Pics from this page by Lawrence Loh
http://www.pbase.com/lcloh/profile


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i tink i've seen this part of PJ for the 1st time. noce find, Baq!

Imagine if Mutiara Damansara and other parts are shown..sure shiok!

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wah this 1 look like china..:D

while this pic
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look like european city..:D

Wow, nice pix of PJ!

Btw, PJ has so many skyscraper clusters its hard to actually locate the best looking one... The buildings are also of so many types, like office buildings and condos side-by-side... The best views of PJ would be from above, though!

PJ looks like a mid-sized American city in this pix!
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Best PJ area contest is on again
Saturday, April 30, 2005



THE Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) Best Neighbourhood Competition is back with development grants worth RM120,000 up for grabs.

The competition is open to all residents associations (RA), Rukun Tetangga (RT) and village development and security committees (JKKK), and the winner will receive a development grant worth RM50,000, while the second- and third-placed organisations will get RM40,000 and RM30,000 respectively.

The fourth edition of the competition carries the theme “Sustainable Community Initiative” and takes into account all activities that took place in 2004.

Selangor town planning department director Datin Paduka Dr Halimaton Saadiah Hashim is the head judge again.

There are also more judges this year because the number of participants this time around is expected to increase.

Over a hundred RA, RT and JKKK representatives received the entry forms during the launch of the competition recently.

As part of the launch, Dr Halimaton spoke on the points that the judges would be looking for in the competition.

“Although the presentation is entitled ‘How To Win The Competition’, the points are good examples for the creation of a sustainable community and will help your community become a better place,” Dr Halimaton told the residents’ representatives.

A presentation by previous winners of the competition was also held in which they highlighted their achievements.

During the question-and-answer segment, Kota Damansara Section 6 residents association secretary Alpadzul Abu Hassan declared that his association would not take part in the competition to give a chance to other neighbourhoods.

Alpadzul also offered to give residents-based organisations a tour of Kota Damansara Section 6 and the projects that had helped the association become the competition winner in 2002 and 2003.

Launching the competition, Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Azizah Datuk S.P. Mohd Dun said MPPJ's choice to run the competition was in line with the objective of improving the service delivery to the public.

“Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, the ministry will bring LA21 (Local Agenda 21) to all local governments because it is through this programme that the community and private sector can together plan and manage their own areas towards sustainable development and a better quality of life.”

To show the ministry’s support for the competition, Azizah announced a contribution of RM52,000 to the LA21 programme.

Also present during the launch were MPPJ president Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh and LA21 Social Integration Committee chairman Datuk Lim Choon Kin.

Grab chance at warehouse sale
Saturday, April 30, 2005



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Discount will be given on certain books.


BOOK warehouse sales are exciting, and few can be more exciting than the annual Times The Bookshop Warehouse Sale, which opens to the public from April 29 to May 8.

UOB cardholders were the privileged first to browse through the staggering amount of books piled in no particular order on April 28.

Books offered included many recent titles too, with famous authors like Stephen King, Rani Manicka, Nora Roberts, Anthony Horowitz and Jeffrey Archer.

And the prices were unbeatable with paperbacks priced between RM8 and RM15 and RM20 to RM40 for hardcover editions.

Apart from fiction, self-improvement titles, children’s books and even school textbooks are available.

Although the UOB cardholders were spoilt for choice on the first day, Times The Bookshop assistant operations manager Edmund Low assured customers that stocks would be replenished daily.


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Mother and son looking
at the children books that were on display.


“Times The Bookshop’s Warehouse Sale is an event we organise as our way of helping to make good books affordable to the public and to further inculcate the reading habit,” said Low.

“The books are priced very competitively and our stocks are replenished daily to ensure variety for our repeat-visit patrons. There will definitely be something to suit everyone’s taste.

“To add to the excitement, we will be offering selected titles of fiction and non-fiction at RM1 only. The selections will differ daily, with a maximum purchase of five copies per customer.”

Apart from books, products like Pilot pens and movie VCDs are also available.

The sale is held at 4 Jalan 13/4 (behind Colgate Palmolive) in Petaling Jaya and opens from 10am to 7pm daily. Free parking vouchers will be issued to Times The Bookshop’s Warehouse Sale patrons.

Hello my Malaysian brothers!!!!! How're you all? I finally finished all my exams for this semester. Been busy like hell.

Anyways, excellent pics, Baq :)

One of the stairwells in the 18-storey Block C of Bayu Puteri Apartment has a beautiful view of nearly the entire cityscape of PJ! I'll try to get some shots from there...

Anyway, the view from that stairwell is from Bandar Utama towards Damansara Utama, Damansara Jaya, SS2, PJ State, and finally ending at Sunway City...

http://files.photojerk.com/baqthier/6903.jpg
D


looks like british houses with white color walls instaed of red

New hope for Old Town leases
Monday, May 09, 2005
By K.W. MAK




The land lease issue involving Petaling Jaya property owners being levied hefty premiums remains unresolved with a court case still pending, but residents may have a solution to their problem.

Resident Jeyapalan T.S. Mahesan, who is suing the Selangor Government in a joint action suit over the matter, has set up a management company, Jeyamahesan Management Services, to help speed up the process of applying for the extension of land leases.

The idea came to him after the judge presiding over the case asked Jeyapalan to follow due process and apply for the lease extension.

The case involved property owners being asked to pay a premium based on today’s value for renewing their land leases (many priced at over RM100,000).

However, under the provisions of the law, land leases granted and alienated before the National Land Code (1965) and the Selangor Land Rules (1966) came into force are renewable and extendable by the exercise of the option to renew under Section 228 of the National Land Code.


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File picture of houses in the PJ Old Town area.


What this means, said Jeyapalan, was that the land office was only supposed to charge owners the administrative cost for renewing one’s land lease, which he estimated at RM3,000.

Jeyapalan clarified that this action was only applicable for owners who received their land titles prior to 1966, before the new land act came into effect.

“Owners who bought their property after 1966 do not enjoy this benefit.”

It would take three to six months for the applications to be either accepted or rejected by the district land office.

“The court case has been adjourned to Nov 21 to see if the applications would be accepted or rejected.

“If they are accepted, then we can go back to court to dismiss the case. If not, then we can bring the application papers to the judge to weigh upon,” he said.

An administration office has been set up in PJ Old Town to help residents in their application for lease extensions and seek legal redress on the premium issue through their respective assigned legal counsel.

There will be an administrative cost of RM1,000, but owners are not forced to sign up or take action through the management company he has set up.

“What we are doing is taking the headache away from owners in going to the land office and applying for extension one at a time.”

For more information, call 03-7783-6141 or 03-7783-8405 or visit www.pjresidentsrep.com.

looks so peaceful and relaxed..like living in the countryside :)

looks so peaceful and relaxed..like living in the countryside :)

If only it can be like that..the traffic is nightmare :lol:

New multiplex to open in PJ
Wednesday, June 08, 2005



MOVIE-GOERS may no longer have to queue for hours for tickets when a multiplex opens at 1- Utama shopping centre (New Wing) next month.

Located next to the bowling centre on the fourth floor, the 13-screen GSC 1 Utama (New Wing), is Golden Screen Cinemas' (GSC) latest and its second flagship cinema in the Klang Valley, after one at Mid Valley Megamall.




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An artist's impression of the foyer
at GSC 1 Utama (New Wing).



The multiplex has 2,168 seats and will include a 30-seater Gold Class hall, THX screens, International Screen and AV facilitated cinema halls.

The outlet will also have its own “café-in-a-giftshop”, Glitters Café and Merchandise, where patrons can grab a quick bite.

Among the dishes on offer will be Salmon Laksa, Portuguese Fried Rice and the pasta dish, Penne Alladin (Penne Fried Kung Po style).

Movie buffs will also be able to buy movie merchandise, such T-shirts, toys and other memorabilia, from Glitters.



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The interior of the new
Gold Class hall at the multiplex.



Before the launch of the multiplex, GSC 1 Utama (New Wing) will be offering free movie screenings to the public for three consecutive days.

For details of launch activities, check the local dailies or log on to www.gsc.com.my.

PJ emerging as commercial hub
Updated : 11-07-2005
Media : The Star
Story By : S.C. Cheah



PETALING Jaya is experiencing a spate of office and retail developments that are fast changing the face of this first satellite town in Malaysia.

There is the newly completed Menara Axis and the proposed PJ eight, both facing each other across the Federal Highway. PJ eight on 3.8 acres sits on the former Cycle & Carriage showroom opposite PJ Hilton.

This RM250mil mixed development project by IJM Properties Sdn Bhd will boast PJกฆs tallest building, a 39-storey apartment block. It will also have 12-storey office suites, priced from RM400 per sq ft (psf) (one of the most expensive in the area) and apartments measuring 668 sq ft to 1,500 sq ft priced from RM360 to RM390 psf.

Meanwhile, the proposed 3 2 Square (Section 19) and Jaya33 (Section 13 and fronting Jalan Semangat) are poised to rejuvenate the nearby Section 14 commercial centre (where the Right Angle shop offices, Menara Bakti and Jaya supermarkets are located).

Recently, another developer, Tetap Tiara Sdn Bhd, opened its sales gallery at Menara Merais to showcase its RM450mil Jaya 1 mixed project in Section 13. It too has a unique concept: it has bungalow-style restaurants (12 units) in the centre with tall forest trees in a landscaped square. Besides the office blocks, there will also be a theatre and convention centre.

A big crowd attended the cocktail reception. Several sales were done, including the sale of a five-level office block (with three basement car park levels) for RM6.3mil to a company for its corporate office.

The interest shown in Jaya 1 (to be developed at the site of the former Alcom factory at the junction of Jalan University and Jalan 13/6) has fuelled confidence that there is a pent-up demand for quality office-cum-retail developments, particularly in Section 13. Coming on-stream are the 8 Avenue (a 10-acre, four-storey shop office project) and the Amcorp Business Suites (a residential and office suite project) at the Amcorp Mall.

In recent years, many detached houses have been demolished or turned into car showrooms, restaurants, offices and other commercial uses in PJ. This is especially evident along Jalan Universiti. There are also many motor showrooms along the Federal Highway. For example, the former Metal Box plant has been converted into the Naza Auto Mall.

Many developers have paid a hefty sum to extend the lease on their land. With Jaya 1 as the catalyst for the further growth of Section 13, land prices are likely to rise further.

Registered real estate agency Y.C. Mok & Co chief executive Mok Yok Chang said that under the PJ structural plan, Section 13 had been earmarked for redevelopment and it would be a matter of time before more existing industries move out of PJ and replaced by commercial projects. Land whose lease has not been extended and has not been converted for commercial use is priced around RM120 to RM140 psf.

He said the trend in all major cities had been for offices to be set up in suburban centres, and in this respect, PJ had the potential of being a major commercial centre.

Meanwhile, many developers agree that although PJกฆs residential and industrial units had increased over the past decades, there was still a dearth of quality retail and office units. The question is: Are there too many such units being launched within too short a time? Are developers being too gung-ho?

As usual, some feel that a good development would do well and any unsold unit could be easily absorbed over time.

Currently, the old PJ (not including Subang Jaya and Damansara) has all its commercial centres scattered in places such as SS2, the กงNew Townกจ (which is more of a financial centre) and Section 14.

This leaves Section 13 which has been relatively untouched and the place to watch.

Section 13 is a good example of an industrial site zone that is undergoing transformation in respect of the land usage. Historically, Section 13 was a brown field site carved out to provide an industrial zone for heavy industries and manufacturing plants.

The Section 13 brown field site, unlike its sisterกฆs industrial site (Section 51A and 52), is centrally located in the heart of PJ and is surrounded by matured residential areas of SS2, Section 17 and Section 14. It has become an attractive piece of real estate, as it is accessible by major road arteries such as Jalan Universiti and Jalan Semangat.

Since the late 1980s, Section 13 has been undergoing transformation as heavy industries began to relocate to other new sites such as Klang and Nilai to take advantage of the improved infrastructure and proximity to railway, shipping and airline transportation facilities.

This movement has resulted in many of the existing buildings and structures being converted to house corporate head offices, warehousing and serviced industries.

Section 13 is undergoing an evolutionary change due to its strategic location, surrounding infrastructure and demographics. Industry players feel that it would be a matter of time before Section 13 would become the next hot spot for regeneration and redevelopment.

Serdang Valley To Be Developed As Agropolis
Updated : 11-07-2005
Media : The Star
Story By : S.C. Cheah

Serdang is a town in district of Petaling. Seri Kembangan and Balakong are popular industrial areas within the township.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 (Bernama) -- The Serdang Valley covering 2,400 hectares will be developed into an "agropolis" of research institutions that play a key role in upgrading the agriculture sector, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The Prime Minister said the plan would involve the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi), Universiti Putra Malaysia and the Agriculture Department.

He said they would formulate a framework of cooperation with other similar institutions such as Malaysia Technology Park and Malaysian Cocoa Board to create the agropolis.

"Hopefully, the agropolis will further strengthen the nation's agriculture sector," he said when launching the Mardi Bio-Business Showcase 2005 in Serdang near here Saturday.

Elaborating on the plan at a news conference later, Abdullah said the new era of agriculture laid emphasis on laboratory research to increase agricultural output and quality.

"We are giving priority to modernising the traditional forms of agriculture by using better methods.

"This will be based on a research-to-market approach to increase output of livestock, crops and so on. The production will also be of high quality that can be marketed fresh with value-add," he said.

He said the approach had been proven effective in Holland which is among the world's largest food producers despite its limited land area.

"Since we have achieved excellence in the rubber industry through the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) and in the oil palm industry through Palm Oil Research Institute of Malaysia (Porim), we can do it again for the new agriculture sector," he said.

