KUCHING, Sept 11: Residents living near a mall in Matang Jaya here are complaining that the live music performances staged at the mall every night has deprived them, especially their children, of proper sleep.
In an email to DayakDaily, a resident who wished to remained anonymous said they are fed up with the attitude of the mall operator, Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) and the government in general for ignoring their pleas.
“At the time of this writing, those at the stage in front of the mall entrance are singing loudly. It is almost 11pm and this is during a weekday night. We have no problem if the mall and those operating the food stalls in front of the mall want to open/operate 24 hours, 7 days a week. We have no problem with them wanting to make money. We do understand.
“But why do they need to have outdoor karaoke session until so late (up to 11.30pm on most nights) when the mall closes at 10pm? We were informed that part of the reason for them organising the karaoke session is to promote the mall.
“Why do they have to set the volume of the sound system so loud, when the singing is intended for those sitting around the stalls in front of the mall? We, the residents/ tenants do not want to listen to the singing which is amateurish,” stated the resident.
He also questioned the organisers for not being considerate towards the residents living in the vicinity.
“Why are they so selfish? Thinking about their pleasure only (singing happily), but never bothering about the residents/tenants who have been living in the area many years before the mall was built. Don’t they know that the residents/ tenants have to work and their children go to school the next morning?
“We are not asking for much. We just want them to emphathise with our predicament as well. We need to have a good night’s sleep.
“We hope DayakDaily can help to highlight this,” added the resident.
When contacted, MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang said the council was aware of the complaints and urged the organisers to control the sound levels.
“We sympathise with the local residents but we also need to allow the organisers to have the karaoke session every night to provide entertainment and to boost sales during the festival and fair there for the whole month of September,” he said. — DayakDaily
