Their complaints have reached Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, and accompanied by BDA manager Datuk Hj Mohidin Ishak and other officers, they inspected the construction site to view the seriousness of the situation.

Representatives of three families met Tiong and Datuk Hj Mohidin Ishak and the residents described the ordeal they had gone through to Tiong and the officers.

One resident said these houses on their next lots were planned to be built on a ground three metres or 10 feet higher, thus, sparked the series of problems.

She said mud would rush into their houses together with the water in a downpour.

“Not only that, from the other side on the high retention wall, it is easy for thieves to intrude into our compound. We are living in constant fear of a break-in.”

Another resident said the collection of water in their homes had become a good breeding ground for mosquitoes.

“Our homes have become a wet land.”

The residents said they had tried to voice out on the problems several times, but, they had gone to deaf ears.

They said they now sought Tiong for help.

The residents said one house had been broken into once, and the couple was tied up when the thieves emptied their house of valuables.

They feared they would be the next victims.

They said it was also easy for those standing on the higher ground to steal fruits from their trees, adding all they needed was to stretch their arms in.

“Our privacy has been invaded. It makes our life stressful,” they complaint.

Tiong was sympathetic towards their predicament.

He was also saddened the developer had not complied with the conditions to reduce the ground height of their new houses at not more than 1.5 metres higher from the current three metres.

He said the developer had submitted a new plan to BDA to build their houses on a lower ground, “but, in my inspection today, I see the ground level has not been lowered”.

He appealed to BDA to handle the problem professionally because once construction began, it would be too late to rectify the problem.

“I appeal to the developer to abide by what has been agreed on to build their houses on a lower ground. Don’t wait till the BDA acts on them.”

He hoped BDA would act accordingly if the developer failed to abide by what had been agreed upon, “or else, it is the people who will be suffering and it will be the authority which will have to take the blame”.