Abdullah said it was not impossible for Malaysia to achieve this objective as the country could adapt its existing technology for use in upgrading agriculture.

Kelana Jaya and Sunway.

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Excellent shots there mate! Any pics around Glomac?

Do you mean Glomac's developments of Dataran Prima Condominium and Aman Suria? I only have two photos.

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I can take more if you want me to.

^^ NICE! :okay: Wish the picture is a bit larger thou ;)

Where you took these pictures from? Any chance that some of em are taken from D'Sara Uptown? :?

Lien Ho and Luxor in Tropicana.


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Thanks for the pictures myf282828! :) I enjoyed looking at them.

Don't know if you guys noticed, the new Kewajipan Ramp (to NPE) has very nice views of PJ's massive skyline. :eek:

I just got myself a new camera and eager to tick more photos hence like to share with you guys. Here is another one I took it from my apartment.

KELANA JAYA

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I just got myself a new camera and eager to tick more photos hence like to share with you guys. Here is another one I took it from my apartment.

Good news! :cheers:

Thanks for the pictures myf282828! :) I enjoyed looking at them.

Don't know if you guys noticed, the new Kewajipan Ramp (to NPE) has very nice views of PJ's massive skyline. :eek:


Yes......but too bad we can't stop there to take pics :( And the railing is kinda high so if you're not on a high vehicle then your pictures would include the railing as well :(

I found a good place a few years back....it is at those IOI condos on top of the hill (could be seen on KESAS on your left if you're Cheras-bound about half a KM right after the LDP turnoff). To access the condos, one would have to use Jalan Puchong and turn off at some obscure junction :D

Phileo Damansara, Petaling Jaya Section 16.

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Riana Green, Tropicana, Petaling Jaya.

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Yes......but too bad we can't stop there to take pics :( And the railing is kinda high so if you're not on a high vehicle then your pictures would include the railing as well :(

I found a good place a few years back....it is at those IOI condos on top of the hill (could be seen on KESAS on your left if you're Cheras-bound about half a KM right after the LDP turnoff). To access the condos, one would have to use Jalan Puchong and turn off at some obscure junction :D

Yalar, what to do... Sometimes, the best locations are the most difficult (and dangerous :D). Y'know those flats which are coming up by the NPE, think they might also have decent views of PJ.;)

Dataran Prima Condo (near Aman Suria / SunwayMas Commercial Centre):
Grand view on PJ, KL and Klang.

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Samsung launches biggest customer service plaza in PJ
29-11-2005
By Isabelle Francis


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Samsung president & CEO (Southeast Asia Pacific) SJ Park (right) and
Samsung (M'sia) MD Won Jong-Duk showing the first customer ticket at the
opening of the service plaza.



Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn Bhd launched its largest RM1.3 million customer service plaza in Petaling Jaya on Nov 29 - its 59th service outlet - to cater for its Klang Valley customers.

It also plans to set up three customer service plazas by 2006 - in Kuantan, Kota Kinabalu and Ipoh - costing about RM800,000 each.

The 10,000 sq ft PJ customer service plaza is open from 9am-6pm on weekdays, and 9am-1pm on Saturdays. It closes on Sundays and public holidays.

Senior manager of customer satisfaction Law Ah Tiong said of the 59 outlets it currently has, four are service plazas and Samsung Malaysia has plans to increase it to seven by 2006.

Law said: “With our business growth, we need more spacious area hence the PJ service plaza. Promotional (activities), spare parts and information would be available at the plaza.

He said all Samsung products can be sent to there for servicing. Unlike service outlets, Law said the service plazas in Kuching, Penang, Johor Bahru, also showcases its latest products.

He said the company also expects to have more mobile service vehicles, costing about RM500,000 each, compared with the current one which services the northern region.

Meanwhile, managing director Won Jong Duk said Malaysia has the potential to be Samsung's technology-oriented product hub especially with the Korean group's strong presence here. Samsung has a factory in Seremban.

He was commenting on Samsung Southeast Asia Pacific regional chief executive officer SJ Park’s statement that Malaysia can be a hub for technology.

‘Happening’ even after 30 years
Saturday December 17, 2005
By K.W. MAK
Photos by T.K. LIM and LOW BOON TAT


ONE of the oldest commercial areas in Petaling Jaya, with more than 30 years of history, Section 14 is today very much a “happening place”.

Started in 1970, Section 14 is divided into 14A and 14B, with the former being the commercial hub that most people are familiar with and the latter, the residential zone.

The most famous landmark is undoubtedly Jaya Supermarket. Built in 1974, the shopping centre was the commercial hub for all of Petaling Jaya back when it was still a small town.





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Jaya Shopping Centre is synonymous with Section 14,
a landmark that has been there for several decades.






Even as larger shopping malls sprang up, the innovative supermarket redefined itself to remain relevant to the PJ community.

Although renamed Jaya Shopping Centre, residents still fondly refer to it as Jaya Supermarket.

Metrojaya and the Tun Abdul Aziz Mosque are the other two landmarks in the town centre.

With several institutions of higher learning nearby, the Section 14 town centre has also become a popular hangout for college students.

Nearby the two shopping centres is a market-cum-hawker stall. The two-storey building, which doubles as a car park, may not look it but is a popular destination for locals to have breakfast and lunch.

One of the main reasons is Gerai Mak Yah Lontong dan Nasi Lemak. Despite being hidden within the building, the little stall is crowded with customers in the morning. By 9am the lontong is sold out while the nasi lemak is wiped clean by 11am.

The sambal sotong is soft and succulent and its sauce isn’t overly spicy.

Sapiah Hasbillah, who started the business with her late husband back in 1971, still runs the stall and proudly proclaims that three generations of customers have come to her stall.

“I started at a wooden stall by the road side with my husband who had then just retired. We set up our stall even before Jaya Supermarket came up,” said Sapiah.

The grandmother still wakes up at 3.30am (3am on weekends) to cook the dishes. While she does not man the stall all of the time, she does hang around to mingle with her regular customers.

Sapiah and many other traders moved their stall into the market in 1991 as the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) sought to control the traffic congestion in the area.

Other stalls worthy of mention are the Chinese nasi lemak seller that opens three times a week opposite Mak Yah’s stall and the ice kacang stall on the ground floor of the marketplace.

An active Rukun Tetangga (RT) serves the community and activities are held daily at its centre in Jalan 14/26.

The oldest registered RT in Petaling Jaya, the organisation was non-active until two years ago when it was revived.






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The Section 14 market is where locals go for their breakfast and lunch.






A pride of the community, the RT boasts of having a dedicated councillor who pays a visit every Wednesday night to hear residents’ complaints and problems.

The Asia Jaya LRT Station is another landmark and provides commuters with a much-needed mode of public transport, along with feeder busses that ply through Section 14.

There are two schools, SMK Sri Aman and SMK Sri Utama, that are both located in Section 14B – the quieter section.

SK Sri Petaling and SMK Bukit Bintang are in neighbouring zones of Section 11 and Section 52 respectively, but are so close to the Section 14 business centre that people sometimes mistakenly think that the schools are part of Section 14.

Meanwhile, opposite the main road of Jalan Semangat, a large business centre development project called Jaya 32, in neighbouring Section 13, will be completed in a year’s time.

Cycle & Carriage to sell 600 Mercedes
By Surin Murugiah, 16 Dec 2005 5:37 PM

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Cycle & Carriage Bintang Bhd, which officially opened its RM25 million Mercedes Benz Autohaus 800 showroom in Petaling Jaya, targets to sell 600 Mercedes Benz vehicles in 2006.

Managing director Steven Foster said on Dec 16 the Autohaus 800, which is also a service centre, is the largest in Malaysia in terms of floor space, service centre capability and number of trained service technicians

Foster said the sales target was 800 vehicles a year, "but to be realistic, we target 600 vehicles to be sold from here in 2006".

Cycle & Carriage is the principal and largest dealer for DaimlerChrysler Malaysia. It began transforming its dealership in Ipoh last year and expects to open two more similar facilities in Mutiara Damansara in January 2006, and another in Johor Bahru in June.

Foster said the Autohaus 800 is a RM25 million facility with almost 135,000 sq ft of retail space for customers to view the widest range of Mercedes Benz vehicles and a total of 40 bay workshops with the capability to service 70 cars a day.

“Our total investment excluding land is over RM50 million and reflects our commitment and confidence not just in the Mercedes Benz product line up but also the loyalty of our customer base towards the brand,” said Foster.

He explained that the RM50 million included costs of the Autohaus 800 and the others in the pipeline, which he expects to be completed by the second quarter of next year.

Under the Autohaus concept, the smallest facility would start off with sales of 80 vehicles with 800 being the largest number, said Foster.

President and chief executive officer of DaimlerChrysler Malaysia Datuk Frank Steinleitner said the Autohaus concept was launched globally to provide both functionality and fresh design that was customer focused.

“The standardised architecture and uniform brand image of its facilities reflect the quality and brand value of Mercedes Benz vehicles,” he added.

Steinleitner said he expected double digit growth next year conservatively taking into account the National Automotive Policy that is yet to be finalised.

“Our emphasis is to be the leader in the upper market segment and maintain this in 2006,” he said.

Palette appointed Jaya33's IT backbone provider
03 Jan 2006 3:25 PM


Palette Multimedia Bhd has been appointed by Jaya33 Sdn Bhd to design and build the wireless, fibre optic and high-speed networking backbone at its office and commercial building project, Jaya33.

In a statement on Jan 3, Jaya33 said other than being the technology provider, Palette would also operate as the Internet service provider for Jaya33 tenants.

Jaya33, which is located in Jalan Semangat, Petaling Jaya, comprises three hyperoffice towers with a total built-up area of 400,000 sq ft.

Work in site is 30% completed and Jaya33 is scheduled for completion by the first quarter of 2007. The rental is competitively priced at RM3 per sq ft.

Palette, which specialises in broadband, wireless and networking products and services, is the IT infrastructure and services provider for the country's first wireless township at Damansara Perdana. It manufactures its own network security access management solution known as Mobilette.

Jaya33 said the IT infrastructure would be built and integrated into the building structure. "Once completed, Jaya33 will become one big wireless hot zone where users of any wireless device will have internet access anytime, anwhere in the building."

"Other than the high-speed and rich networking capabilities, the infastructure allows for the incorporation of other services such as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), Voice over WiFi and wireless surveillance services," it said.

"We believe that Jaya33 is one of the few commercial buildings in Malaysia to have incorporated the IT infrastructure into their building plans," Palette chief executive officer Eg Kah Yee said.

A data centre will also be built in Jaya33 to allow for the local hosting of servers and other systems so as to assist the tenants to minimise the costs of building and maintaining their own computer facilities.

Jaya33 marketing director, LC Toh, said: "With Palette as out IT developer and our internet service provider, Jaya33 is set to create a rich networking environment for our tenants to not only enjoy significant cost savings but also to easily adopt any leading edge applications in the future."

"Jaya33 strives to bring to its tenants a complete lifestyle work environment with a 60,000 sq ft gymnasium, swimming pool, alfresco food and beverage outlets as well as function rooms and conference facilities.

"A spacious outdoor area has also been allocated to hold exhibitions, product launches and promotions," Toh said.

She said corporations involved in the IT business, marketing, trading and services sector as well as for spacious and modern facilities for their headquarters would find Jaya33 attractive.

Jaya33's other portfolio include major projects such as the Malaysian headquarters for Robert Bosch of Germany, six Carrefour hypermarkets for Magnificent Diagraph Sdn Bhd, and the Bukit Rimau mixed housing project in Shah Alam.

Doubts over whether MPPJ can deliver
Wednesday January 4, 2006
Can MPPJ deliver?
What? Is MPPJ ready for PJ being declared city status
When? In March or April.
Who? PJ folk and the MPPJ

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/4/central/m_pg01mppj.jpg


EVER since Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s announcement in September of Petaling Jaya heading for city status, details are hard to come by and are sketchy.

What little is known is that the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) would have its name changed to Petaling Jaya City Hall, and with it the council president will be known as mayor.

Beyond that, general statements that promise better facilities and services are being made. But, then that has been MPPJ’s credo over the years. If its past records are anything to go by, then the people’s doubts seem genuine. Here are some examples.




http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/4/central/m_pg03pjaya.jpg

Petaling Jaya is ready for city status, but the
people are not sure if their council is.





Enforcement

Complains of illegal hawkers, illegal extensions and renovations of homes and illegal use of premises for activities other than it was intended have been numerous.

Though, these violate the council’s laws, enforcement has been poor. Little has been done to prevent, apprehend or fine the perpetrators.

As an example are the hawkers who conduct businesses at Damansara Utama Uptown in Taman Medan and Kota Damansara without licences.

All that MPPJ does is to have enforcement officers prevent the hawkers from setting up stalls when the residents’ patience wears thin and turn a blind eye when the people are tired of complaining. When a politician steps in, the illegal hawkers are promised new locations. But, then new illegal hawkers take up from where the old ones have left.



Quality of Life

Residents go through a lot to ensure they buy a good home in the right location. But, before long new development, not in the council’s plans earlier, miraculously prop up right next to their doorsteps.

An example is Taman Desaria PJS5. It was called home for a while. But, all of a sudden living in the neighbourhood became a nightmare. MPPJ decided to build low-cost flats in their area for squatter residents of Taman Medan in 2003.

Residents’ protest fell on deaf years. They took the issue to court. But, MPPJ was adamant and went ahead and not only built the flats but moved the squatter residents in.

“With an increase in population, the density increased from 45 to 500 per acre,’’ a Taman Desaria resident wrote to StarMetro. “Traffic increased by more than 10 fold, and so did the crime rate.’’

