Menara Warisan or Tower of Babel?

Now, they are talking about the RM5 billion (RM5,000,000,000) mega tower project known as Warisan Merdeka Tower. In my mind, I am saying, "What the heck, Mr Najib?"

And to Tun Dr M'thir M'mad who has always been obsessed with spending public funds on mega projects of this nature, I say, "Is this your memorial tombstone?"

Why the skepticism of so many fellow Malaysians like myself over a RM5 billion mega tower project?

Firstly, this part of Kuala Lumpur and its neighbourhood of Jalan Pudu, Jalan Imbi and Jalan Petaling are already very congested. Why create another white elephant in the midst of the city of Kuala Lumpur, within a short drive from the Petronas Twin Towers? Even if you were to build it, why can't it be done outside of Kuala Lumpur? Or maybe in Johor Baru so as to attract Singaporeans to visit the tower?

Secondly, I wonder if any feasibility study has been done regarding the viability of such project! If there is any, Mr Najib, please publish it. No one has even heard of the Warisan Merdeka Tower until your Budget 2011 speech.

Thirdly, with just RM1 billion, there are so many things that can be done to solve issues highlighted by the rakyat. In one email from my friend living in Taman Bukit Angkasa, for example, there are so many issues that she would not be able to solve without some financial help from outside.

Allow me to quote her here:

Dear Stephen

Yes I am getting help from DBKL, Alam Flora and even the police because I foresee some problems from the shops. We have so many problems in our area. The main ones are these:

1) The pipe system. JBA has fixed the water meters in front of the block. When rusty water was flowing through our taps, we were told that we have to replace the steel pipes that were underground. We said that this is JBA's problem but JBA and the Management refused to help us out. We had to spend some thousands of ringgits to fix alternative pvc tubes running from the meter to our homes and reaching the 5th floor. Now these pipes are placed on the surface and now the residents suffer from leakages. Each time it bursts, we have to pay the contractor to get it fixed. This costs us about RM50 per repair.

2) These pipes are making it impossible for us to keep the drains clean. Now we are getting a contractor to tidy up the works for us, in our block. He is charging us RM2400.00. We are to collect rm30 per unit. Hopefully this will minimise the problem but the people are getting together to fight this. We are waiting for Datuk Murugiah to come aboard. His PA mentioned by the end of October or if not by the 1st week of November.

3) Surrounding our block are the illegal stalls causing parking problems and filt everywhere. There is a restaurant opened at our groundfloor. We want this restaurant to be closed down permanently because it is the main cause of polluting our drains, clogging and now filled with dirty and stagnant water causing a stench. Complains have been made to DBKL and nothing has been done so far. They are so so aware of our problems but somehow no action has been taken. The other shops on the other hand have illegally extended their shops along the walkway. There is one lady who is not from our area, who opened a grocery shop and have taken up all the space. This is illegal but DBKL still has not come aboard to do anything. She is the most rudest and annoying person and do not want to listen. We want all this to go so that our welfare can be looked into. All these shopowners who have extended their business illegally are attracting the rats. In fact rats are a home in these shops. Evidence of rats running through the items sold are so obvious. Complains againt have been made to tthe Ministry of Health and DBKL...still nothing has been done. DBKL has sent once their team to put some sort of rat medication or so but rats are still running to the point they come through our toilet system. Rats run around the upper floors and they all huge and well fed. These people pour into the drains all the poultry water and attacting these rats. They are not doing anything at all to keep their inner and outer place clean. By law, these shops are to be closed down. They are encouraging rats, maggots and mosquitoes to breed. Fogging takes place but the problem keeps recurring.

4) We want to have car park allocations for our residents and this is another issue that we have to look into.

5) Our blocks do not have back stairs exit in case of a fire breakout. Everybody has to run out through the front door in case of a fire and our roofs are collapsing. Or jump out of their windows.

6) Even Alam Flora is not sweeping the areas outside the building. The whole place is filthy Stephen.

