater for this project, the Railway Act was amended to reduce the ‘first reserve’ limit to 6m.

Strangely, in March 2011, Apad said in a press statement that TTDI houses may not need to be acquired because the properties are located beyond the 20m minimum buffer.

In March 2017, a report said Apad was in talks with rail operators to introduce a comprehensive railways regulation framework, ie new operating performance and safety standards.

Previously, it was left to the individual operators to come up and enforce those regulations.

It seems MRT Corp has set a precedent that not only supersedes other rules and regulations, as observed by Apad, but also lets affected property owners along the SBK Line to suffer in the name of saving costs.

The MRT project was to make Kuala Lumpur a world class city and improving its standard in terms of livability but at the expense of some people living very close to the line.

Currently, a two-storey house in Pinggir Zaaba is much cheaper than single-storey house on Jalan Abang Haji Openg because of the MRT viaduct.

Meantime, we request MRT Corp to forward the results of the inspection in Pinggir Zaaba in March, provide its environmental management plan requirements and to confirm whether a noise computation modelling was made for the viaduct design at Pinggir Zaaba, taking into account sound reflection, and to publish the results.

Did the joint meeting between Litrak, MRT Corp and the DOE took place?

Is Pinggir Zaaba a part of Keluarga Malaysia and if so, we plead for the caring spirit to help family members.

There could be other severely affected areas and we trust MRT Corp will also do the necessary.

“It didn’t matter how big our house was; it mattered that there was love in it.” — Peter Buffett.

For about 10 years we have lost social cohesion and lifestyle degradation.

The request we made is for more realistic mitigation measures and not compensation, is it too much to ask for?

What say you…? – June 19, 2022.

* Saleh Mohammed reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.