SHAH ALAM: Residents of Kemuning Bayu in Shah Alam, Selangor, are up in arms over the ongoing construction of a huge warehouse, claiming it has severely disrupted their daily lives with excessive noise and strong vibrations that have damaged their properties.
House owner Prabhaharan Sivasubramaniam, 55, said the houses are separated from the construction site by Jalan Bukit Meru. The warehouse is being built just across the road, about 100m away.
“The construction continues almost every day, including on Sundays and does not stop until 2am or 3am. The noise is bad enough during the day but gets amplified in the quiet of the night, affecting our mental health. This is ridiculous.”
Apart from the noise, Prabhaharan said the piling work caused strong tremors, resulting in cracks in the walls of his and
his neighbour’s houses.
He also questioned how such a large project could be approved so close to a residential area.
He said he has lodged complaints with the authorities, including through the Public Complaint Management System, but received no response.
“I was told by a Shah Alam City Council representative that due to project delays, the developer was granted permission to work until 9pm, on condition that only ‘light work’ is carried out.
“But the loud noises and disruptive activities continue well past that time. I also reached out to Kota Kemuning assemblyman Preakas Sampunathan, whose constituency includes Kemuning Bayu.
“He raised the issue with the council but has not been effective in putting a stop to the after-hours construction work. I even urged him to push for a stop-work order or permit suspension until the developers strictly comply with regulations, but nothing has
been done.”
Another resident, who requested to be known only as Krishan, said he has been awakened by the construction noise more times than he can count.
“Many elderly residents live here, and the noise is a nuisance as they need proper rest.
“Imagine hoping to get some rest on a weekend, only to be faced with constant loud banging.
“The noise is driving us mad and nobody seems to be able to put a stop to it. We are taxpayers and voters too, so the authorities should take us seriously.”
Krishan also expressed concern about the long term impact of the warehouse, particularly the safety issues involving trailers coming in and out of the area.
“My house shakes whenever a trailer passes by, and I expect matters to get worse once the warehouse is completed when more of them come to load goods.”
Checks by theSun showed that the warehouse is being developed by Japanese logistics giant Daiwa House Group, with Daiwa House Malaysia Logistic Sdn Bhd serving as the operator and management company.
A Daiwa House Group press release dated Sept 20, 2022 said the warehouse, DPL Malaysia III, is a large scale, multi-tenant logistics facility covering approximately 60,740sqm.
It is reportedly the largest overseas logistics facility ever constructed by the company.
The project was initially expected to be completed by Jan 31, but residents claim it is far from completion.
theSun reached out to the council, Preakas, and Daiwa House Group on Jan 28 but has not received any response as of press time.
