An open letter to YAB Dato' Menteri Besar Selangor Darul Ehsan from Taman Hijau resident

I read with some relief that the Selangor State Government has declared the state will no longer accept applications for class 3 and class 4 hill slopes. I say "some relief" because we've heard this promise before, and we can only wait and see if this time, the state policy will transcend into local council action.

But my relief was quickly deflated as I read further, that the State Government will allow the 121 hill slope projects previously approved to continue. I believe my community of Ukay Heights-Taman Hijau, will be one of the neighborhoods that will suffer from this.

Me and my fellow residents objected to the hill slope development adjacent to our neighborhood because it flouts laws and policies stated in the State Structure Plan and poses a serious safety threat to our community.

In our un-ending struggle to get MPAJ to heed our concerns, I've met and spoken with a number of other resident groups around Selangor, with proposed hill slope developments neighboring their communities. Most of these resident groups site similar circumstances surrounding their objections to proposed abutting hill slope developments - serious safety issues and contradictions with the structure plans and state guidelines.

On behalf of my community, and so many other communities I have spoken with, I would like to humbly ask that the Selangor State Government insist on a review of the 121 hill slope developments, and not give a blanket go-ahead to the local councils. I ask that the state government direct each Majlis to present details of each approval, and documentation of the objections posted from residents, to properly determine which development plans are truly feasible and which ones will jeapordise the safety of the existing communities.

This request may be a tall order, but it is we, the residents who will suffer the ill affects of poorly planned development for the rest of our lives, not the local councils, not the developers. I believe a short delay of six months, to allow the state to properly review the situation, would not be asking too much. It comes down to a simple question of which do we value more - profit or safety.

There have been far too many tragedies associated with hill slope developments. Malaysians have suffered the loss of family and property too many times. I sincerely hope the new state government will hear the cries of the rakyat, and properly investigate the 121 hill slope developments before any more tragedies befall us.

Thank you.

Malaysian with children

- worried for our future