Public apathy at dengue hotspot upsets MP

Star: It is one major dengue hotspot and the organisers had expected thousands to attend the anti-Aedes fight and exhibition.
However, when Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Tan Chai Ho arrived at 10am to launch the function in Desa Tun Razak in Cheras, only about a dozen residents were there to greet him.
The peeved organisers then made an impassioned plea through the public address system, urging residents to attend the function. But after 40 minutes, there were only 20 residents.
As Tan started speaking on how disappointed he was with the turnout, the crowd began to grow gradually and when the event was over at 11.30am there were 50 people listening to Tan and City Hall officials on how to fight and keep the Aedes mosquito at bay.
All in all, less than 1% of the total number of residents in the area turned up.
Tan was visibly upset as he said 48 resident from the flats there were infected with dengue in the first nine months of the year.
“I cannot understand the attitude of the residents as they don't seem to be taking our efforts to educate them on the dengue danger seriously.
“City Hall officials had gone around yesterday informing them of the gathering but they are not bothered,” he told reporters.
Tan, who is also known as the “people's representative,” did not let his disappointment deter him.
When the speeches were over, he took fogging equipment and walked around high-rise flats in the area for more than half-an-hour.