What 'Stop Work' order?

Investing RM2m in the project, USJ8 food court promoter aims to complete the building in 7 weeks. Water and electricity has come in, work pace has cranked up. MPSJ's "STOP WORK' order simply can't bite...
Posted on 12.42am Sep 29, 2004

By usjXpress team
Email: edteam@usj.com.my

Subang Jaya, September 29:

The issue of police land put on long-term lease to food court operator that will perpetually delay a planned police station in USJ is expected to be discussed at the fullboard meeting of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) today, September 29.

But before that, the so-called stop-work order issued by the municipal council simply could not bite.

In open defiance of the municipal council's order, the food court promoter, who has taken a 10-year lease of the piece of land reserved for USJ8 police station, just bulldozes ahead at lightning speed.

usjXpress Team went on two site inspection trips yesterday (September 28) - in the morning and late afternoon respectively - and discovered that the contractor has cranked up thepace of construction.







More materials were being brought in and workers were seen working in full force. (See pictures below)





Already, the worksite has been connected with water and electricity supply.



The PUAS water meter looks brand new, registering only 10 litres of water has been used at the time our photographer took this picture.



The workers are also getting ready for the foundation work to get going soon.



usjXpress was informed yesterday that two men wearing Alam Flora work-tags were seen visiting and surveying the site besides giving comments to the contractors who were present there.

RM2 MILLION

According to parties familiar with the project, the food-court developer expects the construction work to be put on fast-track and completed within seven weeks.

The developer is said to set aside an investment of RM 2 million for the project, a source told usjXpress.

USJ residents are up in arms as they learned that the land reserved for a full-sized police station has been leased to a well-connected businessman on a "5 years + 5 years" basis.

The piece of land has been reserved for the construction of the USJ police station under the 9th Malaysia Plan (2006 - 2010).

According to parties familiar with the project, the police's reserved land has been leased to a private party who, in turn, has sub-leased it to Pack Connexion Sdn. Bhd. which intends to turn it into a food court.

With the long-term lease, the residents feel that their long-awaited police station will not be built for the next 10 years!

SAFETY THREATENED

Due to the increased crime rates in the USJ area, the residents are worried that their safety is seriously under threat.

Currently, the USJ8 Pondok Polis, which comes under the Shah Alam police district and parented to the Batu Tiga police station, is tasked to cover a vast area stretching from USJ to Putra Heights and Alam Megah, which is made up of Shah Alam Seksyen 26, 27 and 28.

The Subang Jaya police station falls under the Petaling Jaya Police District and it does not cover USJ except USJ1, or the former Subang Mewah areas.

The staff force at Pondok Polis USJ8 has been spread very thin as it is supported by only 38 officers, excluding 7 who are currently on suspension.

The Pondok Polis is also ill-equipped with one run-down Perodua Kancil and a van.

In contrast, the total population under the Pondok Polis' jurisdiction comes close to 268,000, where USJ comprises 160,000 Putra Heights 8,000 and Alam Megah 100,000.

It works out to a police-population ratio of 1:7,026.

MUNICIPAL COUNCILLOR

The residents, with representatioves from the residents association, neighbourhood watch and Rukun Tetangga groups, has since sought the help of the wakil rakyat to put a stop of the project.

Subang Jaya state assemblyman, Lee Hwa Beng, said in a statement yesterday that a stop work order has been issued by MPSJ Building Department on Friday, September 24.

He said the project has only been approved by MPSJ Planning Committee. However, the Building Committee has not approved it, hence any construction before that will be deemed illegal.

"I am of the same opinion that a food court is not suitable here," Lee said. "The construction of the food court will hamper our wish to have a proper police station."

"If the Police Department has signed a long term lease with the operator, it will be difficult to chase them out later," he added.

Lee said he has informed MPSJ that the food court promoter has continued with construction work despite a stop work order has been issued.

"MPSJ does not have the power to physically stop it. It can only fine them daily," Lee said.

"This is not good as it will be difficult to demolish the centre even though it is built without approval once it is completed," he added.

Lee, who is also a senior 7th year MPSJ councillor, said he would bring up the issue at the full board council meeting on Wednesday, September 29.

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