(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): It is most disturbing to witness that Gerakan MP for Puchong Lau Yan Peng is merely acting as a “messenger” in addressing the issue of hillslope development in Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Puchong, in which five apartments are situated side-by-side with the hillslope.

The five apartments are Sri Penaga Apartment, D’Palma Apartment, Saraka Apartment, Sri Cempaka Apartment, Desa Tanjung Apartment and D’Kiara Apartment. All these apartments are situated around Jalan Wawasan in Puchong.

YB Lau Yang Peng was quoted by media on 20^th June 2006 that he will arrange meeting among the affected residents, developers and the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya - MPSJ) to resolve the matter.

Residents here as early as late March 2006 attended a public hearing organized by MPSJ to protest against the application of planning permission from a State Government owned investment arm, Permodalan Negeri Selangor Berhad together with another two developers, Citrasama Sdn. Bhd. and Benua Ehsan Sdn. Bhd.

Also attended the public hearing was Kinrara Assemblyman YB Dr Kow Cheong Wei, who is also a MPSJ councilor.

The Sun dated 31^st March 2006 has quoted him as saying that:

‘“The matter will first be discussed at the council planning department committee meeting and if it fails to make a decision, then the matter wil be referred to a full board meeting,” he said.

‘“If this entity does not make a decision, then it will be referred to the Selangor Economic Action Council, and subsequently the state executive council,’ he said’

DAP is aware of the issue in late April and had pressed the state government provide technical details on the construction and the content of the EIA and traffic report for the project besides feeling disappointed where these crucial documents  were not provided during the objection hearing.

For such a important project, it is most disappointing that to date, the local council and the state assemblyman had yet to announce any decision or any outcome from various meetings, as well as of whether the meetings had been held or not.

And now we have MP YB Lau Yan Peng trying to act as another messenger in addition to YB Dr Kow Cheong Wei, when he wished to kick off the whole process of negotiating again, which is an act of redundancy.

We should in fact have ADUN YB Kow Cheong Wei to attend the press conference to clear the matter instead of running around the bureaucrat in MPSJ just to repeat what had been done before. Is the right hand (YB Lau Yang Peng) does not know what the left hand (YB Dr Kow Cheong Wei) is doing?

YB Lau Yan Peng should stop serving as a messenger and should bring the matter up to the coming Parliament session. Since the upcoming Parliament session is the second session of the year, therefore, I urge Lau Yan Peng to put up an adjournment speech on this matter so as to get quick and immediate response and position of the Federal Government on this issue.