Resident groups in other parts of Petaling Jaya were concerned as if MPPJ could help deteriorate the quality of life in Taman Desaria, it could do the same elsewhere.

When MPPJ proposed amendments to the Petaling Jaya Local Plan 1 (RTPJ1) so that it could change the status of certain plots of land, 14 residents’ associations objected.

The proposal was withdrawn only after Section 5 RA legal advisor Derek Fernandez and Keadilan vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah found two different copies of the proposed draft amendments.



Accountability

The case of Taman Desaria PJS5 residents against the Selangor Government and MPPJ was fought and the court ruled in favour of the residents.

The state government decided not to appeal the decision, but not MPPJ.

Pending the appeal, MPPJ announced that assessment taxes in Petaling Jaya were going to be raised so that the council would have a balanced budget. But, residents have their doubts. They claim that the increase was to pay the lawsuit.

In any case should the appeal be rejected or the case is lost, MPPJ president and department directors are immune to personal liability – compensation will be at the ratepayer’s expense, including that of Taman Desaria residents.

“A proper audit system is necessary,’’ said Bukit Gasing DAP chairman John Chung. “Who monitors the performance of the local council? The revival of local council elections is an important step to ensure greater efficiency and accountability of local councils.”



Representation

Not releasing the accounts is not transparent governance, but councillors are supposed to provide checks and balances to the policies carried out.

In the past, councillors could inform the public via the media of the policies and plans that the council would undertake.

This is no longer the case.

“It is to streamline the council’s response,” explained one councillor. “Only the council president and councillors who are also state assemblymen can make statements, but the latter make statements in their capacity as assemblymen, not as councillors.”

The 500,000 residents of Petaling Jaya have only these four persons out of the 25 councillors and the council president whom they can talk to if they have any grouses with the council.

There were provisions drawn up to allow the people to meet their councillors, but the schedules aren’t adhered to at most times.

“MPPJ councillors have not delivered,’’ said Cameron Tower Residents Association chairman Dr Ho Chai Yee. “Most of residents’ groups feel that there is a need for independent councillors. The federal government has not responded to such an appeal and we hope it will review it in view of so many complaints.”

“I am all for councillors being elected,’’ said Taman Mayang Jaya Residents Association chairman Liew Wei Beng. “But, I don’t see it happening in the near future as the people are not ready and those in power are not going to give it up without a fight.”

The good it has doneResidents aren’t objecting to the city status itself. Instead, they are questioning the ability of MPPJ to live up to the status.

For the record, MPPJ does have its fair share of good governance policies implemented. Among these are:


- MPPJ is the first to have a “best neighbourhood’’ competition annually, awarding RM120,000 to the top three neighbourhoods.

- MPPJ's building is the first to be made disabled-friendly and is one of the most progressive champions for the disabled.

- MPPJ declared the portion of Bukit Gasing under its jurisdiction a green lung (KL has yet to do that).

- MPPJ has one of the best football teams in the country.

- Most of the lake parks in Petaling Jaya have been rehabilitated and refurbished, with cooperation from residents and NGOs.

- MPPJ has built a community hall for resident groups to meet or hold gatherings.

- Temporary housing has always been arranged for squatters who have to move due to development, with the cost of the lodging paid for by the developer.

- Friday mornings (from 8am to noon) are for the public to meet the council president and the department heads (or their officers).

Definition of a city
Wednesday January 4, 2006


- It must be a state's centre of administration.

- Population of more than 300,000 people.

- Financially stable with a yearly revenue of not less than RM80mil.

- Vast physical and financial development.

- A business and industrial centre with stable financial institutions.

- A centre for higher education, complete with universities, libraries and colleges.

- Possesses unique historical background and acts as cultural and sporting hub.

- Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ)

- MPPJ is an administrative centre for Selangor.

- Population in Petaling Jaya is about 500,000 people.

- The annual revenue for the current term is RM185.5mil (although the assessment rate has not been increased since 1992).

- Areas under MPPJ are constantly under development, especially upcoming places such as Damansara Perdana, Bandar Utama and Mutiara Damansara.

- Petaling Jaya is a pioneer industrial area in Malaysia.

- There are more than 23 colleges and universities in Petaling Jaya including Universiti Antarabangsa Islam campus branch at Section 17, Universiti Institute Technology Mara campus branch at Section 1, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) campus branch at Section 13, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Unitar) main campus at SS6 Kelana Jaya and Malaysia University of Science and Technology (MUST) main campus at SS7. There is also the Petaling Jaya Community Library in Jalan Selangor.

- MPPJ is the first new town development in the country as development began in 1953. Although Petaling Jaya does not have a museum, there is a proposal to set up Museum Warisan Petaling Jaya at Taman Jaya. There is also a sports complex in Kelana Jaya.

then selangor has two cities lor....... one is shah alam, another is petaling jaya........ right?

then selangor has two cities lor....... one is shah alam, another is petaling jaya........ right?

correct!! 2nd state in Malaysia to have a city which is not the state capital;)

Apartments attract buyers in PJ
Updated : 07-01-2006
Media : The Star


IN the past several years, there have been quite a number of high-rise apartments and service suites coming up in Petaling Jaya. Most of these developments are a result of developers picking up small pieces of land ¡V an acre or two in size, or sometimes more and neatly arranging their bricks in an already established township.

Then, there are also new areas like Damansara Perdana, which grew up with predominantly high-rise condominiums.

How does this bode for PJ, which will be declared a city in a couple of months? It is a broad question, of course, but one thing is for sure: There seems to be an insatiable appetite for properties in certain parts of PJ.

A young executive Steven Choo, 30, sums it up nicely. Choo lives in Old Klang Road and works in Section 16.

¡§I¡¦m tired of spending an hour on the road coming to work in the morning and another hour or so, trying to get home in the evening. I m one of those who have difficulty getting up. So this unit is going to cost me a bit, but I will be just 10 minutes away from the office, he says.

Choo has bought into a high-rise development in SS2 in PJ. He is quite happy and excited with the purchase and it is his first. His folks live in Klang.

Many of the people who invested in the latest rounds of high-rise units coming up in PJ live or work there. Young adults like Choo wants to live close to the office; he likes PJ anyway.

Then there they are those who are tired of renting and want a place of their own. Instead of spending their money on clothes and cars, they decide to start a relationship with a bank.

Other segment of the market includes young couples who want to live away from the family house. Unable to afford a landed property, they opt for a three-room apartment of about 1,200 sq ft.

A fourth category of buyers covers the parents of these baby-boomers.

With their children having left the two-storey family home, these empty nesters find the place rather quiet and decide to opt for a smaller place. And they have security thrown in. Not to mention a lot of choices, considering the number of projects available.

Just zooming in on SS2/72 alone, that stretch of road will be a hive of activity in years to come. There are already several high-rise properties there Ken 1, Casa II and Jasmine Towers. Across Casa II, Dijaya Land Sdn Bhd will be building Casa Suites at Dijaya Business Park. With the exception of Jasmine Towers, all of them access the Sprint Highway directly.

To be completed this year will be Ken II. Although the road in front of Ken 1 and Ken II is considered part of SS2/72, a barrier has been set up.

Across the barriers, on a longer stretch of SS2/72 are Jasmine Towers. Dijaya Land is developing Ken III here, and Luxor will stamp its mark with Park 19 and 500 units of low-cost apartments.

There is much interest in SS2. It is no doubt a fine and established location. But the local authorities need to look into the road system and its network to keep everyone, existing residents as well as new ones, happy.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/tyfong55/IMG_0557copy.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c236/tyfong55/IMG_0594a.jpg

pening mata gua see the roofs. Looks like we have some unknown constructions there ;)

that's a rare angle! nice pic;)

correct!! 2nd state in Malaysia to have a city which is not the state capital;)

i dont think is second.... coz in johor... kluang got city status too.... which isnt the capital too...

i dont think is second.... coz in johor... kluang got city status too.... which isnt the capital too...

Kluang?? havent heard of it....when did it attain city status??

a couple of years ago... i think around 3... kluang is in the centre of johor....

a couple of years ago... i think around 3... kluang is in the centre of johor....

i did a little research and found out that Kluang attained Majlis Perbandaran status in 2001.

Jaya33 connects to tomorrow
- Property Times 07 January 2005 issue -

http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/PropertyTimes/News/Inthenews/20060109093758/Article/Images/News/jayaB.jpg


The wireless, fibre optic and high-speed networking backbone for Malaysia’s first hyperoffice - Jaya33 (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=108547&page=3&pp=20) in Section 14 of Petaling Jaya, Selangor - will be designed and built by Palette Multimedia Bhd.

Besides being the technology provider, Palette will also operate as the Internet service provider for the project’s tenants, project developer Jaya33 Sdn Bhd announced.

The IT infrastructure will be built and integrated into the building structure, making Jaya33 one big wireless hotspot. Other than high speed Internet access and networking capabilities, the infrastructure will allow for other services such as Voice Over Internet Protocol, Voice Over WiFi and wireless surveillance services.

“A data centre will also be built to allow for the local hosting of servers and other systems to assist tenants minimise the cost of building and maintaining computer facilities,” Palette’s chief executive officer Eg Kah Yee said.

Other than having in-built IT infrastructure, Jaya33 will provide higher headroom of 14ft to 16ft, compared with the conventional 10ft height.

The building will also offer sturdier floors that can support weights of up to 100lbs per square foot against the norm of 50lbs per square foot, an open-plan layout, bigger loading bays and separate cargo and passenger lifts.

“These features allow for servicing, storage and light industrial activities while maintaining interesting interiors in the building’s lobby,” Jaya 33 Sdn Bhd. marketing director L.C. Toh said.

At a rental rate of RM3psf, companies involved in the IT business, marketing, trading and services sector looking for modern and spacious facilities should find Jaya33 suitable.

The project will comprise three hyperoffice towers with a total built-up area of 400,000sq ft. Work on the site at Jalan Semangat is 30 per cent complete and the complex is scheduled to be ready by the first quarter of 2007.

A little bird raises hopes for dirty river
Thursday January 12, 2006

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/12/central/03birds.jpg

Some of the Little Egrets flying above the trees by the river.


What? Little Egrets
Where? Seen at Sg Penchala stretch near Section 19, Petaling Jaya
Why? Raises hopes that the river's condition has improved


A FEW weeks ago, a little bird was found feeding at the Sg Penchala stretch in Jalan 19/22 at Section 19, Petaling Jaya. There is nothing unusual about this, except that it is a Little Egret, a type of migratory bird from China.

Their numbers increased to 24 on Monday, and yesterday, a total of 30 birds were found feeding at the quiet stretch of the river.

The rare sighting is a positive sign - Sg Penchala's water quality may have improved.

“This is the first time Little Egrets have been spotted at the stretch and it is rare for the birds to feed at an urban river,'' said Global Environment Centre (GEC) senior programme officer Dr K. Kalithasan.

“It is a sign that life has been restored in the once polluted Sg Penchala.''

He said Sg Penchala was a 12km river with the bulk of it at pollution class between 4 and 5.

(Water quality level is categorised into five classes. Class One water is safe to drink without treatment while Five means water that cannot be used at all).

The stretch were the migratory birds were spotted has an estimated pollution level at Class Three.

GEC director Faizal Parish said Little Egrets bred during summer in China between May and August before moving to Malaysia from September to March.

He said the bird's sighting implied that the river had sufficient food and improved water quality.

“We have yet to find where the birds rest at night,'' said Parish, adding that teams to monitor the birds' flying direction will be set up soon.

GEC, in collaboration with Petaling Jaya Municipal Council, City Hall, Centre for Environmental Technologies and Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam, is on a three-year Danida funded project on Community Participation in River Management. In Selangor, Sg Penchala is the main demonstration site.

Going on to its third year, the project aims to improve the quality of Malaysian rivers and its biodiversity status.

http://www.imagineislam.com/ibnza/photography/Misc/the-skyline.jpg

Hmmm, i can imagine the view above in about 3 years time... The hole between Armada-Hilton and Axis will be filled up with the skyscrapers of IJM's PJ8, consisting of a 39-storey serviced apartment as well as three office blocks of 16-, 14-, and 11-storeys each...

That will be a truly impressive skyline by then! :)

Going all out to put a stop to it
Monday January 16, 2006
By K.W. MAK


http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/16/central/m_03objects2.jpg

Why wouldn’t MPPJ have a balanced budget when it spends time, effort and
money on sprucing up the council’s administrative centre’s landscapes every
other year.



ASSESSMENT is a distasteful word these days among Petaling Jaya residents following Petaling Jaya Municipal Council’s (MPPJ) plans to increase it by 10% this year.

Council president Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh reasoned that the hike was to balance the budget, giving estimates of expenses, but not the actual accounts.

The increase is not mandatory yet. It isn’t until MPPJ’s notice on the increase is given to residents.

However, some residents aren’t waiting until the notice to voice their dissatisfaction. They are already going on a signature campaign to register their protest.

Coordinating the campaign is Section 5 Residents Association for the PJ Selatan constituency and Taman Mayang Jaya Residents Association for the PJ Utara constituency.

“We are not writing in to protest just for the sake of protesting,” said Section 5 Residents Association chairman Edward Lee.

“The protest is part of the legal steps that residents need to take to establish that there is a protest to the increase in assessment rates.”

Reasons for the protest

It is the right of the local government to raise assessment as provided under the Town Planning Act 1976. So, why should PJ residents even initiate a protest?

Assessment rates are based on the valuation of holdings and properties, and any increase should be accompanied by a valuation list. Residents can challenge if they feel the list is inaccurate.

Section 5 RA legal advisor Derek Fernandez gave additional reasons why PJ residents should protest the increase.

