Danger from falling litter persists

FIVE years after a boy was killed by a piece of furniture thrown from an upper floor at PPR Seri Pantai in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur, residents say the problem of littering at residential high-rises still occurs.

Used diapers, plastic and liquor bottles and even food gets chucked out the windows from units on the higher floors, falling on vehicles and passersby.

DBKL installed metal safety netting at PPR Seri Pantai in Lembah Pantai to reduce risk of objects falling on pedestrians as they walk into the blocks. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

StarMetro spoke to residents of the people’s housing project (PPR) scheme to find out if attitudes had changed since the 2018 tragic incident.

M. Fahmi, 21, who runs a shop at the flats, said the death of the boy failed to change the behaviour of some residents.

“After the incident, littering still took place but the stuff thrown were no longer large furniture pieces. Instead, it is common now to see diapers, liquor bottles, plastics and tissues on the ground,” he said.

“I would say the residents have not fully changed their behaviour.

“Some still lack civic-consciousness,” he added.

Empty plastic containers, used diapers and other kinds of rubbish can be found in between the blocks of PPR Seri Pantai.

Fahmi said the problem of rubbish being thrown from the upper floors was exasperating, highlighting that his shop’s roof had been punctured by falling items.

“A few months ago, my motorcycle seat was stained with rice and gravy thrown from above. I had to take it away to be washed,” he said.

He believes it is time that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) build a sheltered pedestrian walkway at the flats to ensure people are not injured by falling objects.

In the Jan 15, 2018 incident, 15-year-old S. Sathiswaran, a student of SMK La Salle in Petaling Jaya, was walking home after grocery shopping with his mother to their flat in Blok 102 of PPR Seri Pantai when he was hit on the head by an office chair flung from one of the upper floors. He died from his injury and the case was classified as murder.

His mother, S. Kasthuri Bai was also injured in the incident.

Resident Adam Imran, 13, said his parents warned him to stay away from the side of the building after the incident.

However, one resident, who wanted to be known only as Sarnia, 20, said there had been some improvements following the tragedy.

She said DBKL had installed metal netting near the middle stairwell of the block where the incident occurred, making it safer for pedestrians.

“I can walk safely in the area without any concern now,” she said.