Support the Subang Ria Park public hearing

[pcyeoh]

Whether you are a resident of SJ or USJ, we would like to appeal for as many residents as possible to TURN UP at the Holiday Villa Subang TODAY at 2.30pm.

This will be a physical show of support that the Subang Ria Park should remain as it is originally intended -- i.e. for RECREATIONAL PURPOSES -- and not any other purposes. In short, the message we should all jointly agree is:

-- YES to remain as it is and for the park to be regularly well-maintained
-- NO to commercial development

Even though it is stated that only "registered" resident-owners from SS12 - SS19 will be allowed to participate in the public hearing, it is important that we all unite and TURN UP ...

... the sheer presence of thousands (we hope) of residents turning up at the venue -- whether we do get to enter the ballroom or not -- will be OUR MESSAGE that concerned residents DO NOT WANT any real-estate development at the Subang Ria Park.

Remember, the media will be there ... the mere sight of a massive crowd of residents turning up will be news-worthy ... more so as we will make sure the press will be made aware of the large sector of concerned residents who are not being allowed to participate in the public hearing due to legal eligibility or otherwise.

On behalf of the USJRA, our special request to especially USJ residents ... please attend and BE THERE. Thank you for your presence and contribution of a Sunday afternoon!

Date: 15 July 2007 (Sunday)
Time: 2.30pm
Venue: Holiday Villa Subang

Thank you for your support!

[pcyeoh]

More than 1,500 residents gathered in full force despite of the heavy rain last Sunday at Holiday Villa Subang to vehemently say NO to commercial development at the Subang Ria Park. Many of them came in printed T-shirts and holding placards to express their objection to any form of development at Subang Ria Park.

First to speak was IR Jauhari, the Managing Director of Sime UEP Properties Bhd, the mighty land own of that 72.6 hectares plot of land full of controversies and histories ranging back to the seventies. He turned on his magical wand and open the door to a fantasy urban 24 hour park full of CCTVs and stressing the point that there will be security and tranquility. For many, their stomachs turned as they could see that this is a demo version of the park. He then provided statistics and everybody could notice that the “medicine man” was all the time focusing on the public portion of the park tajaan Sime UEP which he wanted the people to be thankful and proud of and conveniently remained complete silent on the commercial portion where Manhattan type of building are sprouting out like a sore thumbs. He was booed many times for many knew he was speaking through his teeth. By the time he finished, he has already taken 25 minutes of the impatient crowd time, many of whom didn’t sacrifice their Sunday nap to come here to hear his cerita dongeng.

The atmosphere started to liven up when Dr Zam Zam, the Chairman of Jawatan Kuasa Penduduk Zon 1 which covers the whole of Subang Jaya started to speak as the first Opposition speaker . He read off from newspaper cuttings speeches of VVIPs ranging from the Director General of Irrigation to our beloved Prime Minister all of them has one thing to say – there would not be any development at the park and they wanted it to remain that way. He told the panel that Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz, when she was here to open the then Subang Merlin Hotel (today known as Sheraton Hotel) said “Subang Jaya should have its own Lake Garden. The Park behind this hotel will be the town’s pride.” Of course Dr Zam Zam did not quote the famous saying today “If the Subang Ria Park is to be developed, it will be over my dead body for the sayer who is the ADUN for Subang Jaya Dato Lee Hwa Beng was sitting up there as Chairman of this public hearing. Dr Zam Zam then marched up the stage and distributed to all the 8 people sitting up there photostat copies of all the newspaper cuttings lest they conveniently forget what they have heard.

The next drove of attack came in a superfortress lawyer named Derek Fernandez. He stood up, smiled at the bench and started to introduce himself as representing a certain Mr. Wong to object on his behalf. While the YDP was seeking for clarification from his fellowmen whether this guy is permitted to speak, Derek wasted no time by saying in no uncertain term that the syarat nyata of this land title is Taman Recreasi dan Bangunan yang berkaitan dengan nya. Until and unless a miracle happens, it should remain as a park. He then rambled on citing the Dasar Rancangan Fisikal Negara, the Selangor Structure Plan June 2007 (ink still not dried yet) and the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 all of these regulate how a land can be developed and the title changed. He then charged that every process along the way, there seems to be a cover up. The plan was not shown, the required social impact studies were not done and information sought for was not forthcoming. He shred MPSJ to pieces citing case after case. The power that be felt very uncomfortable and was trying to find ways to eject him from the floor. He questioned them that today the calculation on the portion of green lungs should be based on density for example 2 hectares per 1000 people and not on 10% of the developed land area. He rebutted Jauhari that based on this calculation, Sime UEP has short changed the residents. And he reminded MPSJ that every township should have a urban park according to the dasar dasar and where is the urban park for Subang Jaya. So it is not surprising that 1500 people have expressed their objections to Sime UEP’s proposal. Like the goods train, he chuckled on until he was stopped right in his track when the YDP finally pulled his handbrake. The YDP felt he should let others have a chance to speak. At this point, the Selangor town and country planning director concurred with Derek on all his points but dropped a bombshell on him saying “But the syarat nyata of the said title says Taman Recreasi dan Bangunan. Period." That statement left Derek unsettled and I could have heard him cursed in silent “Shiit, how come I misread that portion.” He then referred to the photostat copy of the title and this time he looked up with a wider grin, passed the title to a resident named Aroki who was sitting next to him and instructed him to read the syarat nyata out loud. Aroki stood up and behaving like a lawyer though he is not, read out that part “dan Bangunan yang berkaitan twice and twice as loud. And without wasting a second, Derek then went for the kill and asked the crowd, “Are those 34 storey commercial buildings have any kaitan with the park? And the crowd roared with loud approval. But before he took his seat, he said, “And the residents asked me to tell you folks that in case the government has no money, the residents are willing to chip in 50 sen for every ringgit spent to acquire back the land from Sime UEP. I thought he would have marched up the stage and hand over to the YDP 50 sen as the first down payment but he decided to take his seat.

