Catch22@PJ:Development Planning

I have a discussion with a Councillor of MBPJ last week over participatory planning issue. She mentioned about non-tolerance of residents toward development project within the vicinity of their neighbourhood. Any remedy suggestions on the traffic and area improvement are rejected in total. While we both agreed that residents have the rights to voice their displeasure and objections, they should also propose suggestions over damage control.


The present Government is not in the blame when it comes to development projects that have been approved. They are merely finding solutions to minimise any damages, if any and to demand them to cancel out projects that have been approved before hand is not a solution itself.


So, most of the time it comes to stand still. The residents are not happy and confront with any traffic management suggestions that encroaching into their neighbourhood even though a project was under construction or near completion. For example, a proposed ingress of a commercial development in SS2 onto neighbourhood major access was met with strong objection and the residents demanded that outflow of traffic generated from the proposed project should be directed to the LDP Expressway instead of the neighbourhood even though it was rejected by the highway authority. After much negotiation, the project proponent agreed to build a ramp directly onto the LDP Expressway. This is an unresolved problem as the influx of traffic onto the highway will aggravate the congestion problem. The impact of traffic can only be minimised with the improvement on public transportation. Mass transfer of people and movement need to be there in place of the private vehicles. Until then, no solution is workable, either widening of road or getting more outlets for traffic while we are still developing pocket of land in the neighbourhood area.

This remind me on the importance of strategic and master planning rather than piece meal development. Petaling Jaya, as the oldest new township in Malaysia cannot spare from the development trend. The original objective of developing PJ as a bedroom town for KL is no more relevant with the rapid development of surrounding area such as Shah Alam, Subang Jaya, Puchong, Kota Damansara and Selayang. Changes is unavoidable. The question is are we well equipped and well grip with us what we want the direction of PJ to be? Are we talking about improving the living environment quality in which residential will still be the main land uses or are we talking about making PJ a metropolitan capturing outflow of businesses opportunities from KL? We have to decide. If the answer is former, then we should allocate sufficient resources for upgrading the infrastructure and facilities so that old houses in areas such as Old Town, Section 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, SS9A will go for renewal without having too many of commercial activities there. Incentives on premium for lease, quit rent, assessment rate and etc will be of help to expedite the process of regeneration.

The dilapidated situation of industrial area in Section 51, 51A, 19, 13 and SS8 and also because of the economic transformation in Petaling Jaya need regeneration process to be taken. It is no longer feasible of having manufacturing activities in PJ due to economic scale, traffic constraint, labour and supporting facilities. So, reshape of these areas are urgent. While value-added to the activities such as services, institution and financial are welcomed, their presence should have added value to the surrounding area in term of infrastructure improvement, complimentary to each other on support activities. For example, perhaps Old Town can be centre of residential area and retail activities for the expatriates in Section 51 and in return Section 51 can have public art gallery, theatre, leisure centre for the people in Old Town. The regeneration process should have taken bigger picture than focusing too much on development for individual land owner. In this case, are we talking about surrendering of private land for road widening, for parks, for facilities or merely keeping the facilities provision within the existing available reserves?

We are at the Catch 22 situation. While the role of MBPJ as fire fighter is still valid and important, attention on finding strategic long term planning and development direction for PJ is getting critical now.