Good news for Puchong

By LIM CHIA YING
chiaying@thestar.com.my

IF the local draft plan by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) is any indication, there is some good news for the booming township of Puchong.

Puchong MP Lau Yeng Peng said Puchong folks would receive RM3.1billion in development within the next 12 years based on his calculations of the RM5.1bil allocation that the MPSJ has set aside to spend for areas under the council until 2020.

“Looking at the development blocks in the draft plan, Puchong takes up Block 1, 2, 3, 4, and part of 5, which translates to a sizeable portion of about 60% so this would mean a big part would go into developing the township,” Lau claimed.


What’s in store: Lau explaining the plan to residents as his special assistant Vincent Loh and MPSJ councillor Wan Sun Keong (right) look on.

“The first thing I've noticed is that the MPSJ will spend about RM10mil to turn the gazetted Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve into an international camping site.

“The forest itself measures some 1,125ha and this plan shows that the state government is committed keeping and maintaining this reserve.

“It's a valuable piece of land and the state is intent on keeping it that way by making it a recreational venue of international standards with numerous facilities for campers, joggers, mountain bikers, and those who love the outdoors.”

He added that from the draft plan, he could also see that the council was serious about upgrading highways and interchanges to cope with the daily jams that Puchong is now experiencing.

“Also, it is indicated that there are plans to have riverside development at the Klang river, stretching from Kinrara to Kampung Sri Aman - a distance of about 10km. This is more the initiative of the private sector from what I was told,” he said.

However, Lau pointed out a point of question mark with regards to the estimated population density under the MPSJ.

“Based on my calculation, since Puchong takes up Block 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 in the plan, the total number of residents in 2000 came up to about 270,000 people.

“Yet it is stated in the plan that the increase in population for areas under the MPSJ to be 650,000. I think there is something wrong with this figure as there are already about 400,000 people.

“What about other areas like Seri Kembangan and Subang Jaya? If all these areas are totalled up in full, it would probably surpass the estimated figure of 650,000 by 2020,” Lau said.

He said with the increase in population, the MPSJ must pay even more attention to public services, infrastructure, and facilities like recreational areas and open spaces to cater to the people's increased needs.

Pusat Bandar Puchong residents' association president Awies Ung said he was agreeable to the plan to make the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve into a campers' or joggers' site so as long as no greens were damaged.

“We don't want bulldozers to start coming in to clear any trees, or people start taking advantage of things. I think residents would welcome this plan provided that everything is preserved as they are now,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lau said he would be having his local draft plan briefing for Puchong residents on Jan 17 at the Rakan Muda Sports Complex, Puchong, at 8.30pm.

“I'll try to get the MPSJ president Datuk Adnan Mohd Ikhsan to be present and I hope residents would turn up because this is a plan that would affect them,” he said.