If Taipan’s back lanes could talk, they’d probably be screaming for help. Sadly, they can’t; so, the 182 dead rats found there during Ops Tikus made a statement on their behalf.
Led by MBSJ MPP Zon 3 Councillor Christopher Joseph, the clean-up operation pulled out enough rodent carcasses to start what could’ve been Taipan’s own “plague museum.” But behind the grim numbers lies an even grimmer truth: our back lanes have become a de facto dumping ground and an accidental ecosystem for pests.
“Shop owners and tenants really need to buck up on maintenance, especially when it comes to waste disposal,” Christopher stressed, clearly unimpressed while navigating drains that looked more like mini swamps than stormwater systems.
Drains along three lanes were found clogged with sludge; the kind that could make even a seasoned plumber shed a tear – mostly from food residue and waste water trickling out of nearby eateries. Add in broken pavements, stray boxes, discarded furniture and the occasional mystery bag, and you’ve got what residents call ‘the Taipan Jungle Walk’.
“It’s starting to look a lot like SS15 back here,” Christopher admitted, referencing Subang’s equally infamous back lane woes. And anyone familiar with SS15’s rodent reputation knows that’s not exactly a compliment.
Local residents and business owners are increasingly voicing concerns that these neglected lanes could become health hazards, not to mention an eyesore for a commercial area meant to be one of Subang Jaya’s crown jewels.
At this rate, if the waste keeps piling and the rats keep feasting, Taipan’s back lanes might just need their own postcode and maybe even a tourism tagline: “Come for the coffee, stay for the chaos.”
