TWO DAP leaders are at loggerheads over the ‘status’ of the telecommunication tower in Solok Sungai Pinang in Penang.

Penang municipal councillor Tham Weng Fatt said he was puzzled over Sungai Pinang assemblyman Koid Teng Guan’s statement that the tower would not be demolished as it was not operational and did not prove any health hazard.

Tham said Koid should have placed public interest as top priority and heed the wishes of the 2,000-odd residents in the area.

“As far as I am concerned, the state government and the party have always been against construction of the tower.

“Koid should have consulted me or the residents before going to the press. I was the one who know the whole issue,” he told a press conference at the site yesterday.

Koid had claimed the RM400,000 telco tower would remain as a reminder on how the previous government had wasted public funds and said that it would cost the present government RM40,000 to dismantle the structure.

Tham said money should not be brought up as an issue.

He added that he would bring the issue up during the Penang Municipal Council’s infrastructure and traffic committee meeting on Monday.

He promised to resolve the matter within two months, adding that a decision would be reached among the state government, the council and representatives from PDC Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (PDC-TS) on when to dismantle the tower.

-STAR-