Hulu Selangor residents want hospital, not pig farms - PKR leader

 

While the controversy surrounding the relocation of pig farms to Bukit Tagar continues to simmer, a local Hulu Selangor leader says the constituency should prioritise its development on improving healthcare facilities instead.

Pakatan Harapan Hulu Selangor parliamentary coordinator Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan stated that although he respects the Selangor state government’s initiative to centralise the state’s pig farming industry, establishing a hospital in the area is far more critical.

“I respect the state government’s decision (regarding Bukit Tagar). However, the paramount issue in Hulu Selangor is to build a hospital.

“The constituents have long yearned for a closer and more efficient access to healthcare. That is the most pressing need here,” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

Sathia’s remark came after the Selangor state government decided to relocate pig farms from Tanjung Sepat, Kuala Langat, to Bukit Tagar, about 130km away, which falls under the Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency.

Selangor state executive councillor Izham Hashim explained that Bukit Tagar was chosen because of its remote location, far from residential areas, and its proximity to a landfill.

The move was made to resolve the longstanding problems of foul odour, fly infestation and river pollution that had been plaguing residents of Kuala Langat.

On Jan 10, Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah gave his assent to the relocation plan, expressing his concerns over the well-being of Kuala Langat residents who are being affected by poor farm management.

The sultan decreed that operations in Tanjong Sepat should be gradually halted and relocated to a modern, high-technology farming centre in Bukit Tagar without using public funds.

Sultan Sharafuddin also stressed that farming at the new site must be solely for the consumption of non-Muslims in Selangor and not for export purposes.

‘Not a single hospital’

Sathia, who is also the Hulu Selangor PKR division chief, further said that despite having a population of over 300,000 people, Hulu Selangor locals still need to travel across district boundaries to receive medical care.

The absence of a general hospital in the area forces residents to travel long distances to Sungai Buloh Hospital, Selayang Hospital, or Slim River Hospital in Perak in the event of an emergency.

“The Hulu Selangor constituency is huge. In fact, it is larger than the whole of Malacca.

“By comparison, Malacca has three government hospitals, but Hulu Selangor, despite its size, still does not have a single hospital of its own.

“The distance required to obtain emergency treatment at present is indeed very far,” he said, noting that these locations involve about 45 minutes travel time.

He added that Hulu Selangor residents hope the state and federal governments will make a reasonable decision that balances industrial needs with the people’s right to access healthcare facilities, taking into account the size of the constituency. - Mkini