Bercham folk can breathe easier now - Star

Sept 14, 2009

BERCHAM folk can heave a sigh of relief now that test results from Taman Tasek Aman and Taman Tasek Jaya have shown that the radiation level there is way below the permissible standard.

Universiti Tenaga Nasional College of Engineering Assoc Prof Norashidah Md Din said the total radiation exposure level in Taman Tasek Aman was at 1.85 microwatt per centimetre square or 0.32% according to the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines.

“The radiation exposure level for Taman Tasek Jaya was at 0.17 microwatt per centimetre square or 0.025%,” she told a press conference at the Ipoh City Council here recently.

‘‘It is safe to say that the radiation from the base stations comply to the safety guidelines,” she added.

Assoc Prof Norashidah explained that radiation levels beyond 400 microwatt per centimetre square were harmful to humans.

To a question on similar tests conducted by residents, which yielded different results, Assoc Prof Norashidah said the results could not be applied as they were using different measurement systems.

Ipoh Datuk Bandar Roshidi Hashim said the test results from Bercham would be used as a benchmark to gauge other telecommunication towers in Ipoh.

He added that several telecommunication companies had been told to relocate their base stations built near housing estates in Bercham by year end.

When contacted, Bercham Rukun Tetangga chairman Tan Swee Kong said the report was incomplete as it only announced the radiation frequency level.

Tan said the report should also include results on electro-magnetic radiation.

”They conducted the test for only 30mins, how is that enough to make a full report?” he asked.

Tan added that he would arrange for a meeting with Roshidi soon to seek clarification.