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February 20, 2007
That’s what it would look like! Proposed development…
Save Ukay Heights
Residents Against the Irresponsible Development of Hillslopes of Hulu Kelang
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Residents Against the Irresponsible Development of Hillslopes of Hulu Kelang
That’s what it would look like! Proposed development…
Save Ukay Heights 
February 27, 2007 at 6:10 am
Want to keep an area green? Just buy it
27 Feb 2007
Rina De Silva
PETALING JAYA: A novel way to protect the environment is in the pipeline.
A group of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and residents’ associations plans to buy up multi-million ringgit green lungs nationwide so that they would not be developed.
The parties who have committed to this effort include: World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia, Environmental Protection Society of Malaysia, Maxwell Towers Owners’ Association Petaling Jaya and Section 5 Residents Association Petaling Jaya.
The green lungs will be bought through a National Conservation Trust Fund which will have its own board of trustees to ensure proper and effective management.
With the National Trust Fund, everybody from the government sector, NGOs, environmental groups to the public could contribute towards protecting the environment and protecting lives, said Victor Oorjitham, chairman of the protem committee for the fund and chairman of the Maxwell Towers Owners’ Association Petaling Jaya.
“We want to appeal to the public to give any amount to protect the environment,” he said.
“When it comes to green open spaces, it is only logical that people subscribe to such a proposal.”
About 46 Petaling Jaya residents’ associations and 20 NGOs had also pledged their support, said Edward Lee, president of Section 5 Residents’ Association Petaling Jaya and chairman for the Protem Committee All Petaling Jaya Pro-Action Committee.
Lee said residents had been protesting, demonstrating and picketing for years against development which threatened the environment and their lives but it had not yielded any positive results.
“By setting up the fund, we are putting our money where our mouth is. We can’t see it any other way,” said Lee who had met with residents’ associations in Penang, Kuantan and Ipoh to rally support.
“We are not fighting with anyone. This fund will be a collaborative effort,” he stressed.
Once the lands have been bought, the trustees will begin their efforts to turn them into a national heritage.
They will also be accountable to the public and to all those who have a stake in preserving the natural resources.
Oorjitham said the fund would be set up as soon as a patron, a board of trustees, a financial institution and an audit company were appointed.
Former Bank Pertanian chairman Dr Agoes Salim, who is protesting the proposed hill slope development in Jalan Hulu Kelang, welcomed the effort.
“I think it is a good idea to protect the environment, provided the fund is managed by trustworthy trustees.”
John Liu, 24, from Taman Seputih, said he would not mind contributing RM10 towards the fund.
“I agree in principal to the cause but I need to know the mechanics on how it is all going to work,” he said.
February 27, 2007 at 9:08 am
It is really sad that our laws which were tabled to protect the environment and our quality of life can not be used to halt unnecessary and damaging development.
Pay to stop something that is illegal in the first place? Just Say No, maa!
February 27, 2007 at 9:22 am
MPAJ to hear objections on March 5
Maria J. Dass
PETALING JAYA (Feb 26, 2007): The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) will hold the objection hearing for the proposed development known as Dataran Ukay, in Ukay Heights, Hulu Kelang on March 5.
In a statement today responding to reports of residents protesting against the project, MPAJ public relations officer Norhayati Ahmad said: “Residents have been given an opportunity to voice their objections over the proposed hillside development by writing in to MPAJ.”
She said MPAJ had received a planning permission application from Malaysian Assurance Alliance Bhd (MAA), whose subsidiary Panorama Skyline Sdn Bhd plans to build 164 bungalow units and a 10-storey building – comprising 410 shop and office lots with a two-storey basement parking – on a 25ha plot.
MPAJ had sent public objection notices to residents on Jan 22 and 23, who had up to Feb 11 and Feb 12, respectively to send in their written objections.
“Those who have written in can attend the objection hearing on March 5,” she said.
All objections raised will be brought to the MPAJ planning and building plans department committee meeting in March.
MPAJ will inform the residents who have objected of the committee’s decision, Norhayati said.
“If residents are dissatisfied with the committee’s decision, they can then bring it up to the Appeals Board under the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department, which acts as a tribunal for cases pertaining to development,” she said.
The local Taman Hijau Residents Association held a press conference yesterday to voice their concerns about the proposed development’s impact on the local environment and the risk of landslides.
Contacted by theSun today, the project manager of Dataran Ukay said the company was ready to meet with the residents after the proposed development plan was finalised.
“We ourselves have not obtained any approval for the development, and therefore, the final draft is not complete,” said MAA’s project manager Ho Chin Hoy.
He said the authorities have been very strict with the project and MAA had to satisfy the requirements of the Public Works Department and the local authority, among others.
He said the company had received three reports from Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia – now Kumpulan IKRAM Sdn Bhd – approving its construction methods.
Ho said the company had gone the extra mile to ensure its methods were sound.
“We have spent RM1.5 million and appointed a consultancy firm as a third party to audit our construction methods,” he said.
