Houses infested with termites
A TILTING outdoor lavatory greets visitors to housewife Tan Phaik Hong’s house in Kampung Shaik Madar in Air Itam, Penang.
Tan, 56, who has been living in the house for the past 48 years, said the wooden lavatory began tilting about seven years ago when the soil underneath began giving way.
“My family members get worried each time they had to use the lavatory for fear that the whole structure would just collapse at any time,’’ she told reporters during a visit to the village by Air Itam assemblyman Wong Hon Wai, who was accompanied by Penang municipal councillor Tan Hun Wooi, Thean Teik Village Development and Security Committee chairman R. Ramalingam and several Penang Municipal Council officers.
Wong said he had received various complaints mainly related to termite, lavatory and flooding problems from residents of some 100 houses in the village, which is sitting on council land.
Phaik Hong (centre) with Wong (left) and Hun Wooi looking at the tilting wooden lavatory in the compound of her house.
“Most of the houses which are over 40 years old are wooden types and the residents have been paying RM75 in monthly rental,” he said.
Tan said despite having complained to the council since 2007, nothing was done except at one time when a council officer came over to take pictures of the tilting lavatory.
“After waiting, I decided to just build an extension at the back portion of the house to accommodate a toilet because I didn’t want to risk the safety of my family,’’ she added.
Another resident Teh Chuck Liat, 27, who has been living in the village with his parent, said he and his sister had complained to the council about termite problems at their house about three years ago but to no avail.
“More than 50% of the house has been infested by termites and we don’t even dare buy any new furniture,’’ he said.
Wong said the termite problem would cost the council about RM3,000 for each house.
“This amount is a bit heavy for the council as the rental will not be able to cover the repair cost,’’ he said.
Wong said he would ask the council to work out a mechanism based on community renewal concept.
廁所塞鬧白蟻又淹水‧甘榜錫瑪達居民陷困
2009-01-09 10:48
搖搖欲墜的舊式廁所已經阻塞，導致蚊蟲的滋生。左起為黃漢偉、陳碧鳳及陳翰威市議員。（圖：星洲日報）
鄭作烈向記者訴說屋子遭白蟻侵蝕的情況。紅圈為屋子其中一個遭白蟻“攻擊”的部份。（圖：星洲日報）
1 of 2（檳城）發林新江小學旁的木屋區面對廁所阻塞、白蟻侵蝕及水災問題。阿依淡區州議員黃漢偉週四（1月8日）前往巡視，並希望與市政局商討一份周全的計劃，以一勞永逸解決居民的困擾。
此木屋區是占地3萬多平方尺的甘榜錫瑪達（Kampung Shaik Madar），此區擁有100間木屋及6間店屋，都是由檳島市政局所建設，每戶居民每月的租金為75令吉。
黃漢偉說，市政局在此處進行社區更新計劃，不過這是一項長期計劃，可能需要花上3至5年的時間，不會在短期內落實。
他說，此地區靠近弄浪河下遊，每逢下大雨，將引發水災。若要全面解決這問題，必須等待雙溪檳榔河治水計劃的完工。
至於市政局會否調高租金，他說，提高租金不是解決當地民生問題的最好方法。當局將考慮把木屋拆除，以建造高樓。
陳碧鳳：多年前已損壞
廁所內積水蚊蟲滋生
居民陳碧鳳（56歲）說，她自8歲以來就居住在此處。她家位於室外的木板廁所在多年前就已經損壞，而且廁所內積水，導致蚊蟲滋生。在逼不得已的情況下，她只好在家中興建多一間廁所。
她說，在丈夫退休前，他們每次都自掏腰包維修及疏通廁所。但是自從丈夫退休後，他們就沒有能力負擔這筆花費。
她說，每次居民在遇上任何民生問題需要市政局協助解決時，他們必須至少發出10多封信函，當局才會派員前往維修。
屋子逾50%處遭蟻蝕
鄭作烈：投訴多次無下文
27歲的鄭作烈投訴，他的住家自5年前開始，就面對白蟻侵蝕的問題，估計屋子超過50%的地方遭殃。
他說，家人在兩三年前曾多次向市政局投訴，當局也派出官員前往拍照，但是至今仍無下文。他家裡都不敢擺放太多的家具，以免受到白蟻的“攻擊”。
“此外，由於我家就坐落在弄浪河旁，因此每逢下大雨，河水就高漲並引發水災。”
非法工廠建在私人地
針對在阿依淡選區有非法工廠的投訴，黃漢偉表示，在經過調查後，他發現那些非法工廠都是建立在私人土地上。
因此，他已經將問題帶到州發展局，並要求當局官員進行更深入的調查及採取進一步的行動來對付這些非法工廠業者。
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