By TAN KARR WEI
PETALING JAYA residents ended the year with a strong message that they intend to be heard.
About 200 residents from the area turned up in front of the FAS field in Kelana Jaya to stage a peaceful protest against the development of a commercial hub consisting of:
- 20 units of 6½ storey shoplots
- 72 units of 4½ storey shoplots
- two 15 to 28 storey office blocks with 8 levels of podium
- 1 basement car park, and
- four electricity sub-stations.
The protest was organised by the All Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Residents’ Association Coalition (APAC).
Among some of the banners held by residents read “PJ is Overdeveloped” and “Dear developer, we fully support similar development if it is behind/in front/beside YOUR house.”
Taman Mayang Rukun Tetangga chairman Chan Chow Wang said that the jam along the LDP was unbearable and other developments in the area such as the Paradigm was already underway.
“We can’t even get in and out of Taman Mayang from the LDP. When we try to make a U-turn into our area, a stretch of about 500m would take us at least half and hour. To make matters worse, many people are parking along the LDP in front of the Kelana Jaya LRT station,” said Chan.
Chan said that the land was given to FAS to be used as a football field and it was unthinkable to convert the land for commercial use.
APAC chairman Liew Wei Beng said that they would submit an official objection to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
“We want this open area to be maintained. The development of this commercial hub will lead to further congestion along the LDP and increase traffic at the tunnel leading into Ara Damansara,” said Liew.
He added that the APAC would also raise the issue of land conversion from institutional to commercial without due process and consultation.
“The first development order was approved in 2006. As far as we know, none of the residents have been consulted before the MBPJ issued the development order then,” said Liew.
Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said that the residents have spoken loud and clear and steps should be taken to retain as many open spaces as possible.
“There is enough congestion and there should be no development until the traffic problem is solved,” said Pua, who agreed that consultation with residents should have been carried out when converting the land for commercial use.
MBPJ councillor Cynthi Gabriel said that the turnout for the protest was encouraging but that residents still need to submit official objections to the council.
Councillor Mak Khuin Weng said that he was concerned about the discrepancies brought up by residents and would bring up the issue with the MBPJ town planning department.
Many residents in the surrounding area were also upset that only a handful received letters from the MBPJ regarding the development. One resident also claimed that the MBPJ was misleading the people as the objection board put up at the site of the development had no mention of the two blocks of 15- to 28-storey office buildings but it was mentioned in the letters which not many residents received.
Also present was Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee.
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