The Auditor-General report for 1992 and 1995 for MPPJ indicated that there were RM60mil worth of assets unaccounted for and 13 pieces of land that could not be located. MPPJ has not issued a statement on these losses.

Rental rates have fallen in most areas due to over-development and many residents do not see any justification for the increase.

The population increase in PJ over the years should account for more ratepayers and more revenue.

Some services formerly provided by MPPJ, like sewage treatment, have been privatised. Residents are now paying the same rate for less service.

MPPJ has not provided a detailed account of their expenses to justify the increase.

On the last point, Fernandez said, MPPJ was not a private company and should have no fear of people scrutinising the accounts.

“Tell us what you spend your money on,” he said. “Maybe we can help you to spend it more efficiently and avoid controversies like the missing assets amounting to RM60mil.

“In fact, if MPPJ can prove that they have spent our money efficiently with surplus cash in the local authority fund, the people would be more than happy to demand that those in office be given a raise (with that excess money) for the good work done.”

(Taxpayers’ monies are channelled to the Local Authority Fund vested in MPPJ and is used to provide services and facilities for the public.)

Ineffective and inefficient expenditure can be seen at Damansara Uptown. The hawker problem is not completely solved, as there are still some 300 hawkers who are demanding that they be relocated to Mentari Business Park.

While MPPJ waits for Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo to make a decree, MPPJ officers have to stand guard till midnight to ensure the hawkers do not set up shop. The officers are paid overtime.

Another example of inappropriate spending, as pointed out by PJ resident Victor Oorjitham, is the MPPJ administrative centre front lawn in Jalan Yong Shook Lin, which was done up two years ago with landscape features and trees.

“The entire frontage has been redone again this year, and it looks very expensive,” he said.

It has been done before

People who are doubtful that a protest would do much should know that residents have successfully blocked a proposed rate hike for 1998.

Oorjitham, a one-time Section 10 Residents Association president, had voiced a protest on behalf of the people in his neighbourhood on Dec 22, 1997, in The Star by listing out the reasons why an increase was a bad idea.

“The increase was eventually abolished,” said Oorjitham.

“Today, the cost of living has gone up and the people most affected (by an increase in assessment) are the hardcore poor and the lower income people.

“The price index has soared and the income level hasn’t gone up in tandem with the price increase.

“As far as services go, they have deteriorated and numerous complaints have been made and publicised but it seems that there is no systematic follow up to the complaints. How can MPPJ justify an increase in assessment if it doesn’t provide services?”

Condo owners should protest too

The current assessment rates for condominiums in PJ are far too high compared with landed properties and are based on rental values that are no longer justifiable.

Even though the announced 10% increase does not affect condominium properties, Maxwell Towers residents association chairman Dr Ho Chai Yee is urging condominium owners to lend their voices to the objection.

“About 15 years ago, people were willing to pay high rentals because of the scarce supply then. The scenario has changed since then.”

Pressed for time

Taman Mayang Jaya and Taman Megah RA chairman Liew Wei Beng said residents should protest quickly to avoid administrative hassles later on.

“It will be very difficult for both ratepayers and the council administration to resolve it then.”

Word has it that MPPJ’s notice would go out in two weeks’ time.

New facility for Puchong
Monday January 16, 2006
By Y.P. SIVAM



http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/16/central/m_25rakan.jpg

The front view of the RM24 million Rakan Muda Sports Complex
in Puchong.



RESIDENTS in Puchong will soon be able to enjoy the facilities at the Rakan Muda Sports Complex.

The RM24 million complex is expected to be handed over to the Petaling District Youth and Sports Department at the end of this month.

Puchong MP Lau Yeng Peng, who visited the complex last Thursday, said the facility was almost completed.

“Only the final touches remain. It was supposed to be have been completed last year but there was a delay.

“Now, everything is in order and residents in Puchong can look forward to utilising these facilities,'' Lau said after a two-hour visit.

The facilities available at the 1.6ha complex include a multi-purpose hall, futsal court, squash courts, aerobic room, snooker room, gymnasium and rooms for darts, carrom and table tennis.

The complex also has outdoor facilities for volleyball, basketball and sepak takraw.

It has a lecture hall, computer room, mini library and a dormitory that can house 120.

“I am impressed with the facilities available for the disabled. The complex can be a place for residents in Puchong to get together for sports and social activities. NGOs can organise more activities for youth. There is a population of 280,000 in Puchong. Out of this number, about 42,000 are students.

“Puchong has 23 primary and 12 secondary schools. With this complex, schools in the vicinity can initiate more training programmes.

“Residents in Puchong should take every opportunity to utilise the facilities. We certainly don't want the complex to become a white elephant,'' said Lau.

Free bus services planned for PJ
Monday January 16, 2006
By Y.P. SIVAM



CORPORATE bodies and NGOs are encouraged to adopt open parcels of land and gardens to be landscaped for the benefit of the environment and residents of Petaling Jaya, especially with the township's impending city status declaration in June.

PJ Local Agenda (LA) 21 Environment committee chairman Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) would maintain the area after the landscaping. “Landscaped gardens, particularly those with water features and natural forests, make an ideal educational venue for school children to study nature and MPPJ is looking into setting up an environmental unit for education,” said Dr Wong.




http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/25/central/p6tree-planting.jpg

Dr Wong (left) watches as students from SK Sekyen 6
and Seksyen 9 in Kota Damansara plant a tree.





“Currently, we already have a water specialist in Global Environment Centre (GEC) senior programme officer Dr K. Kalithasan. We are still looking for a forest specialist,” he added during the state-level tree-planting campaign held at the open park in Section 5, Kota Damansara, and Taman Rimba Riang at Section 9, Kota Damansara, on Thursday .

The tree-planting campaign saw the planting of 100 tecoma and rain trees at both venues. The event was conducted simultaneously at various venues in Selangor.

“There is no master plan as yet for the parks at Kota Damansara, and we are hoping to get feedback from the residents on the matter. Vandalism at the parks is also an issue we need to tackle,” said Dr Wong, adding that accessibility is important for the disabled.

On an unrelated matter, Dr Wong revealed that the council is planning to look into starting a free bus shuttle service within PJ.

The service, he added, was proposed by the Sultan of Selangor, and was beneficial to residents and would help decrease the number of cars on the roads and lower air pollution.

“We are still at the planning stage, hence we would need feedback from resident groups and NGOs,” he said, adding that a working paper on the proposal would be completed within a month.

Ahh..PJ

If only the urban areas in Selangor are considered as independent cities [rather than normally being referred to as Klang Valley or KL?], the whole PJ and daerah Petaling could easily be the 2nd largest city/2nd most modern/2nd etc etc in Malaysia.

Phileo Damansara, Petaling Jaya Section 16.

http://img417.imageshack.us/img417/4983/dsc0006117cd.jpg



A blissful year for couples and hotels
Thursday January 26, 2006
By DEBBIE CHAN

What? High bookings at hotels
When? All through the year
Why? Apparently due to large number of weddings


HOTELS have been charting high bookings for their rooms as well as their
Meeting Incentive Convention Event (MICE) facilities for this year.

Many attribute this to the large number of people who plan to get married in
the Year of the Dog.

It is for luck, they say.

Eastin Hotel Kuala Lumpur is one such hotel.

Its facilities are fully booked all through the year, except for August when
the Hungry Ghost Festival begins. Chinese couples shun this period for fear of
bad luck.

“The favourite months for weddings are September, October and November,”
said general manager Wilfred Yeo.

Concorde Kuala Lumpur marketing communications manager Julini Yusof said
the hotel’s occupancy rate was expected to hover between the 50-60%
bracket.




http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/1/26/central/01coverbouquet.jpg

Eastin Hotel is all ready for the big day for couples.




“We do see good business opportunities for the Year of the Dog,” she said.

Mandarin Oriental is also fast filling up its calendar with bookings for
weddings.

“The demand is so good that we have few dates left until December,” said
sales and marketing director Rachel Wong.

But, not all hotels attribute the positive trend to weddings alone.

Tracy Khee of JW Marriot Kuala Lumpur said the hotel’s occupancy rate was
about 85%.

“Bookings are coming in really fast, but they are mostly from foreign tourists,”
she said.

“We can’t really say that it’s a good year for weddings,’’ said Tracy.
“Because you know how superstitious some couples can be. I guess it varies
from individual to individual.”

Jess Kaur of Berjaya Times Square Hotel attributed the high occupancy rate
to the hotel’s concept more than anything else.

“The theme park and shopping complex help add to the hotel’s attraction,”
she said.

Getting ready to be a city
Monday February 6, 2006
By K.W. MAK, JAYAGANDI JEYARAJ and VIVIENNE PAL


http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/6/central/pjcover.bmp


PETALING JAYA’s city status is impending and the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) is intending to implement a list of services and facilities that will help spruce up the township’s image by June 20.

The council is already planning to better the roads in many villages and old town areas.

Kampung Tunku assemblyman Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou, who sits on the city status planning committee, said the council was looking into upgrading the landscape within a 5km radius of the MPPJ headquarters to better reflect the image of a city.

“Previously, the various departments involved with upgrading works were working on their own and this caused a lot of delays,” he said.

“This time, all the departments will be working together so that there will be uniform planning and less time consumed in upgrading the facilities.”

Wong said the list of things the council intended to upgrade were lighting, landscape and drains, but not everything would come from the council’s coffers.

Instead, the committee is looking at getting companies to sponsor landscaped areas and become partners with the council in maintaining the area.

This would be similar to the roundabouts that were once sponsored by corporate companies whose logos were in the centre of the roundabouts.

Beautification of other parts of Petaling Jaya would also take place, but the council has to look at solving the vandalism problem first, especially in places further from the town centre as these areas were not patrolled.

The council is also holding talks with Rapid KL on providing local bound bus services, something Petaling Jaya residents used to enjoy before Intrakota buses took over the routes and slowly phased them out.

“These new busses can be designed to take the disabled into account and provide them with a means to travel around the city,” said Wong.

There are also plans to light up certain landmarks like places of worship to make them more visible to the public. “This will be done because MPPJ has a need for landmarks,'' said Wong.

Some issues that the council would look at include parking problems for many areas in Petaling Jaya, including around LRT stations.

“Many of the parking operators are not legal around LRT stations because they occupy TNB reserve land, but we are holding talks with TNB on this,” said Wong.

Problems involving hawkers, which have been an ongoing issue would also be looked at closely as illegal hawkers give the township a bad name.

Staffing issues are also a concern for the council as retirement benefits are getting costlier for the council and as such it may be cheaper to outsource public works to private companies.

As an example, Wong said the road-painting workforce for the council used to be 40, but had been reduced to 17 now and many of the present staff were getting old.

PJ roundabout restored to former glory
Friday February 17, 2006
By PARVEEN GILL


In December, the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) was criticised for failing to maintain a fountain at the Jalan Penchala-Jalan Templer roundabout.

The Star, in its story headlined “RM200,000 fountain of despair,” reported that the fountain was built as part of MPPJ’s beautification projects prior to the Commonwealth Games in 1998.

However, it was neglected for such a long time that its pillars had rusted and the water jets become askew.

Recently, The Star discovered that the fountain looks as good as new – no more rusty pillars.






http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2006/2/17/central/m_pg02rust.JPG

The Jalan Penchala-Jalan Templer roundabout’s fountain before and after
repair works were done.






MPPJ councillor Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou, who had earlier said that maintenance work would be carried out after funds were received, said repair works began last month.

“The council immediately began restoration works when it received its fixed monthly maintenance fund.

“In future, maintenance work will be carried out twice a year,” he said when contacted.

Dr Wong added that the filter was replaced and the total cost of restoration was about RM5,000.

pening mata gua see the roofs. Looks like we have some unknown constructions there ;)

I think that is Pelangi Damansara II developed by Metro Kajang. The project consists of 2 phases:
Phase 1 - Medium High Cost Apartments (Block A, B & C)
Phase 2 - High Cost Apartments (Block D, E & F)
Altogether it will be 6 19-storey apartment blocks. :) :) :)

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/2061/pelangi22pf.jpg
Source: Metro Kajang Holdings Bhd website.

Making Petaling Jaya safe in line with city status
Monday March 6, 2006
By VIVIENNE PAL



THE Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) must take immediate measures to upgrade Petaling Jaya into a safer city before it achieves city status in June.

This can be achieved by adhering closely to Housing and Local Government Ministry's 23 safe city strategies that were published in 2004. They help counter surging crime rates.

MPPJ has installed 16 CCTVs in strategic areas in response to the strategies.

“Crime prevention should begin from local facilities and an environment that facilitates the police in carrying out their activities and improve surveillance,” said Women, Family and Community Development Ministry's parliamentary secretary Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun during the launch of “Crime Free Campaign III - Towards A Safe City'' at the Atria shopping centre on Thursday.

Present were Selangor Police Chief Datuk Yahya Udin, MPPJ president Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh, Damansara Utama assemblyman Datuk Lim Choon Kin and representatives from Residents Associations (RA), NGOs, religious groups and educational institutions.

Organised by the Petaling Jaya Utara (PJU) Security Committee (of which Chew is chairman) and supported by the police force, Chew’s PJU service centre, and other corporate sponsors, the campaign follows the success of its previous two instalments in 2003 and 2004.

It is also an active response to fight recurring break-ins and snatch thefts within PJU in the past year.

“Crime is again rampant and taking place in densely populated commercial areas and in remote surroundings that are distant from main roads, and dead ends of housing areas,'' said Chew. “We not only need to continuously remind people to be vigilant in times of peace, but to persistently request the police and town councils not to be lax in enforcement.”

While the objectives of the first two campaigns were education and enforcement, this year's campaign, themed “Towards A Safe City'' focuses on engineering in response to the 23 safe city strategies.