The next speaker started his delivery with a question, “MPSJ and Sime UEP, where is your Corporate Social Responsibility? And to Sime UEP, you have made enough money out of us. Leave the Park alone.” He then sat down.

The entertainer of the day is Eddy Ch’ng of Wangsa Baiduri. He said, “YDP, the moment I heard that Sime UEP is going to develop the Subang Ria Park, I started to lose sleep. I started to lose weight and I have to spend money to dye my hair as I started to have white hair. I go to the park for my daily exercise. At the rate I am going, eventually I will end up in the Subang Jaya Medical Centre. Now the developer are cutting down trees to build a car park. They have cut down altogether 44 trees and there are only 688 more trees left in that area. The Park should be maintained as it is . I am very passionate about the Subang Ria Park. I think we should seek Pak Lah’s help and tell him that if we get to keep the Park, we will rename is Kak Endon Park” From the loud clapping, the crowd must have loved to hear that.

A few others stood up and testified that they bought their houses just because of the park especially the lakes. “We are attracted to it. So leave the park alone,” they pleaded.

The rest of those who spoke touched on the following statements
1. This is our only green lungs
2. Gazette Subang Ria as 100% recreational
3. We ask the State to acquire the land from Sime UEP
4. Set up a committee to develop and manage the park from what it is now.
5. We are worried about the worsening traffic congestion and higher population density
6. We are concern that such development will lead to more pollution
7. We are worry about the increase in crime.
8. The park is where we have our family activities.
9. For nostalgic reason, please leave the Park alone.

MPSJ president Adnan Md Ikhsan during his winding up said the report of this public hearing would be discussed at the coming council full board meeting which is scheduled before the end of this month where his 24 blur blur councilors will decide the fate of this illustrious park call Subang Ria.

[pcyeoh]

Extracted from Dato Lee Hwa Beng official website which was uploaded by its editor on 23 July 2007 at 6:31pm.


Dear residents of Subang Jaya & USJ,

TAMAN SUBANG RIA

Sime-UEP had withdrawn their proposal to develop the park in a letter sent to MPSJ. It was tabled in MPSJ One Stop Center (OSC) held this afternoon (of which I am a member).

The letter from Sime UEP stated that they withdrew their proposal due to objections from the residents as shown in the public hearing.

This means the issue reverts back to the existing position, i.e. still an urban park privately owned by Sime UEP Bhd. We have to wait for further development from Sime UEP.

Bye.

Yours In Service,

Lee Hwa Beng
ADUN Subang Jaya

http://www.hwabeng.org.my/node/561

[Teeque]

next step - surrender the park to mpsj and gazette it...

[EricK]

i think some one should write a letter campaign to demand UEP surrender the title back to MPSJ. I would certainly sign ... i'd volunteer to write but my england not that powderfull.. :D

[SJECHO]

Dear friends

Greetings.

First allow us to inform you of the upcoming debut of SJ Echo, a community paper for Subang Jaya and USJ which will be coming hot off the press in early September. With a circulation of 20,000 copies per month (24 pages per issue), SJ Echo will be packaged like The Sun. The paper will be distributed free of charge to strategic areas in our community.

Through the publisher - Sebarinfo Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd - we have forged a partnership with The Sun to provide layout, printing and distribution of this New Kid on The Block for Subang Jaya and USJ.

This publication will focus and provide a platform for local news, community issues and initiatives and many, many more.

SUBANG RIA

Now to get down to the crux of this email...SJ ECHO plans to take the challenge to highlight the vision of residents for Subang Ria, what they want out of it, how they want it done and what's the step forward. We are aware there are many suggestions for the action plan. Let's push this forward. Whether you support the idea or if you have your own ideas, share it with us...so that we can help highlight this in our very own community paper. We have the space for hard facts, your opinion and your suggestions.

Much has happened in the last 2 months about Subang Ria. We have gone through many meetings which all culminated in a public hearing that gave a resounding NO from 1,700 residents who attended it.
Sime UEP has subsequently withdrawn its proposal.

WHAT'S NEXT? - Several suggestions have been floating around:

1. Take this to the Sultan of Selangor or the Prime Minister to urge their clout to gazette the park;
2. Exercise legal means to pressure the local council to reject any applications for future development in the area;
3. Allow only "recreational and buildings related to it" to be established to upgrade the park;
4. Buy the land with residents raising 50 sen for every RM1 the government puts in to acquire the land from the owner and gazette it as a park;

These are some of the suggestions we have heard going around from discussions with community leaders, websites and news reports in the national dailies.

We would like to welcome your comments, thoughts, opinions and plans for the conservation of the park for recreation and also as a green lung.

Please send by reply to this email your bit on what the park should be like. If you have pictures of the park which you may have taken previously, we would like to see them and if possible publish them as well.

Send this email to other residents in Subang Jaya and USJ to get them to write to us. We want to publish your opinions and thoughts.

We would like to request that you include your full name, area where you reside and your contact number should we need to clarify what you have submitted.

Please send in your opinion and suggestions by Aug 16 as this will allow us time to go through your emails, clarify them and get them ready for print.

Thank you very much....

And just in case you are wondering who I am...I live in SS14 and have joined many of you in the gatherings prior to the public hearing and was there recording the proceedings of the hearing as well. A former journalist by profession, this is a homecoming for me to highlight our own community in our own publication.

regards

TH TEOH
Editor
Mobile: 012-3288557

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