Nightclub din upsets residents
THE STAR
Heavy traffic, loud music and noisy revellers are a pain for residents living near Changkat Bukit Bintang. — GRACE CHEN/The Star
The thumping bass and shouts of revelry often last throughout the night at nightclubs along Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Menara Bukit Ceylon is just 59m away from the nearest bar, pointed out its residents management committee president Gabriel Cheong.
“Residents cannot hear themselves think in their own living rooms. Many have taken to soundproofing their apartments but the noise comes in from the bathroom,” said Cheong who was forced to move from the master bedroom to the back room.
MCB resident Steve McKenzie, an expatriate who has lived in the area for the past 11 years, said traffic from Changkat Bukit Bintang often backlogs into Jalan Ceylon and the honks of impatient drivers often wakes him from deep slumber.
Rowdy crowds and drunken brawls are also another bone of contention.
“We know the situation is being monitored because there have been periods when we enjoyed peace and quiet, at one time up to two months but it doesn’t take long for the noise to return,” said resident Lim Shea Nee who said the racket can travel all the way up to her apartment on the 26th floor.
A lot of finger-pointing
Residents say the noise has worsened over the past two years.
“There is an entertainment club which does not close till 6am. We also wonder if the outlets have the proper licence to operate until so late,” said Cheong.
They claim a letter had been sent to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) but they were asked to pinpoint the source of the din, which they could not.
“Sound travels up. We can hear the music, singing, shouting and jeering from our apartments. We just don’t know which outlet it is coming from,” said Lim.
StarMetro approached several outlets in the vicinity but they denied any wrongdoing.
“We are not the ones making the noise,” insisted outlet manager Kent Kannan.
Kannan was speaking on behalf of five outlets owned by The Olive Tree Restaurant Group.
He said they were allowed to operate till 3am. He also said all their outlets had adhered to DBKL’s requirements on soundproofing.
“The walls and ceilings are layered with thermocol.
“We use tempered glass on our doors and at 11pm when the live band comes on, they are shut so the sound does not travel outside. We also use short frequency speakers,” said Kannan.
But it’s evident that not all the 40 or so outlets from this party street are reining in the sound.
Two outlets, who had their speakers turned outwards and going on at full blast, were noncommittal when asked if they were aware of the problem.
“It’s a clubbing area. What do you expect?” shrugged a foreign national who claimed to be the manager.
Another outlet manager walked off when approached but Charanjit Singh, a bank customer service executive who is a regular there, came to their defence.
“This is part of city living. The clubs were here before the new condominiums came up. The developers should have done a proper survey before starting their projects here,” he said.
Zoned for commercial use
At present, Ceylon Hill is home to no less than eight condominium blocks. Menara Bukit Ceylon, estimated to have been built 20 years ago, is one of the oldest projects here. The latest high-rise Vida, which offers some 23 floors of serviced business suites, is still unoccupied.
Changkat Bukit Bintang, originally a street of shophouses built in the 1940s, began to acquire a reputation as a food and beverage hub in the late 1990s. From just five restaurants, the place has experienced a boom in the past decade. Based on estimates, the party street provides employment opportunities for some 400 people.
Under the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, Changkat Bukit Bintang has been designated a commercial zone.
Werner’s Group managing director Trudy Ho who oversees seven outlets here said tourists and revellers are drawn to this street because it has character.
“The place started off as a dining street with a large part of the clientele comprising yuppies. The backpackers and drinking crowd came later. There is no other place like this in Kuala Lumpur,” said Ho.
She added that a dialogue had taken place between the outlet owners and DBKL, and the authorities had made it clear that licences will be withdrawn if operators do not toe the line.
Changkat Bukit Bintang Business Alliance chairman Monica Lau said she understands residents’ frustrations but some factors such as the traffic and noise level of revellers are beyond the outlets’ control.
Based on an estimate of 150-people capacity for each outlet, the street may host up to 6,000 people on any one night.
“The solution does not lie in finger-pointing but the willingness of all parties to cooperate. We also need the authorities to come up with guidelines on noise levels and do the necessary enforcement,” she said.
Outlet managers said noisy outlets were also affecting other businesses on the street.
“Some places turn up their speakers so much, it drowns out our music. Some owners will oblige when you tell them to turn it down. But there are others who will ignore you,” said Ho.
As a result, outlets end up challenging their neighbour’s volume by turning up theirs, in hopes this will draw customers, exacerbating the noise problem.
