S
Shingen Takeda
Guest
Monday November 22, 2010
Unwanted slithery ‘friends’ worry residents
JOHOR BARU: Residents of Taman Nesa, Skudai are fed up with the local authorities for failing to clean and upkeep the empty houses in their area which have become breeding grounds for snakes and mosquitoes. Housewife M. Leevawathy, 34, who has been living next to one of the empty houses for more than five years, said the unkempt compound was a nightmare for her family.
“Each time my children leave the house, I’m so afraid that they will get attacked by snakes,” said Leevawathy. She said residents caught two 10-metre long pythons this year. Leevawathy added that despite lodging several complaints with the Central Johor Baru Municipal Council, there had been no action. A survey by The Star showed that many of these empty homes had signboards indicating that they had been put up for auction.
Student Lee Dai Jin, 16, said the authorities should clear the undergrowth. “Often, there are snakes in our home and mosquitoes are another problem that we have to deal with every day,” said Lee. A council spokesman said it had already hired a contractor to clear those homes with unmanaged and overgrown compounds.
