Dumping Cars

Taman Sri Muda residents, who have suffered for decades from floods every time there is a downpour, are now finding themselves grappling with a different type of flood – their neighborhood is being inundated by dozens of abandoned vehicles.

Resident Ali Mohamed Bakar, 35, said there were more than 50 such vehicles permanently parked at numerous spots all over the housing estate located in Shah Alam.

He said Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) towed away only 10 cars during an operation conducted in January.

“Removing less than one-fifth of the total number of abandoned vehicles here does not make sense. And it does not reflect well on the local authority. I have been staying here for six years and the cars have been here even before I moved in,” he said.

He added that the cars had been left to rot by some of the motor workshop operators due to reasons not known to him.

Another resident, who lives in Jalan 25/6, said abandoned cars parked along the road were an eyesore.

“We fear that the vehicles have become a potential mosquito breeding ground and this situation poses a health hazard to surrounding residents,” he said.

The resident, who declined to be named, said the problem was compounded by a car repossessor business operating from one of the houses along his street.

He said a few of those repossessed cars were parked outside the row of residential premises.

“I do not understand why the council has not done anything to stop this illegal business from operating in a residential area. MBSA should take action against the operator for leaving the unwanted cars by the roadside,” he said, adding that he and his neighbors were unhappy over the ineffectiveness of MBSA in removing abandoned cars from their housing estate.

Taman Sri Muda Zone A Resident's Association chairman T. Mogan said he had received numerous complaints from residents on the presence of numerous abandoned vehicles in the area.

He highlighted that there were more than 20 abandoned vehicles found in Jalan 25/43 alone, where the vehicles had been left to rot in between a row of houses and the light industrial area.

“Those vehicles are in very bad condition, showing the length of time they have been parked there,” he pointed out.

Mogan said the city council should take ongoing enforcement action to remove the abandoned cars in order to clean up the housing area.

“The cars pose a health hazard and mar the image of Shah Alam, the capital city of our state. I hope MBSA will carry out a series of towing exercise to remove the vehicles, to clean up Taman Sri Muda’s image,” he added.

MBSA Corporate Communications head Shahrin Ahmad said the council needed time to clear the abandoned vehicles as it was waiting clearance from the police before removing them from the various spots.