Following the rules
Disgruntled residents are demanding the authorities take action especially against those that operate beyond the permitted hours.
When contacted, DBKL Licensing and Petty Traders Development deputy director Ismadi Sakirin said at present only Zion, a dance club in Changkat Bukit Bintang has the licence to operate till 5am. Zion got their licence last year and is just a two-minute walk from Menara Bukit Ceylon.
“Though licences for pubs, restaurants and entertainment outlets on this street have been frozen for the last four years, Zion was a special consideration because they had taken over from an existing night club so their presence did not add to the number of existing outlets. The application was approved based on this,” said Ismadi.
The deputy director said they will come down hard on outlets operating without the proper licences.
“For existing outlets which have not had their licences approved, DBKL will look at it on a case-by-case basis.
"They can come to the counter and apply first. If we see that they have met all the conditions set by the council, we will approve their applications. Those who continue to operate will have their premises sealed,” said Ismadi.
On the issue of loud music, he said only 15 outlets have valid entertainment licences for live bands, deejays and performances. Two new applications were received last year and both were approved by the department.
“The dilemma here is the trend now favours the open concept where they will play piped music or switch on television sets. When there is a complaint about noise, the authorities can only charge them for causing a disturbance.
"The issue of entertainment licences for television and piped music is still a legal grey area. If you say ‘yes’ that television sets and piped music will require entertainment licences, then the question of whether a mamak stall with a television set should also apply for licences arises. So there is a need to establish proper regulations,” said Ismadi.
He said DBKL has very clear conditions for entertainment outlets. They must be at least 100m away from schools, residential areas with a Muslim majority as well as places of worship.
The allowed decibel level emitted by an outlet is no more than 55dbA. From a decibel meter reading done by a phone app, the measurement of noise from Changkat Bukit Bintang taken from the 23rd floor of a resident’s apartment in MCB registered at a little over 70dbA.
According to the Department of Environment, this is not in compliance with the schedule of permissible sound levels.
DBKL Health and Environment deputy director Abdul Rahman Ahmad confirmed as of 2014, A total of 20 notices and 10 compounds have been issued in response to public complaints on noisy operators in Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Those affected by noise pollution, can call DBKL’s 24-hour call centre at 1800-88-3255.
Heavy traffic, loud music and noisy revellers are a pain for residents living near Changkat Bukit Bintang. — GRACE CHEN/The Star
The thumping bass and shouts of revelry often last throughout the night at nightclubs along Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Menara Bukit Ceylon is just 59m away from the nearest bar, pointed out its residents management committee president Gabriel Cheong.
“Residents cannot hear themselves think in their own living rooms. Many have taken to soundproofing their apartments but the noise comes in from the bathroom,” said Cheong who was forced to move from the master bedroom to the back room.
MCB resident Steve McKenzie, an expatriate who has lived in the area for the past 11 years, said traffic from Changkat Bukit Bintang often backlogs into Jalan Ceylon and the honks of impatient drivers often wakes him from deep slumber.
Rowdy crowds and drunken brawls are also another bone of contention.
“We know the situation is being monitored because there have been periods when we enjoyed peace and quiet, at one time up to two months but it doesn’t take long for the noise to return,” said resident Lim Shea Nee who said the racket can travel all the way up to her apartment on the 26th floor.
A lot of finger-pointing
Residents say the noise has worsened over the past two years.
“There is an entertainment club which does not close till 6am. We also wonder if the outlets have the proper licence to operate until so late,” said Cheong.
They claim a letter had been sent to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) but they were asked to pinpoint the source of the din, which they could not.
“Sound travels up. We can hear the music, singing, shouting and jeering from our apartments. We just don’t know which outlet it is coming from,” said Lim.
StarMetro approached several outlets in the vicinity but they denied any wrongdoing.
“We are not the ones making the noise,” insisted outlet manager Kent Kannan.
Kannan was speaking on behalf of five outlets owned by The Olive Tree Restaurant Group.
He said they were allowed to operate till 3am. He also said all their outlets had adhered to DBKL’s requirements on soundproofing.
“The walls and ceilings are layered with thermocol.
“We use tempered glass on our doors and at 11pm when the live band comes on, they are shut so the sound does not travel outside. We also use short frequency speakers,” said Kannan.
But it’s evident that not all the 40 or so outlets from this party street are reining in the sound.
Two outlets, who had their speakers turned outwards and going on at full blast, were noncommittal when asked if they were aware of the problem.