The Management whenvever approached with our problems, direct us to call the authorities. They would not lift a finger to help us saying that it has got nothing to do with them. People are so fed up with them that they do not see it worthwhile to pay their maintainence fees because at the end of the day, all is on our heads. The Management has no system that when one fails to pay, a facility gets cut off. They have let this go on until one household can owe them about 5k in terms of maintenance fees. Now they are sending out letters talking about a 10% interest and taking us to the lawyers. The residents are not moved by such actions. In fact they are brazing themselves to fight this in court, if it comes to this point. The only thing that the Management does is to send the cleaner woman to sweep the corridoors and this is also on the groundfloor only. They do not come down to the people and have not attempted whatsoever to talk things out. All my years staying here, they have not initiated anything at all.

7) We have quite a number of old and sick people living in our areas. Their health needs to be considered but staying in an environment likes ours is not going to make it easier for them.

8) DBKL has opened a Medan Selera and you must come and see this place. Complains have been made to DBKL but still no action taken. They keep saying that compounds have been issued but people have witnessed the officers taking undertable money. The stalls have extended their business beyong the boundaries and are flooding the walk ways with furniture and water. The place is dirty and moss collecting everywhere. Likewise I am sure this is also happening in my area and with the other blocks. The stall owners in my block do not have a DBKL license to operate. In fact some foreigners are operating these shops. Now they are building a separate place for these stalls to be resettled and work has just started. But this is going to take some time and now we have more and more stalls being put up. We want these stalls to stop operating and in this way maintain the cleanliness of the blocks and its surrounding areas.

Well Stephen if this is not enough, then I do not know what else to say.Blessings

Rebecca Jane Thomas

Fourthly, (but I will end with this final note), this country is badly in need of sprucing up and upgrading of BASIC PUBLIC AMENITIES - streetlights, proper road system, drainage, walkways, traffic light junctions, road signs and directional signs, sheltered walkways, disabled-friendly facilities, better hospital facilities, improved solid waste management, cleanliness in both housing estates and tourist destinations such as Port Dickson. What the rakyat is having to suffer are pothole-riddled roads, clogged drains, flash floods, illegal dumping that remain eyesores to the tourists, just to name a few.

Just take the example of posh neighbourhood of Mont Kiara and the slum of Segambut Dalam. The road that runs through Mont Kiara is no different than the road that cuts across Kampung Segambut Dalam.

Sadly, after 53 years the country has been ruled by Barisan Nasional, we do not see our living conditions improve. We talk about development which only benefit the cronies, not the rakyat. For this reason, I would openly say, I reject Barisan Nasional. We see the country is suffering from deficits, but the quality of our life has not improved. In my constituency, as a Chinese voter, I would vote for PAS, considering the fact that PAS is a more moderate party than Umno. I don't hear PAS people trampling and spitting on cow heads or throwing pig heads into a mosque, and I don't see PAS banning the use of the kalimah Allah; instead, Tok Guru saying it is not against Islam for non-Muslims to use the kalimah Allah. I also learnt that in Kelantan, there is the biggest or tallest Buddha statue, whereas in Shah Alam during BN's rule, would not even allow a single church or Hindu temple to be built or relocated.

There is a warning from the story of the Tower of Babel. Human kind became so proud of themselves that they built the tallest tower thinking that they could fight the Almighty from there. Instead, that was the downfall of mankind. The pride of human civilisation was utterly destroyed, and mankind has since been dispersed around the world and adopted different languages.

FACEBOOK Fans throughout the country have rallied together to say NO! to Najib's Warisan Tower. Let's see whether Najib will put PEOPLE first or his CRONIES first. Fed up with the same old modus operandi as the former Mamak prime minister: MEGA projects at the expense of the people. Tell us, Najib, how are the Petronas Towers floors are being utilised. To all my Facebook fans, I am pissed off with Najib and his men's lack of concern to solve issues raised recently; as a result of which our living conditions are nothing to shout about. Now, he is talking about a 100-storey mega tower when he cannot even solve the slum roads that run through out housing estates. Come and join Facebook's "1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower" and together we make your voice heard.