THE construction of a 14-storey resort and spa building at Fraser’s Hill may have been temporarily put on hold but the impact of demolishing a 1960s English cottage to make way for the project is already being felt by locals in the area.

Local resident Nik Jassmin Hew told The Malaysian Insight said one of the effects is disruption to internet connection in the area, with demolition works causing a telephone pole to collapse.

“Internet connection and the communication line was cut off because a wire pole collapsed. There was no connection for two days,” said Hew, who is also Persatuan Alam dan Warisan Bukit Fraser (PAWBF) president.

She told The Malaysian Insight that a minor landslide also occurred near the site.

Last week, the Maybank lodge, an English-style cottage was bulldozed along with popular bird-watching site, Jelai Resort, to clear the area for the new resort.

After an outcry, Raub district officer Mohammad Shahid Ismail said the developer has been issued a stop-work order and told to consult the Department of Environment on technical aspects of the new design.

Hew said PAWBF and the private developer met for a discussion. The association, she said, was told the developer would not scale down the project.

“We now know that the developer is adamant about continuing without scaling down the design. They are reviewing it, to make it more English, but will not reduce the number of rooms or floors.”

The developer is refusing to come up with an environmental impact assessment report because it is not a requirement.

“They can choose not to get the assessment done because the Raub City Council does not require them to submit the report. So, we are concerned.”

Fraser’s Hill, nestled between the mountains of Pahang and Selangor, is a two-hour journey from Kuala Lumpur. It was named after Scottish prospector Louis James Fraser, who opened a tin mine in 1890.

Hew said PAWBF’s stand is clear that new developments in the area should not be higher than six floors and that construction work cannot take more than six years.

“We want the building to have six floors just like other resorts here and it must not cause damage to the environment and to the people. However, some damage has already occurred,” she said.

The developer, Ikhasas Group, has yet to respond to queries from The Malaysian Insight.

The National Heritage Department has said it was never consulted by the developer about constructing a high-rise resort and spa.

Director-general of the department Mesran Mohd Yusop told the New Straits Times the agency was shocked to learn about the demolition of the building.

“We are saddened as a heritage building on the hill station is now gone. We (the department) might not be able to do much as the building is privately owned, but if the department had been consulted, we would have been able to provide feedback,” Mesran said. – August 18, 2020.