“It’s a clubbing area. What do you expect?” shrugged a foreign national who claimed to be the manager.
Another outlet manager walked off when approached but Charanjit Singh, a bank customer service executive who is a regular there, came to their defence.
“This is part of city living. The clubs were here before the new condominiums came up. The developers should have done a proper survey before starting their projects here,” he said.
Zoned for commercial use
At present, Ceylon Hill is home to no less than eight condominium blocks. Menara Bukit Ceylon, estimated to have been built 20 years ago, is one of the oldest projects here. The latest high-rise Vida, which offers some 23 floors of serviced business suites, is still unoccupied.
Changkat Bukit Bintang, originally a street of shophouses built in the 1940s, began to acquire a reputation as a food and beverage hub in the late 1990s. From just five restaurants, the place has experienced a boom in the past decade. Based on estimates, the party street provides employment opportunities for some 400 people.
Under the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, Changkat Bukit Bintang has been designated a commercial zone.
Werner’s Group managing director Trudy Ho who oversees seven outlets here said tourists and revellers are drawn to this street because it has character.
“The place started off as a dining street with a large part of the clientele comprising yuppies. The backpackers and drinking crowd came later. There is no other place like this in Kuala Lumpur,” said Ho.
She added that a dialogue had taken place between the outlet owners and DBKL, and the authorities had made it clear that licences will be withdrawn if operators do not toe the line.
Changkat Bukit Bintang Business Alliance chairman Monica Lau said she understands residents’ frustrations but some factors such as the traffic and noise level of revellers are beyond the outlets’ control.
Based on an estimate of 150-people capacity for each outlet, the street may host up to 6,000 people on any one night.
“The solution does not lie in finger-pointing but the willingness of all parties to cooperate. We also need the authorities to come up with guidelines on noise levels and do the necessary enforcement,” she said.
Outlet managers said noisy outlets were also affecting other businesses on the street.
“Some places turn up their speakers so much, it drowns out our music. Some owners will oblige when you tell them to turn it down. But there are others who will ignore you,” said Ho.
As a result, outlets end up challenging their neighbour’s volume by turning up theirs, in hopes this will draw customers, exacerbating the noise problem.
Following the rules
Disgruntled residents are demanding the authorities take action especially against those that operate beyond the permitted hours.
When contacted, DBKL Licensing and Petty Traders Development deputy director Ismadi Sakirin said at present only Zion, a dance club in Changkat Bukit Bintang has the licence to operate till 5am. Zion got their licence last year and is just a two-minute walk from Menara Bukit Ceylon.
“Though licences for pubs, restaurants and entertainment outlets on this street have been frozen for the last four years, Zion was a special consideration because they had taken over from an existing night club so their presence did not add to the number of existing outlets. The application was approved based on this,” said Ismadi.
The deputy director said they will come down hard on outlets operating without the proper licences.
“For existing outlets which have not had their licences approved, DBKL will look at it on a case-by-case basis.
"They can come to the counter and apply first. If we see that they have met all the conditions set by the council, we will approve their applications. Those who continue to operate will have their premises sealed,” said Ismadi.
On the issue of loud music, he said only 15 outlets have valid entertainment licences for live bands, deejays and performances. Two new applications were received last year and both were approved by the department.
“The dilemma here is the trend now favours the open concept where they will play piped music or switch on television sets. When there is a complaint about noise, the authorities can only charge them for causing a disturbance.
"The issue of entertainment licences for television and piped music is still a legal grey area. If you say ‘yes’ that television sets and piped music will require entertainment licences, then the question of whether a mamak stall with a television set should also apply for licences arises. So there is a need to establish proper regulations,” said Ismadi.
He said DBKL has very clear conditions for entertainment outlets. They must be at least 100m away from schools, residential areas with a Muslim majority as well as places of worship.
The allowed decibel level emitted by an outlet is no more than 55dbA. From a decibel meter reading done by a phone app, the measurement of noise from Changkat Bukit Bintang taken from the 23rd floor of a resident’s apartment in MCB registered at a little over 70dbA.
According to the Department of Environment, this is not in compliance with the schedule of permissible sound levels.
DBKL Health and Environment deputy director Abdul Rahman Ahmad confirmed as of 2014, A total of 20 notices and 10 compounds have been issued in response to public complaints on noisy operators in Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Those affected by noise pollution, can call DBKL’s 24-hour call centre at 1800-88-3255.
