Local authorities have been urged to seek court orders to carry out cleaning work at abandoned residential lots that could become breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes.
Perak Health, Human Resources, National Integration and Indian Community Affairs Committee chairman Datuk A Sivanesan said the approach should be carried out jointly with the State Health Department and Land and Mines Office to reduce the risk of dengue transmission.
He said local authorities currently faced limitations as they could not enter abandoned private properties to conduct cleaning without the owners’ consent.
“I propose that local authorities work with the Land and Mines Office to identify property owners through official searches before issuing notices requiring them to carry out the necessary cleaning.
“If the owners fail to comply, the authorities can apply for a court order to allow the cleaning work to be carried out,” he said.
Sivanesan was speaking to reporters after inspecting abandoned houses at Taman Lim here, which were said to pose a potential dengue and chikungunya risk due to clogged drains and overgrown grass.
He said stronger measures, including the possibility of auctioning properties, should also be considered if owners continued to ignore their responsibility to maintain the premises.
“I will discuss this matter with the mayor and the director of the Land and Mines Office so that immediate action can be taken,” he said.
Sivanesan stressed that cleaning and maintaining abandoned properties should be treated as a priority to prevent neglected surroundings from contributing to the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
Meanwhile, the Kinta District Health Office is conducting a risk assessment at Taman Lim, with its findings to be shared with relevant stakeholders, including the Ipoh City Council.
He said one of the main concerns identified was the presence of about 19 poorly maintained abandoned bungalow houses, which could potentially provide breeding sites for Aedes mosquitoes.
“Only two dengue cases were recorded in Taman Lim this year, involving one case each in May and June, while one case was reported last year.
“The last outbreak was recorded in January 2024, involving four cases, while no chikungunya cases have been reported in the past two years,” he said.