Chew commended MPPJ for its efforts in preventing crimebut highlighted certain areas that did not comply with the strategies such as the pedestrian tunnel that connects Damansara Jaya and Damansara Utama, the ladder-like public phone poles behind some old houses in SS4 which make it easy for thieves to break into houses, and the absence of street lights in SS26/10.

“To create a safe city, we must first look into the design of buildings and infrastructure, roads and surrounding environment,” said Chew.

To ensure the success of the campaign, she urged residents to participate in an upcoming survey to identify crime-prone areas or areas that violated the safe city concept on April 2.

“About 300 to 500 residents from 24 housing estates in PJU will be meeting at PJ SS2 Millennium Park to participate in the programme which begins at 8am and ends at about 2pm.

“A report will be compiled and submitted to MPPJ as well as the police in the hope that the police will have more patrols along those streets and MPPJ will take immediate action to upgrade the facilities there,'' said Chew.

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/7813/amcorpmallclusterfeb1320057em.jpg

Petaling Jaya in the morning. The yellow building on the left, middle ground, is Amcorp mall (near Tenaga Nasional)
by tk_yeoh
February 2006

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/7159/11045ug.jpg

17 sub-committees to plan PJ’s City Day
Tuesday April 4, 2006


A SERIES of activities have been lined up to celebrate the impending declaration of Petaling Jaya as a city on June 20.

Kampung Tunku assemblyman Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou announced that 17 sub-committees comprising councillors and MPPJ officers had been set up to ensure that events leading up to the big day would be a success.

Events include the handing over of the proclamation letter (watikah pengisytiharan) of PJ’s city status by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail to the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting will present the proclamation to the Sultan of Selangor, who will in turn present it to Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

The ceremony will take place on June 8 at Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam.

The PJ Half Marathon, traditionally held in the second half of the year, will be brought forward to June 18 in conjunction with City Day.

“This will be the first City Run, and for the first time, the event will be participated by uniform bodies including the police, fire department and RELA,” said Dr Wong after the MPPJ full board meeting on Thursday .

A sports expo will be held at the PJ stadium in Kelana Jaya three days before the run.

Other activities include treasure hunts and sports activities.

In addition to the unveiling of the new MPPJ logo, Dr Wong said that PJ’s first mayor will be elected on City Day itself.

http://img305.imageshack.us/img305/7159/11045ug.jpg

WOW!

In PJ, there's a special place called kampung cempaka

any pictures on this place?

by tk_yeoh

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4452/4410kx.jpg

Pulsating PJ
By FRANCIS DASS

18 May, 2006

FRANCIS DASS highlights the many places you can visit within walking distance of the Taman Jaya LRT Station, from a serene temple to a busy mall. This is Part 4 of a five-part series on things to do when you wait for a ride on the Light Rail Transit system. THE fantastic town of Petaling Jaya, which I have had the pleasure of living in for the past 20 years (though I still call Penang home!), started life in the 1950s. It was a small town meant to support the always-thriving Kuala Lumpur by providing a suburbia for those working in KL then.

Today, somehow, Petaling Jaya has sprawled into a residential area unlike any other in the country — or in the region, for that matter — with a healthy network of infrastructure and greens.

However, not all of PJ, as Petaling Jaya is always referred to, is built to be equal. All the immediate areas surrounding Jalan Gasing, which has a hearty mix of the three main races in the country living and mingling side by side, soar higher above the other parts of PJ. (Most other woeful areas in PJ usually have only one ethnic group in the majority.

Monoethnicity, in my book at least, makes for a dull society and an uninspired living environment.)

Because of its diversity, Jalan Gasing, the part of PJ in which I have lived for so long, marches to afunky beat. It speaks of the social richness afforded by multi-culturalism.

To sample a bit of what this high-flying part of PJ has to offer, just hop onto the LRT and head to Taman Jaya to see for yourself. The pulsing vibes around this particular LRT stop are very telling of the great energy that all these areas close to PJ’s Jalan Gasing have, courtesy of the quirky Gasing folk.

WHAT: Wat Chetawan, a Siamese Buddhist temple

WHERE: No. 24, Jalan Pantai, Petaling Jaya.

HOW FAR: Distance by foot from Taman Jaya LRT station — 10-15 minutes. After catching a glimpse of the grand roof structures of this Siamese Buddhist temple (approaching Taman Jaya’s LRT station from KL, the view is from windows on the left), it is easily reached by foot by keeping the monolithic Tenaga Nasional building in sight as your landmark.

Walking towards Tenaga, cross the main road at the pedestrian crossing and head to the right side of the Tenaga building where Jalan Pantai is located. Enter Jalan Pantai and follow this curving road right to its other end where the temple is located.

WHAT TO DO: The outside of the temple gives no indications at all of the vast tranquillity of the temple grounds itself: it is dotted with various altars and places of worship. After passing through the inviting archway, you will find that the temple halls within have a divine and soothing air about them.

The surrounding greens (next to it is Taman Jaya, a community park) lend the place an air of tranquillity.

News reports indicate that the temple was opened in 1962 by King Bhumipol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand. Wat Chetawan is a brilliant testament of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister — the always loved and much adored Tunku Abdul Rahman — and his vision of Malaysia as a tolerant and multi-racial country.

Wat Chetawan is a must-visit for the faithful as well as the curious interested in observing all things Buddhist.

WHAT: Taman Tasik Jaya

HOW FAR: Distance by foot from Taman Jaya LRT station — 5-10 minutes. As with Wat Chetawan, head towards the Tenaga Nasional building. Once you reach Tenaga, cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and Taman Tasik Jaya will be immediately visible at your left.

WHAT TO DO: The trees and jogging track around the lake draw the crowds every evening. Families, both old and young, tend to hang out here in the evenings, especially during the weekends when parents toss a mat over the grass and seat themselves on it for a chat and play-time with their children.

WHAT: A&W PJ Drive-In

HOW FAR: Distance by foot from Taman Jaya LRT station: 2-3 minutes (36.8 seconds if you’re really hungry!).

WHAT TO DO: Opened in 1967. This fast food joint has fed more than a generation of Malaysians. So, if you see a mama and papa sliding into the bays in their cars with their children, in all probability the parents too used to hang out at this burger joint in their youth.
Grab a rootbeer float, coney dogs or curly fries at any time of the day, rain or shine.

WHAT: Amcorp Mall

HOW FAR: Distance by foot from Taman Jaya LRT station: less than five minutes.

WHAT TO DO: Although not the hottest place to hang out in the Klang Valley, Amcorp Mall has all the right ingredients to draw the people. A colleague who was writing a piece on toys and collectibles told us of how, in the one hour she spent in a toy shop in the mall, the sales reached a staggering amount.

Amcorp is a family mall with plenty for everyone.

Best of all, the mall’s weekend flea market is very hot. People from all over the Klang Valley converge here to scout for knickknacks, collectibles or souvenirs. There are also antique shops and a very fine secondhand magazine shop on the second floor worth visiting. There’s a place for stamp collectors too! Need we say more?

WHAT: PJ State (a.k.a. PJ New Town)

HOW FAR: Distance by foot from Taman Jaya LRT station: 8-10 minutes.

WHAT TO DO: Considered by many to be the heart of PJ, the more well-known banks are found here.
In PJ State, you can find fast food, Chinese food, Indian food, florists, mamak stalls, and all manner of shops and services. Even pubs, jewellers and telecommunications outlets and opticians are here.
© Copyright 2006 The New Straits Times Press (M) Berhad. All rights reserved.

Clear scene, dark rain cloud, and raining in PJ.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1888/200605662qc.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/571/200605670nn.jpg

Located in Bandar Utama, anyone know the name of this condo?

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/8853/a200606612dr.jpg

Is that Bukit Utama condo?

Clear scene, dark rain cloud, and raining in PJ.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/571/200605670nn.jpg

Absolutely stunning pic! :master:

Kelana Jaya, PJ (Yes, I'm back to Malaysia!)

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/241/kelana013ax.jpg

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8684/kelana022na.jpg

More of Kelana Jaya, PJ.

http://img103.imageshack.us/img103/7749/kelana034cw.jpg

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1015/kelana046wu.jpg

Kelana Jaya, PJ (Yes, I'm back to Malaysia!)




Wah good! :okay: So now we would get more pictures! :D

ANyway if you would like to go for a drink you could buzz me lah ;)

recently completed office building Section 16
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d163/picaddict_1975/DSC00948.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d163/picaddict_1975/DSC00949.jpg

myf282828 awesome pictures :okay:

finally, PJ has been granted Bandaraya status

congrats PJ..nice place

Clear scene, dark rain cloud, and raining in PJ.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/1888/200605662qc.jpg

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/571/200605670nn.jpg

looks like end of the world!! great pics!!

thanks Lastresorter and travellator for your contributions as well :okay:

My collection. Some older pics from PJNet.
Sec. 13
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/sc4_2006/PJ_sec131.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/sc4_2006/PJ_sec132.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/sc4_2006/PJ3.jpg
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i290/sc4_2006/PJ4.jpg

A view towards Damansara Intan, SS2 (dunno the name of the new apartments)

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/9448/ss2010il.jpg

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2237/ss2026jb.jpg

[QUOTE=Lastresorter]Kelana Jaya, PJ (Yes, I'm back to Malaysia!)

welcome back home :cheers:

Near Damansara Perdana and next to LDP, anyone know what project is this?
(taken on Sep 02, 2006)

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4333/a2006095zh6.jpg

Wat Chetawan Temple
http://img428.imageshack.us/img428/5705/img2414om8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/4637/img2419zb9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/5144/img2417ax4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/8645/img2412ft9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

PJ SECTION 19
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/7245/img2403lv6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Federal Highway
http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/5773/img2410rb3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

good shots Ethaniel83 :okay:

Here are more snapshots of PJ

Taman Jaya Recreational Park
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8210/img2434fs2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/7190/img2432wi2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7696/img2426ns1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4483/img2425nu4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/3313/img2448gr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/4052/img2446sx4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/9309/img2449vr9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5108/img2454ai4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8007/img2455pz7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Section 14 commercial area
http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8222/img2468oq3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/3294/img2469ps2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/6041/img2471kp9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/4544/img2472lr0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Kelana Jaya, Tropicana, and Damansara Perdana; view from Subang Jaya. (Taken on Dec 04, 2006)

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7245/qqqqdq0.png

Near Damansara Perdana and next to LDP, anyone know what project is this?
(taken on Sep 02, 2006)

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/4333/a2006095zh6.jpg

OMG,it looks like it could slip off the hill.

Kelana Jaya, Tropicana, and Damansara Perdana; view from Subang Jaya. (Taken on Dec 04, 2006)

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7245/qqqqdq0.png

This is indeed a great vantage point of northern PJ. It always take my breath away looking at it. But it's extremely difficult to snap a pic there :(

^^I drive up to that view almost every single day since the ramp opened, but found it nearly impossible to snap it. Even if I do have my camera, it's either hazy or there's a lorry/ bus in the way.:ohno: So it's nice to see your picture here Myf. :)

These are for those who miss driving on the Federal Highway...:D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Kuala%20Lumpur/DSC00428.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v188/argory/Kuala%20Lumpur/DSC00429.jpg

Subang Jaya.

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/7501/a20061253jt7.jpg

This is indeed a great vantage point of northern PJ. It always take my breath away looking at it. But it's extremely difficult to snap a pic there :(

Thats true. This stretch has good vantage point of the view and i found its too dangerous to snap pic. The road is uneven and the gradient is steep. Thanks god, we have a stuntman in the forum.

Any shuttle bus to 1-Utama? I'll be coming over to KL on the 19th for a quick one-day getaway but I was at Curve/Cineleisure/IKANO side due to the shuttle bus to/from Kelana Jaya LRT.

wow..that digital mall look cute:)

The cable bridge of Damansara-Puchong Expressway spanning over its intersection with Federal Highway in Petaling Jaya. Kuala Lumpur can be seen in the distant background on the right corner of the picture.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/LDP_FR1.JPG/800px-LDP_FR1.JPG

from flickr... MPPJ Stadium, Kelana Jaya

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/36/124202104_13356d32fa_b.jpg

from flickr... Kelana Jaya

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/36/84421680_818b6f1bba_o.jpg

from flickr... Padang MPPJ, PJ State

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/101/290610033_0b8c975f63_b.jpg

from flickr... Sec16 with Menara Telekom in background

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/27/56210098_14cbacab46_b.jpg

Phileo Damansara, PJ

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/53/119618975_66a7ae0980.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/38/119618973_992fd6c016.jpg?v=0

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/99/312925453_97ac3b9fdd_o.jpg

nice........building looks interesting!!!

^^ Thanks :) PJ is the place I call home... and hometown :D

from pbase... Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel, Bandar Sunway, PJ

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/7717/300247272xm1.jpg

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/9927/sunwayhotelis2.jpg

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/1994/7375242581ft0tvv2dk4.jpg

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/7412/66746019csmwkpvr2pt9.jpg

:cheers: nice pics...^^

sunway only looks good at night

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/2154/p1000314vz3.jpg

^^ there's a shark in the skyline!!! :eek: :lol:

Damansara Uptown
Petaling Jaya, Selangor (http://www.shimz.com.my/popcom_damasara.htm)

http://www.shimz.com.my/img/Bcomm_damansara.jpg

May 29. Anyone know the name of this project in Kelana Jaya.

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4373/200705208abh4.jpg

Phileo Damansara, PJ

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/99/312925453_97ac3b9fdd_o.jpg

It looks similar to KK Times Square.

It looks similar to KK Times Square.

KK times square is far nicer than this. I felt all phileo buildings r ugly, run out of taste. And the exterior wall is full of cracks and patches now. It is the scar of the 90s boom time.

