Not amused: Saw (second left) and some Sri Pelangi residents showing their disapproval of the shipyard's sandblasting activities. GEORGE TOWN: Some 80 residents from the Sri Pelangi apartments in Gat Lebuh Macallum are demanding that a nearby shipyard stop polluting the air with its sandblasting activities.
Sri Pelangi Residents Association chairman Peter Saw said the shipyard operator has been carrying out sandblasting works over the past two years.
Sandblasting is the process of smoothing and cleaning a hard surface such as the hull of a ship, by forcing solid particles across the surface at high speeds, and this creates airborne dust.
Saw, 62, said the fine dust and smoke from the sandblasting, which settle on some of the apartment units, are affecting the residents’ health.
“We are breathing in polluted air almost everyday. The noise from the sandblasting is also unbearable.”
He added that he had breathing difficulties which required him to undergo an operation in March last year.
“After the operation was done, the doctor said there were impurities in my lungs and asked if I work at construction sites. I believe the impurities originated from the shipyard.
“My wife is also suffering from skin rashes due to the polluted air,” he told reporters during a press conference yesterday.
Saw, a leather goods trader, also questioned why the shipyard was there in the first place.
“Three years ago, a signboard was put up saying that an eight-storey maritime logistic centre will be built. However, there is no sign of such a construction until now.
“I am wondering if the authorities are aware of this,” he said,
Saw said a petition was sent to Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Lau Keng Ee in April last year to highlight the problem.
“At the same time we also wrote to State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Marine Department, but no positive action has been taken.
Lau said he recently visited the shipyard together with representatives from relevant government departments.
“Surprisingly, the residents (living nearby) had no complaints whatsoever during the visit. I advise Saw to obtain proper medical documentation to prove that polluted air from the sandblasting was responsible for his ill health,’ he said.
Chow said he would instruct the Penang Municipal Council to investigate if the shipyard operator had obtained permission for its current activities.
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