The company even brought in experts on hillslope protection, development and monitoring systems from Hongkong for their input, he said.
According to Ho, 14.1ha of the 25ha will be developed and the rest will be left as as setbacks, green areas and for roads.
Asked if the hill will be cut and flattened, he said: “Some portions have to be cut and filled, if not there will be no way cars can go up.”
However, Class 4 slopes – with gradient exceeding 35 degrees – will not be touched.
The local council had, in the 1980s, approved the development of condominiums on the land, located next to the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), but the project fell through. MAA came into the picture later with its proposed development.
“We believe that having a development will make the area safer than it is now,” said Ho.
“There will be geo-technical pipes installed to allow run-off to flow under the houses and out of the area without washing away the soil.”
Asked if the increased run-off water will cause flooding in lower-lying residential properties in the area, Ho said: “This has already been looked into, huge drains have been built under the MRR2 to accommodate the increased water flow during the construction of the highway.”
Aware of the residents’ concerns, he said that “with the right technology and techniques, we can actually develop the area and make it safer than it is now”.
February 28, 2007 at 2:36 am
“Residents have been given an opportunity to voice their objections over the proposed hillside development by writing in to MPAJ.” – I didn’t receive a notice. Signboards inviting residents to object were not placed in visible locations.
“huge drains have been built under the MRR2 to accommodate the increased water flow during the construction of the highway.” – what about the run-off water at Taman Hijau.
“with the right technology and techniques, we can actually develop the area and make it safer than it is now” – what an amazing promise
March 17, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Dear Mr Ho,
Please don’t make promises until you are actually a resident here and am aware of the existing problems we are facing with soil erosion, flood after rain, etc.
Until then, can you actually speak credibly and have us listening.
If you have a relative that has been wiped out by any one of the previous landslide down this stretch of Hulu Klang, and am still convinced about hillslope development, then maybe we will listen.
Bringing in Hong Kong experts will not help, there have been some terrible and fatal landslides over there as well. What we want you to bring is some heart, and soul. Think of our children’s safety, feel our fear when it rains incessantly, smell our sweat that went into buying our home.
Bring your ear and listen to our concerns. We do not wish to deprive you of your bowl of rice but listen … listen. That is the only way to be successful in life.
April 27, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Lulu Thinks It Would Be a Far, Far Better Thing for Our MPs to…
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
This was the last line in the Charles Dicken’s classic, A Tale Of Two Cities. Sidney Carlton, willingly took the place of his lookalike love-rival, Charles Darnay to the guillotine in place.
I have to confess, the dispensing of goodies during by-elections has always convinced me that the best things a Member of Parliament (MP) or State Assemblyman could do for his constituency would be to do something which could bring about a by-election. As far back as the Bentong by-election in 1989, when Tan Sri Chan Siang Sun died of a heart attack. My dad remarked that during the 30 years when the late Tan Sri was MP, the new villagers could not get the TOL for the land and homes they were occupying. During the by-elections, it practically rained TOLs. [In those days, when people said TOL, it was referred to Temporary Occupational License, not the bad word toll that we dread today]. Even then, I could see the “blessings” in calling a by-election, and today, I see it repeated in Batu Talam, Machap and Ijok.
To vacate the seat, the MP/Assemblyman does not have to die. There are other ways like being disqualified due to corruption, or a simple old fashioned resignation. The first one, I don’t wish it upon any of our MPs/Assemblymen, the second, with all that “morally wrong but legally right” nonsense in this country, short of a murder charge, I don’t think that we would see anyone in such a predicament. BUT there’s always the third option – to resign.
Maybe our MPs and Assemblymen need to consider whether their resignation which would necessitate a by-election could bring far, far better things for their constituency compared to if they stay in the office forever and ever.
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
For residents in Kampung Kebun and TTDI Jaya, if Datuk Abdul Aziz Samsuddin and Datuk Salamon Selamat the respective MP of Shah Alam and Assemblyman of Batu Tiga were to resign, there would probably be more allocations set aside to correct the flood woes that they are faced with. The machines would all be parked along the road and along the drains probably the same day the resignation is submitted. Deeper and wider drains, and who knows, they may want to win bad enough to stop the overdevelopment down the road along the Guthrie Corriddor.
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
If Dr Rozaidah Talib [who topped the traveling expenses list] from P. 099 – Ampang, recognizes her helplessness in helping the residents of her constituency, resigns it would probably mean a press conferece featuring the residents of Kampung Berembang given keys to new premises. An instant solution to their homeless situation. Now, wouldn’t that be a Kodak moment? Loads on BN banner and pictures of the former squatters beaming ear to ear holding mock keys of their new homes. And for those who have houses along the Ampang-Hulu Kelang range, after years of helplessness, reporting and bringing to the press and writing to ministers about the land clearing in their area, will be given a “new” promise that the clearing of land near their landslide prone homes will stop. But after so many “blanket bans” after each tragic landslide, Lulu not sure if the residents of Taman Hijau would be able to heave a sigh of relief or not.
“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”
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