Dataran Prima.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2974/20070712xb3.jpg

Dataran Prima Condo.

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9106/20070713ed0.jpg

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1391/imag0022jl7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Shop Office, Kelana Jaya

by tk_yeoh

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/4452/4410kx.jpg

Bangunan PKNS di Petaling Jaya, Selangor
by onggon

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1418/1298697177_7c7eaec1df_o.jpg

by nur2310

http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/9/9/4/f_20m_48d39ed.jpg

by Ervan

http://img31.picoodle.com/img/img31/9/9/4/f_19m_78a0249.jpg

by ayub jamil

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1325/800332053_71832f358d_o.jpg

Kampung Cempaka, BU12, Taman Megah, etc..

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1825/dsc01625pj5.jpg

kampung Cempaka, BU11, Damansara Uptown, etc...

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/7649/dsc01621me1.jpg

by fatinsg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1268/1296430724_7417b86b24_b.jpg

PJ Lake

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1001/1295532545_4cf2a42a5a_b.jpg

Kelana Jaya Lake.
by fatinsg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1285/1353785616_11645efe9f_b.jpg

I think the huge and tall cable should find an alternative to remove from PJ city center, its a scar for PJ skyline. :nuts: :nuts: :nuts:

that wire cables really ugly :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

PJ will look more "handsome" without that ugly cable. :banana:

i just consider these locations are in PJ, quite a border town between KL and PJ

damansara utama
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2203/1704525383_c0052400fe.jpg?v=0

one utama
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2316/1704522221_e140aa55d2.jpg?v=0

a building in the curve area
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2064/1704520385_a76d5087f2.jpg?v=0

pj trade centre
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/1705374320_57e6e2804e.jpg?v=0

sunway spk damansara
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2091/1705366852_880c252824.jpg?v=0
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2363/1704507311_750bd17fe3.jpg?v=0

country heights damansara
just signboard at nearby sunway spk damansara
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/1704515355_749a729bcf.jpg?v=0

Petaling Jaya : LDP, SS2, KDU
posted by wielmaja on WordPress.com.

http://eyeonmalaysia.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/p1040765-copy.jpg

http://eyeonmalaysia.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/p1040763-copy.jpg

http://eyeonmalaysia.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/dsc00045-copy.jpg

http://eyeonmalaysia.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/dsc00046-copy.jpg

wow, PJ looks so dense and well organised.

PJ looks like a huge metropolis :eek:

[QUOTE=myf282828;13425985]May 29. Anyone know the name of this project in Kelana Jaya.

is an apartment project

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2817/img6014xf7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2627/img6018xs1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4800/img6020im3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/7149/img6025at8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/563/img6030bo9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/904/img6041bf5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Damansara Uptown
Petaling Jaya, Selangor (http://www.shimz.com.my/popcom_damasara.htm)

http://www.shimz.com.my/img/Bcomm_damansara.jpg

by tuqpiruq

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2162/2077302201_c8cfbfd8c6_o.jpg

Section 14, PJ
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/6748/img6713hq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9219/img6710wn7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6480/img6714et3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/6104/img6712ua3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/6679/img6711nd1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2349/2106832427_57593c42c1_o.jpg

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/2006/img6593gi5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5250/img6603na0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/5606/img6590en3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6617/img6601cb9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/1449/img6608di2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6089/img6612vp0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6632/img6613sk8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/189/img6615ns9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/4618/img6620du4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/1856/img6619de8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/6325/img6622el6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/1751/img6618rd5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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^^

^ nice urban!

by bentuckee

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Wow, that last pix is superb... Showing the entire cluster of PJ and KL in the distance!

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Here is a self-taken pix of mine... Showing PJ State from Level 8 of the Ken 2 Damansara Condo...

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This is my home....Jasmine Tower, SS2 PJ. :lol: :lol: :lol:

^^ Ohh Irwin, we are neighbours! :lol:

^^ Ohh Irwin, we are neighbours! :lol:

Oh really? Interesting... :grouphug:

Maybe we've seen each other before...haha!

I live in Blk B, u?

Dataran Prima

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so irwin and lastresorter...i saw a new project next to ur condo....got any idea wat project is dat?

It's Ameera Residences....another condo project. :cheers:

ooh...i guz dats not a new pic... u shud take the construction pic of ameera....

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Free bus rides for the poor
By TAN KARR WEI


THERE will be a free community bus service for poor residents in Petaling Jaya starting on June 3, said mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

“We are targeting poorer areas in the city. The bus is more for senior citizens and housewives who need to do their marketing or run errands. The bus will even pass by University Hospital,” said Roslan.

The bus service will start from the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) in SS8, Kelana Jaya, and go to areas like PJS6, PJS2, Jalan 12, Jalan 1/1, PJS 3, PJS 1, Jalan Templer, Jalan Othman, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Jalan Gasing, Jalan Universiti, Section 19/8, SS2, SS4A/1, SS6/3, SS5/1 and back onto the LDP, completing a circular route.

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) bought a new bus, which seats about 30 for RM200,000 and refurbished another at a cost of about RM100,000.

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A little help: Persatuan Mobiliti Selantor & Kuala Lumpur president Anthony Arokia trying the hydraulic lift to get onto the transit van.

The bus service will run from 9.30am to 4.30pm, from Monday to Friday.

MBPJ will also provide a transit service for disabled people.

A van fitted with a hydraulic lift will ferry them from their doorstep to their destination.

MBPJ LA21 officer Lee Lih Shyan said for now, the service was by appointment, as there was only one van available.

The van can ferry two wheelchair-bound persons at a time and four if the wheelchairs can be folded.

The service is also available from 9.30am to 4.30 pm and those interested in using the service can call 03-7956 3544 (ext 351 and 370).

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For those in need: Roslan (right) and Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee checking out the new bus.

“We hope that companies will come forward to sponsor more buses and vans or the maintenance costs to run these services,” said Roslan.

The trial run of the bus service will start in the middle of May and public feedback is welcomed and can be forwarded to LA21 officer Lee Lih Shyan lee@mbpj.gov.my, acting engineering director Ismail Shafie ismail@mbpj.gov.my or public relations officer Zainun Zakaria zainun@mbpj.gov.my

Free bus service in PJ
Azira Shaharuddin

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PJ mayor Mohamad Roslan Sakiman Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman (right) asking wheelchair-bound Anthony Arokia whether he was comfortable with the special van. — Picture by Rosdan Wahid

PETALING JAYA: The old, the poor and the physically challenged will get free bus transport provided by the Petaling Jaya City Council.

Beginning June 3, two new buses, coloured blue, will make their rounds in Petaling Jaya.

The free bus service, which is from 9.30am to 4.30pm daily, will cover Old Klang Road, PJS6/2, PJS2, PJS2/3, PJS2/21, Jalan 12, Jalan Maju Jaya 1/1, PJS3/28, PJS1/25, PJS1/52, PJS1/35, Jalan Templer, Jalan Othman, Jalan Selangor, Jalan Yong Shook Lin, Jalan Sultan, Jalan Changgai, Jalan Gasing, Jalan Universiti, Jalan 19/8, Jalan SS2/24, Jalan SS2/5, Jalan SS21/34, Jalan SS21/37, Jalan SS2/23, Jalan SS4A/1, Jalan Bahagia SS6/3 and SS5/1 and part of the LDP.

Petaling Jaya Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said the idea was mooted by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in his speech on June 20, 2006 during the official declaration of Petaling Jaya as a city.


Sultan Sharafuddin had asked the PJ City Council to have a community bus for the poor and the old to go to places such as hospitals, markets, and libraries.

"It is hoped that the underprivileged and the old would take full advantage of this free bus service," Mohamad Roslan said, adding that they just have to wait at bus stops along the route to use the free service.

The free bus service will be introduced in three phases. In the first phase, the bus will go around PJS, PJ Old Town, PJ New Town and some of the SS areas.

The second phase will cover other SS areas and part of Kota Damansara while the third phase will include the northern part of Petaling Jaya such as Sri Damansara and Damansara Damai.

"I appeal to the corporate sector to lend us a helping hand under their corporate social responsibility programme to help sponsor a few more buses and their maintenance cost," Mohamad Roslan said.

Before its official launch next month, the City Council will hold a trial run next week and also to get feedback from the public.

For the physically challenged people, the "Transit OKU" service will be on a "service on request" basis whereby a blue van will go to the houses of the disabled, pick them up and take them to their destinations.

Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Mobility Association (Mobiliti) president Anthony Arokia said the move by the City Council to provide free transport for the disabled was heart warming and he hoped other local councils would follow suit.

"It's a good move since public transport is inaccessible for people like us except the Kelana Jaya area bus service," he said.

Those who want to use this service can call 03-7956 3544 for appointments from June 3.

You get three lakes, not one pond
Halim Said

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One of the three lakes on state land (left) to be gazetted for the Kelana Jaya Park, followed by a PKNS pond (right) which will be handed over to MBPJ.

PETALING JAYA: Residents here have been assured that they will get three lakes and not only one pond for recreation.

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has promised PJ residents the “full package” once the Kelana Jaya Park is gazetted.



MBPJ public relations director Haniza Abdul Hamid said this in response to a query by Friends of Kelana Jaya Park, an NGO, which claimed that the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) was handing over to the council only a pond at the park to be gazetted as a recreational area.

Haniza said the council’s town planning department will submit an evaluation report of the lakes to the Petaling land office before it can be submitted to the State Government to be gazetted.

“We have to clarify that the process of gazetting the park involves the council’s town planning department, the state government and land off ice,” she said.

“We start with the three lakes first, before proceeding with the pond owned by PKNS.

We are appointing a surveyor to determine the boundaries for the park,” she added.

Friends of Kelana Jaya Park secretary Musa K. Muhamad said their concern as not with the issue of the ponds per se, but the lakes being gazetted as a recreational area.

“If the lakes are not gazetted as a recreational area, we fear that the land may be earmarked for more commercial d e ve l o p m e n t , ” he said.

He added that the society has prepared a memorandum demanding that the state government gazette the park, which will be handed over to Seri Setia state assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad soon.

“The promise to gazette the 42-hectare was made six years ago. We do not want more years to be wasted,” he said.

It was reported that PKNS had promised to hand over the park to MBPJ for it to be gazetted as a recreational area.

PKNS public relations manager Mohd Wazir Abdul Gani had said the park’s handingover process had been planned as far back as 2005, when the issue was raised with the then former Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo in 2005.

Wazir confirmed yesterday PKNS had submitted the letter of handover for the pond (behind the Kelana Jaya Seafood restaurant) to MBPJ on Tuesday, to be gazetted as part of the Kelana Jaya park. Wazir clarified that the three lakes in the Kelana Jay a park are part of state government land and not owned by PKNS.

The move ends a long battle by residents who have pushed for the park to be gazetted as a recreational area after PKNS announced plans to build sfaff quarters on the site.

Following a protest by residents, Dr Mohd Khir promised that the land would be transferred to the council, but to date, residents were still awaiting the handover.

Khalid: PJ must emulate other cities to achieve livable status
By SALINA KHALID


PETALING Jaya should emulate cities like Singapore and others in Australia and become a livable city, said Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim at the launch of the Livable Cities National Workshop at the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) banquet hall on Monday.

He said city folks should emulate their counterparts in those cities and work towards achieving that target.

“We have not reached that status yet and this workshop provides us the opportunity to learn from our friends from Australia and Singapore.

“Having a livable city would not only attract more people to stay here, it also boosts property values,” he said.

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A closer look: Khalid (right) having a look at the products on display at a booth set up in conjunction with the workshop.

He added that despite the internationally accepted set criteria of the livable city, Petaling Jaya should have its own criteria, which included religion and culture.

The two-day workshop, organised by the MBPJ and the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) and supported by the ASEAN Association for Planning and Housing, was held in conjunction with PJ's second anniversary as a city.

The workshop was organised to explore the concept of a livable city, to examine the current status of PJ and to formulate affirmative actions for implementation towards achieving livable city status.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman, MIP president Norliza Hashim and Selangor state executive council members were also present.

Some 300 participants representing more than 120 organisations, including those from Australia and Singapore, participated in the workshop.

The workshop also featured two keynote papers by speakers from Australia and Singapore.

Khalid added that the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit Livability Ranking has assessed living conditions in 127 cities worldwide by looking at 39 indicators and found that 63 cities fall into the top livability bracket.

The criteria set for being a livable city includes having political and economic stability, quality healthcare, cultural diversity, environmental conservation, educational excellence and world-class infrastructure.

Rate services electronically
Saturday July 26, 2008
By TAN KARR WEI
TheStar

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RESIDENTS of Petaling Jaya can now rate the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) counter services electronically.

Fifteen touch-screen monitors have been installed at payment counters at the MBPJ complex in Jalan Yong Shook Lin.

Customers can rate the services by answering six questions – courteousness and friendliness; correct and accurate information provided; appearance and attentiveness; cleanliness; efficiency; and satisfaction with service rendered.

Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said they would be able to improve services from day to day with the immediate responses obtained from the system.

Local Government, Research and Studies Committee chairman Ronnie Liu launched of the system.




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Feedback: Liu (left) showing a customer how to use the electronic touch
screen to rate services rendered at the MBPJ payment counters, while
Mohamad Roslan looks on.




Liu said the system should be seen as something positive to help improve services and not to put shame on the councils.

The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) will be the next to implement the system.

Liu added that they were studying ways to reward local authorities that performed well.

“We'll be asking all the local authorities to save three to five per cent in expenditure.

“The savings will be given back to the respective councils to improve the quality of services to the people,” said Liu.

MBPJ has also put up a new automatic cash and cheque payment kiosk, which is open 24 hours.

