Subang Jaya residents want park to remain as recreational site

By THO XIN YI
thoxinyi@thestar.com.my

SUBANG Jaya residents have made it clear and they are saying it again - they want the Subang Ria Park to remain as a recreational site.

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Following developer Sime Darby Property’s application to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) for sub-division of land and conversion of land use, more than 100 of them gathered at the park entrance on Saturday morning to hand over a memorandum to Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh.
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Amid the morning drizzle, they insisted that the developer should maintain the 29.39ha park as a green lung and stop pushing for commercial and residential development.

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Subang Jaya Residents Association (SJRA) chairman AS Gill said the developer should return the park to the state if it was no longer interested in maintaining it as a town park for Subang Jaya and USJ residents.
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“We will work closely with MPSJ and the state government to restore the park to meet the recreational needs of the residents.

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“Based on our calculation, only 4.05ha out of the 17.27ha (excluding the 12.12ha of water body) will be left for recreation, if Sime Darby goes ahead with its development,” he said.
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In July last year, the developer announced its plan to build a low-density residential area on 6.47ha of land and keep 1.17ha for future development of Sime Darby Healthcare.

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The rest of the park - 21.73ha of land area and water body - will be upgraded and handed back to the people.
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Gill questioned MPSJ’s reason for accepting the developer’s application since non-recreational development was rejected by residents at a public hearing in 2007.

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“Why is the local draft plan, which clearly shows Subang Ria Park as a green lung, not referred to for rejecting its submission at the start of the process?
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“Why are the requirements of the Town and Country Planning Act for 2ha of green lung for every 1,000 residents not enforced or adhered to?” he said.

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Yeoh, who received the joint memorandum from SJRA, JKP Zone 1, Wangsa Baiduri Residents Association, Summer Villa and Spring Villa Residents Association and Consumer Association of Subang Jaya, reminded the residents that theme park and golf club also fall under the recreational category.
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“Sime Darby has only submitted the application for sub-division of land and conversion of land use for 6.54ha of residential area and 1.14ha of commercial area for carpark. It has yet to put in an application to develop part of the park.

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“As long as it holds the 99-year leasehold title of the park, it can submit applications to the authority while the residents have the right to protest,” she said.
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When a resident demanded to know her commitment, Yeoh replied: “For every development that has been put forward, there has always been a public hearing at MPSJ. The cases have also been brought to the Appeals Board.”

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Kelana Jaya MCA chairman Ong Chong Swen, who was also present, wished to see the park remain as it is.
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“I moved to Subang Jaya in 1976 and my children spent their childhood in this park. Development would bring about more traffic problems and deprive the residents of a decent living environment,” she said.

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Representing Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne were his father Loh Mui Fah and younger brother Loh Gwo-Fynne.

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