Living amid rotting garbage, rats and roaches

Compiled by BENJAMIN LEE, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN

THE constant smell of rotting garbage has residents of Jubli Perak Apartment in Section 4, Bangi, at their wits’ end, reported Harian Metro.

A check by the daily found that the garbage room and bins were not maintained. There was trash scattered about and pests like cockroaches and rats were found roaming the area.

Combined with frequent trash being thrown from the upper floors, the rancid smell of garbage has made it difficult for residents on the lower floors to live normal lives.

Siti Normah Othman, who has lived there for over 30 years, said the lingering smell of trash has turned her once-ideal home into a living hell.

“I can’t even rest easy in my home anymore due to the smell, and cooking or eating at home is almost impossible as it constantly makes me want to vomit.

“Hordes of cockroaches and rats from the garbage room also constantly make their way into my unit,” said Siti Normah, 57.

The apartment’s resident chairman Karim Abu Samah, 67, said the garbage bins are in bad shape, leading to waste water flowing out of the bins and further polluting the area.

“A few residents throw large waste through garbage chutes, which damaged the bins over the years,” he said.

> Singer Shila Amzah had the scare of her life when she thought she was about to give birth at a Ramadan bazaar last week, Kosmo! reported.

The 34-year-old, who is eight months’ pregnant, thought she was going into labour when she felt a sudden pain. “We had arrived (at the bazaar) only to hurry back home,” she said.

Fortunately, the incident turned out to be just a scare, and Shila said she is expected to deliver her second child next month.

> A group of 30 hikers enjoyed a unique experience as they broke fast to a beautiful view atop Kepayang Hill in Seremban, reported Harian Metro.

The group from Persatuan Malim Gunung Negri Sembilan spent over 30 minutes to reach the top of the 205m hill on Sunday.

“As individuals who love hiking, doing something like this is a must, especially as a reward and break from our two previous weeks of climbing mania,” the association chairman Ahmad Nazrul Razali said.

The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.