Rain proves to be no dampener as Tropicana folks get together
By OH ING YEEN


DAMANSARA Indah Resorts Homes are now known as Tropicana Indah Resort Homes in a bid to embrace the concept of totality. Dijaya Corporation Bhd group managing director Tong Kien Onn announced the change recently.

Damansara Indah caused some confusion as many did not know it was part of the Tropicana development.

“Residents are happy with the name change because people relate to Tropicana as a high quality resort development. In the future, the launches will have the name ‘Tropicana’ in it,” he said.


Soothing sounds: Traditional Chinese musicians performing classical tunes at a fully furnished show unit during the Mid-Autumn Festival street party.

In conjunction with the name change, the group organised a street party at its Villa Green Show Unit at Tropicana Indah and invited residents, purchasers and priority card members.

Just as the fiesta was about to start, it started raining.

However, the downpour did not dampen the guests’ spirits as many turned up with their families in tow and enjoyed the spread at the food stalls set up along the street.

The street was decorated with lanterns in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival and guests sampled mooncakes by the Tai Thong group.

Guests were seen making a beeline for the satay, sushi and ice-kacang stalls while kids were kept busy at the games stalls.

Street performers, who came on stilts or dressed up as comic characters, entertained the party-goers and distributed balloons to the children.

The group’s marketing and sales deputy general manager Lillian Lung said that two show units had been set aside for Muslims to break their fast and prayer rooms were also provided.


On the prowl: Street performers dressed as Batman and Spiderman posed for photos with the kids.

Highlights of the evening included a lucky draw for purchasers. The lucky grand prize winner was Chin Yew Meng.

Tong was surprised that the turnout was so good despite the weather.

“I was talking to some purchasers and their comments were positive. They would like to see more such events in the future,” he said.

Tropicana resident Edmund Koh, who came with his family of three, preferred the street food concept as it was stuffy with everyone under the tents when the stalls were placed in the centre the last time.

“However, this means we would have to get wet when we move from stall to stall. I would have enjoyed it more if not for the rain,” he said.

KL_ _ _City boundary_ _ _PJ
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New committee set up to look into cleanliness in PJ
Monday October 6, 2008
By OH ING YEEN
TheStar

DURING the September MBPJ full board meeting, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman told councillors that a back alley cleanliness campaign would be organised to increase awareness on the need for cleanliness among PJ residents.

“The Environment Development Department has set up a Public Hygiene and Sanitation Committee that will be responsible for the campaign. Hopefully, the department will have a well-planned framework to carry out its task continuously and in stages,” he said.

The Environment Development Department is also responsible for setting up guidelines for the level of cleanliness at stalls.

“Starting next year, there will be a competition for food stalls to ensure that vendors and food handlers care for the hygiene of their premises and improve the quality of food.

“They will be graded on the quality of food and the beautification of their stalls,” Roslan said.

He added that a competition and grading system for toilets would also be held next year.

Public Hygiene and Sanitation Committee chairman Michael Soon, who is also an MBPJ councillor, said the committee had been conducting inspections at food outlets.

“We are starting in SS2 where there are many restaurants.

“We hope to create a new type of culture and it should be the restaurant owners’ corporate social resp-onsibility to ensure that the premises are clean,” he said.

Soon, who has done a fair bit of travelling, also said other Asian countries like Hong Kong and Thailand had clean public toilets.

“It all boils down to the people’s attitude. Verbal warnings are not enough,” he said.

MBPJ health director Dr Sadiah Abdullah said the council would not tolerate any repeat offenders.

“Drastic measures need to be taken,” she said, adding that the department required more manpower to tackle issues involving hygiene.

oh I miss PJ so much! miss my university days with my friends. miss our hangout time together!

My Grandmom home here!!!!! Love PJ:)

PJ Old Town needs rejuvenation
Stories by YIP YOKE TENG
Photos by LOW LAY PHON

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THE older section of Petaling Jaya, popularly known as PJ Old Town, is apparently living up to its pet name and is fast turning into an old folk’s town.

“Just look around. Just how many young people do you see? We old folks are the only ones left here,” a senior citizen told StarMetro at the PJ Old Town wet market last week.

“It’s an old folks’ town,” she said, pointing at the many snowy haired frail figures around €“ some sipping coffee at the food stalls, some shopping for groceries in the market with their grandchildren in tow, some hunching to do their chores, some cycling on the side of the busy road or driving.

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Quiet spot: The once popular bus terminal on Jalan Othman is even quieter at night, and becomes a favourite haunt for vagrants and drug addicts.

The PJ Old Town, comprising Sections 1 to 4 of Petaling Jaya, was the first organised self-contained township in the city, with markets, food courts, a hospital, places of worship and transportation hubs within its vicinity.

The pioneer batch of residents settled there before Merdeka in 1957.

However, over the last half century, the PJ Old Town has lost its early appeal as a thriving shopping, marketing and eating hub when developments started moving towards the city’s north from the 1970s. The young generations moved out, too, following the development trend.

The stench of a dirty market, silt in the drains, poor lighting and empty retail lots are what spring to mind at the mention of the area.

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Bad business: Most of the shops in PJ Old Town commercial area are closed after dinner.

The traders there are complaining about poor business and a bleak future.

“During its heyday, the food court closed only after 1am but now you can hardly see anyone there after 8pm,” said Lee Kim Yen, 60, who has been selling noodles at the food court for 20 years.

“There used to be many factories and some schools around, but they have all moved out. We can have business in the evening only when some residents decide not to cook dinner that night,” Lee said.

A dim sum shop operator commented: “What else can the authorities do? This is pretty much a dead township.”

Masliza Mohd Arif, 36, operates a food stall near the Jalan Templer KTM station at the dead end of Jalan Railway, a place notorious for frequent thefts.

According to Masliza, the PJ Old Town is now a far cry from 30 years ago when the stalls stayed open until 4am.

However, Masliza has no plans to move out because she believes that the situation is the same in other areas.

The access to the Jalan Templer KTM station from the area is also in a deplorable state. Commuters have to walk along a bushy path and climb onto the platform to catch a train.

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Laid-back: Senior citizens gathering over a game of chess or a cup of coffee is a common sight at PJ Old Town, especially at the wet market and coffee shops

The bus terminal is another cause for concern as it is now occupied by vagrants and taxi touts.

Most retail units on the upper level of the terminal are vacant. The section has to be locked at night to prevent it becoming a haunt for drug addicts.

The residents of the township want the place regenerated and rejuvenated but they don’t want any drastic development that could spoil the serenity and tranquillity of the old town charm.

According to Seksyen 3 RT chairman Shamsuddin Hassan, the uniqueness of the PJ Old Town has to be preserved as it is a kampung right smack in the city and it is the hometown for many.

“We know that tycoon Tan Sri T. Ananda Krishnan and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim visit their parents here,” he said.

“Anyhow, the young ones come back during Hari Raya and major festivals. We have to preserve the tranquillity of the PJ Old Town’s residential areas as we inject new elements into its commercial zones,” Shamsuddin said.

Solving the aging problem


WEEKEND car mart, car boot sale or a pedestrian mall a la the Petaling Street Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur?

These are some of the suggestions from traders and residents of the PJ Old Town on how to rejuvenate the city’s oldest township.

Acknowledging the area’s “ageing problems”, the city’s elected representatives are planning and implementing the necessary remedial measures while gathering public opinion.

Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee and Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha are all committed to the regeneration process of the PJ Old Town.

The dilemma is that the residents and traders want their cake and eat it at the same time €“ they want modern development for the township but are not willing to sacrifice its old charm serenity.

Hee’s immediate concern is the renewal of the area’s leasehold land titles of 60 years that will expire soon.

He is trying hard to get the lease extended to 99 years.

The extended land lease will certainly attract business opportunities as there are proposals to convert some of the residential units facing main roads to commercial lots.

Land shortage is a hindrance to development so the conversion should bring a new lease of life to the old township.

“We are working carefully on this, though. Not everyone welcomes the idea of turning residential lots into commercial units, so this move is still being reviewed,” Hee said.

Hee plans to request that the next budget of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) includes allocations for the upgrading of the PJ Old Town wet market and for a green lung equipped with recreational facilities for senior citizens.

Illegal hawkers and factories in the area will also be relocated to suitable locations to benefit all.

Lee, meanwhile, is working on relocating and legalising about 35 hawkers who have been trading in the area for close to 20 years.

“The hawkers have even treated the compound fines imposed by the MBPJ as a form of rental. That’s a sorry state of affairs,” he said.

It is proposed that the hawkers be allowed to trade at the food court at Jalan Othman or the strip of land behind the bus terminal on the same road.

Lee has met with public transportation providers to come out with better routes and accesses to reactivate the bus terminal again.

The terminal used to be the busiest transport hub in town but is now only popular among the vagrants.

Lee said the authority was also looking into upgrading the wet market, food court, outdated drainage and poor street lighting among others.

MBPJ to come down hard on dirty eateries
Friday October 31, 2008
By TAN KARR WEI

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Ugly sight: An example of a dirty eatery in PJ. Notice
the workers who are preparing food next to garbage bins.

THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will carry out stricter enforcement on dirty eateries, said councillor Michael Soon.

“We do not want to compromise on health issues. If we close an eatery, that means it is not their first offence,” said Soon during the MBPJ full board meeting yesterday.

Soon, who is also the Public Hygiene and Sanitation Committee head said he was taken aback when one restaurant owner had the cheek to comment: “If the food is good, why should you worry if it’s clean or not?”

The MBPJ health, enforcement and building control departments also came under fire from several councillors because of the lax of enforcement.

Soon was not satisfied that there was no immediate action taken against a restaurant that has been asked to close for 14 days but had resumed business after eight days.

“They (restaurant owners) don’t take us seriously because action is not taken immediately,” said Soon.

MBPJ health director Dr Sadiah Abdullah said that they had ordered the restaurant to close again and was allowed to reopen after they complied to the regulations.

“We have to be firm. If they don’t comply, just revoke their licences,” said mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

Councillor Tang Fuie Koh said that the issues were similar with developers who do not abide by the working hours stipulated by the council.

“Developers think that since they can get away during the previous administration, they can continue to ignore the compounds and the stop work orders,” said Tang.

“There would be no compromise because we’re just asking the officers to implement policies that were already in place,” said councillor Latheefa Beebi Koya.

Councillor Derek Fernandez said that a stop-work order issued seemed to speed up the construction work.

Fernandez said that Section 72 of the Streets, Building and Drainage Act allows a local authority to demolish a building that does not have a planning approval and charge the owners for it.

Councillor Robert Tan said that the officer who Issued a stop-work order should see it to the end to ensure accountability.

Commenting on the RM900,000 allocated in the 2009 budget to build the official residence of the PJ Mayor, Roslan said that the allocation might be reviewed due to the current economic crunch and reaction from the public.

by Jashil

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The problem is PJ is too massive and all the tall buildings are too spread out.But PJ city beside Federal highway is getting denser. Waiting for the PJX to rise

by Jashil

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PJ city council lodges ACA Report over billboard allegation
2008/11/21 Bernama

SHAH ALAM, Fri:

A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) member lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) today over alleged bribery in the erection of billboards in the city area.

Tiew Way Keng lodged the report at the Selangor ACA office at Plaza Masalam here.

She also handed over a DVD recording of the MBPJ’s first public hearing last Friday which was attended by MBPJ officers, councillors, journalists and the residents of Petaling Jaya to discuss the state government’s new policy on billboards which was approved by the state executive council on July 25.

Tiew, who attended the hearing, also handed over a news clipping of an article written by The Sun columnist Terence Fernandez, which read: “It was also the first time someone had admitted on camera to bribing council officials so that he could erect billboards.” She told reporters after lodging the report that she was willing to appear as a witness and that the ACA would get back to her in a week. — BERNAMA

RM1.5mil to expand surveillance network in PJ
Wednesday December 3, 2008
By JADE CHAN

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/12/3/central/03roslan.jpg

Hard at work: Roslan (left) and Fauzi (right) looking at the various ways the
surveillance network has helped with various issues and enforcement work.

THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) plans to spend RM1.15mil to expand its CCTV surveillance network, a move that PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman says will also go beyond just helping to reduce crime incidence.

“The use of the CCTV surveillance network for local authorities, such as the MBPJ, is also meant to facilitate our work and enhance safety,” Roslan said.

“We constantly monitor situations like traffic and floods and the CCTV network will be a great help to our enforcement and relief work.

“It will certainly help the police in crime prevention as the network is linked to the PJ district police headquarters, which will receive the same monitoring broadcast as the MBPJ,” Roslan said.

The RM1.15mil comes from the 2009 MBPJ budget allocation for the installation of CCTV cameras at 30 locations. (The council had originally proposed 60 locations.)

“The MBPJ was supposed to get some allocation from the state government to install the CCTV cameras last year, but the proposal was put on hold after the change in the state government following the March 8 general election,” Roslan said.

“Because there is an urgent need to beef up the existing CCTV surveillance network, the MBPJ has allocated some money from the 2009 budget for the purpose,” he said.

The existing CCTV network in PJ comprises 22 CCTV units installed between late 2005 and early 2006.

They were placed in locations like SS2, Damansara Jaya, Section 17 town centre, PJS 8, as well as at the Taman Bahagia, Taman Paramount, Kelana Jaya and Taman Jaya LRT stations.

According to Roslan, the move to install the CCTV cameras was part of the Safe City Concept for PJ.

The Safe City Programme, outlined by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, lists 23 steps the local authorities should take in implementing crime prevention measures.

Besides the installation of CCTV cameras, some of the other measures are cleaning and tidying up concealed and unkempt areas, crime mapping and sharing of information between local authorities and the police, crime prevention through environmental design, and lighting up the potential crime areas.

“The programme was implemented sometime in 2004, and the MBPJ has already implemented all the 23 steps as of today,” Roslan said.

“The locations for the new CCTV cameras will be determined by the MBPJ, the PJ district police and public proposals. They will be installed in high-risk or crime-prone areas,” he said.

Roslan said the exact locations for the 30 new CCTV cameras would be discussed at a meeting of the MBPJ infrastructure and traffic advisory committee next month and be fully installed by the middle of next year.

Among the possible locations are Sea Park, Kota Damansara, Kelana Jaya, Sungai Way and Bandar Sri Damansara.

Roslan said the installation of the CCTV cameras would be done via an open tender process and that no monopoly would be allowed.

On the effectiveness of the CCTV surveillance network, Roslan said the existing network had helped in dealing with various problems and enforcement work like those vandalising council properties, pasting posters or stickers or dumping garbage illegally.

He said the network had helped curb massage parlour rackets and monitor illegal hawker operations, as well as record accidents.

“Depending on the time and offence, we will send our enforcement officers to the ground, or issue compounds if we can identify the offenders,” Roslan said.

“The CCTV surveillance network facilitates the MBPJ enforcement work and helps monitor a bigger coverage of areas,” he said.

According MBPJ Enforcement & Security Department assistant director Mohd Fauzi Maarop, the council has officers monitoring the CCTVs round the clock from its control centre at the MBPJ headquarters.

“There are three shifts each day and two persons are on duty during each shift,” Fauzi said.

Roslan also said the MBPJ worked closely with the police and Road Transport Department (JPJ), and there were plans to collaborate with the JPJ to ensure traffic and parking offenders would have to settle all their outstanding council summonses before they would be allowed to renew their road tax or driving licences.

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8 avenue, petaling jaya
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PJ residents unhappy over pool closure
By TAN KARR WEI


THE swimming pool in Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya, has been closed for about three years now and it may remain so for some time, much to the annoyance of the people who want to use the pool.

Calvin Ho, 27, said he used to swim in the pool every Saturday during his secondary school days as it was the venue of his school’s swimming club.

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The Petaling Jaya City Council swimming pool, once well used by the public, is now lying idle.

“It is quite sad to see the pool in its current state as it used to be quite a popular place,” said Ho.

A PJ resident, who only wants to be known as Sivakumar, said he worked in the area and that he had seen people turning up at the pool only to be disappointed.

“I have been working in this area for the last 15 years and when the pool was opened, there were many people, especially on weekends. You could see families eating at the restaurants,” he said.

Currently, there is a sign at the entrance of the swimming pool announcing that it is temporarily closed until further notice but the gate is left open.

People can be seen walking into the pool compound to walk towards the Maju Curry House next to it.

However, there is another barrier to prevent people from walking into the pool area and the changing rooms for swimmers are also locked.

Another set of toilets seem to be still in use as it is unlocked and lighted.

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A waste: The Petaling Jaya City Council swimming pool in Lorong Sultan has been closed for the past three years.

Despite it being unused, there is water in the pool with dirt and algae collecting in it.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee said he had received complaints from residents who were regular users of the pool.

“Many of them are unhappy with the existing operators as the pool is poorly maintained,” said Lee.

According to MBPJ public relations director Haniza Abdul Hamid, the agreement held by the current operator expired on Nov 30 last year and they have been issued notice to vacate the premises.

MBPJ councillor Latheefa Koya said the issue was discussed during one of the committee meetings and would reopen it for proposals to refurbish the pool.

“We want the pool to be turned into a family oriented place that is affordable for the PJ people,” she said.

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Free for all: The toilets at the swimming pool in Lorong Sultan are still in use.

Lee said based on performance, the previous operator should not be given another chance to renew the contract.

He said some residents had also alleged that there were gaming machines being operated at the outlets in the area.

“These unhealthy activities should not be carried out at a public amenity owned by the council,” said Lee.

Mall saved by its flea market
Photos by ART CHEN and CHAN TAK KONG


THE Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya is synonymous with the weekend flea market that has made the mall a household name.

What is less obvious to the man on the street is that the mall with its two office blocks and service apartments has actually come a long way since its launch in 1995, surviving the 1997 financial crisis

“When the mall was completed in 1997, it was at the start of the crisis,” said Melawangi Sdn Bhd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Arab-Malaysian Corporation Bhd) executive director Azlan Baqee Abdullah.

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Popular landmark: The Amcorp Mall.

He said that the traits of shoppers changed when the economy took a turn in the middle of 1997.

“It was a buyers’ market and they became more demanding. Shoppers wanted a place that was comfortable, safe and clean and all these were the primary duty of the developer or caretaker and involves a lot of cost. We have to meet demands of shoppers or they’ll just go to some place else,” said Azlan.

While it was the start of the recession, it was also the end of a boom and many malls came into completion, thus increasing competition.

“The shop owners, the tenants and the shoppers all have different expectations and demands. That’s why you need a management that can combine these three parties together,” he said.

The offices and apartments had its own sinking funds and not much upkeep was needed.

“However, we need to keep up with the competition as a mall so we need to do new things all the time,” he said.

The developer added a pledge to their sale and purchase agreement that the more units of the mall it sold, the more money they would put into a refurbishment fund.

About 30% of the mall was sold in the beginning and about RM4mil was put into the refurbishment fund, which has accumulated interest of about RM1.3mil over almost ten years.

Purchasers were also offered a leaseback due to the difficulty in getting tenants for the units.

“Not everyone took up the offer because they felt that what we offered was too low. Those who did gained because the crisis was worse than what they had anticipated,” said Azlan.

Those were hard times as occupancy level was low with tenants changing almost every six months with lapses in between.

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Well patronised: The weekend flea market has been a trademark for the Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya.

To make matters worse, the number of defaulters was on the rise.

“Purchasers had to contribute to service charges. Those who didn’t rent out their units could not pay us. The default went up to as high as RM7mil, which was about one year’s operating cost and we had to come up with the money for that.

“In order to bring the default rate down, we gave a 20% reduction in service charges in 2000 and we have not increased it since.

“The loss to the sinking fund was about RM10mil because our operating costs did not go down,” he said.

To mitigate the loss, they started the Advertising and Promotion revenue coming in by leasing out common areas for events and promotions.

“We started the flea market in 1998 by renting out tables for about RM30 to RM40. It’s not a big revenue but it creates a lot of recall factor.

“There were so many malls so the flea market was our identity and it brings in the people. It’s been successful until today,” said Azlan.

He said that some of the traders actually moved on to being a tenant in the mall.

“We’re in the heart of old PJ and there are a lot of people around here who like these things. That’s why it has sustained for so long. it’s our branding. It started on Sundays only and then moved on to Saturdays as well and now we’re even having it on Friday onwards,” said Azlan.

There was still a block that was approved as a 425-room hotel but was not completed because of insufficient funds.

To increase the volume of adult population and working crowd in the mall, they decided in 2004 to change the concept to a block of 400-unit service apartments and 300-unit of business suites.

The mall was flourishing by 2006 and they dug into the refurbishment fund to refurbish the mall in time for their tenth anniversary.

They further closed down the anchor tenants and converted those into the offices for Amcorp and its subsidiaries.

With a hazy economy looming ahead, Azlan remains confident that their track record of steering the ship out of stormy waters would guide them through the uncertainties.


What the mall’s owners and tenants say


Fong Pei Cheng, 37

Victoria Music Centre owner

I’ve been operating here since August 1999. In the beginning, there was not much crowd but with the flea market, the shoppers have increased and it can get quite busy.

Eddy Tan, 47

Rak Thai Restaurant owner and operator

I came in as a tenant about three years ago and I decided to buy the unit because business was good. I see potential in the mall because of how the developers have been managing it.

Daniel Tan, 48

The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corp operations manager


Daniel Tan: Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corp set up a kiosk at Amcorp Mall in late 2006 and business is getting better.

We came in late 2006 to take up a promotion space to try out the market here. Business is getting better and we’re putting up a brand new store here. The rental is reasonable for the location.

Mikki Yoon, 55

Service apartment owner

I have a unit in the mall selling home interior items and there is a lot of potential in the mall. I also invested in a service apartment and was very happy because the management took the initiative to get agents to help owners rent out their apartments. They were also always trying to upgrade the place to make sure our property appreciated in value.

Francis Louis, 46

Certified real estate negotiator

The Amcorp management actually sought for agents to help owners rent their place, which you don’t usually find. The occupancy here is quite high because of the easy accessibility to the LRT station.

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amcorp mall/tower

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(from ahamadariff on flickr)

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(from rave dev on flickr)


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(shahidrogers on flickr)

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(Fawaz on flickr)

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(from ahamadariff on flickr)

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(from rave dev on flickr)


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(Fawaz on flickr)

cool!!

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Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Petaling Jaya's Most Innovatively Vibrant and Prestigious Address

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In recent years, Damansara Perdana has flourished quickly to become the best selling township in Petaling Jaya with total sales now exceeding RM1.9 billion. Widely regarded as a township with many firsts, properties here have proven to have good capital appreciation and investment returns.

The 750-acres Damansara Perdana is located within the Golden Triangle of Petaling Jaya, which also consists of Bandar Utama and Mutiara Damansara. This vicinity has consistently been voted by The Edge as the most sought-after address in the Klang Valley. Be it business, convenience, leisure or residential, this place is abundant of life with impressive accessibility via the LDP, SPRINT highway (Penchala Link), Persiaran Surian, and NKVE, renowned shopping and entertainment centres 1-Utama, IKEA, The Curve, Tesco and Cathay Cineleisure (to be opened for business soon), offices, hotels, schools, and much more.

With the recent opening of the 24 million ringgit direct-connection to the SPRINT highway (Penchala Link), traveling to Kuala Lumpur City Centre is a breeze. It only takes about 7 minutes to reach Jalan Duta from here. This fast-developing township is only a mere 5 minutes to Mont' Kiara via the SPRINT highway Penchala Link.

Since the handing over of Perdana Condominiums in 2002, the masterminds of this unique township and leading property developer MK Land Holdings Bhd has continuously innovated new cutting-edge lifestyle-oriented properties with good quality. Built around its theme 'Resort-style, High-tech, High-art', investors had a taste of the first glass-edged pool in a condo, mini golf driving range, e-lifestyle township and duplex condos with a private garden.

Impressive mixed developments have been consistently handed over on time with CF i.e. Perdana View condo and service apartments, Emerald condo and service apartments, Perdana The Place, Perdana Business Centre, and most recently the prestigious Armanee Terrace Condominiums.

This RM9.7billion township will be launching its first landed property this year in the form of boutique semi-detached homes. With the newly improved road interchange system at the entrance of Damansara Perdana, traffic conditions have been greatly improved. The commitment towards the design and development of Damansara Perdana by MK Land will ensure the consistent capital appreciation within this area.

You can still be a part of this vibrant community. Currently, the most modern development in Petaling Jaya, Metropolitan SQ (MSQ), is selling fast. With 2 blocks of condominiums completely sold out, there is now a choice of the Milan and Paris condominiums which feature the first glass-edge pool in Malaysia, wi-fi ready units, modern clubhouse facilities, various choices of layouts to choose from, and more. Also available at Metropolitan SQ are retails shops and rare grade-A offices. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by end-2006.

Those who missed out on owning the industry trend-setting Armanee Terrace Condominiums (ATC) have yet another chance. The new and improved Armanee Terrace II condominiums are now open for sale. This luxury duplex condominiums feature a private garden, double-volume ceiling in the living room, full-glass frontage, superb security, club services wi-fi, and much more.

Visit the Damansara Perdana Show Village today to feel the difference that has made this township the talk of the town in recent times. Take advantage of owning a piece of this bustling township now to benefit from its proven capital appreciation in years to come.

For more information, call 03-7729 1133 (ATC) or 03-7722 1000 (MSQ) or visit www.damansaraperdana.com.my today!


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food heaven :banana:

Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Petaling Jaya's Most Innovatively Vibrant and Prestigious Address

In recent years, Damansara Perdana has flourished quickly to become the best selling township in Petaling Jaya with total sales now exceeding RM1.9 billion. Widely regarded as a township with many firsts, properties here have proven to have good capital appreciation and investment returns.

The 750-acres Damansara Perdana is located within the Golden Triangle of Petaling Jaya, which also consists of Bandar Utama and Mutiara Damansara. This vicinity has consistently been voted by The Edge as the most sought-after address in the Klang Valley. Be it business, convenience, leisure or residential, this place is abundant of life with impressive accessibility via the LDP, SPRINT highway (Penchala Link), Persiaran Surian, and NKVE, renowned shopping and entertainment centres 1-Utama, IKEA, The Curve, Tesco and Cathay Cineleisure (to be opened for business soon), offices, hotels, schools, and much more.

With the recent opening of the 24 million ringgit direct-connection to the SPRINT highway (Penchala Link), traveling to Kuala Lumpur City Centre is a breeze. It only takes about 7 minutes to reach Jalan Duta from here. This fast-developing township is only a mere 5 minutes to Mont' Kiara via the SPRINT highway Penchala Link.

Since the handing over of Perdana Condominiums in 2002, the masterminds of this unique township and leading property developer MK Land Holdings Bhd has continuously innovated new cutting-edge lifestyle-oriented properties with good quality. Built around its theme 'Resort-style, High-tech, High-art', investors had a taste of the first glass-edged pool in a condo, mini golf driving range, e-lifestyle township and duplex condos with a private garden.

Impressive mixed developments have been consistently handed over on time with CF i.e. Perdana View condo and service apartments, Emerald condo and service apartments, Perdana The Place, Perdana Business Centre, and most recently the prestigious Armanee Terrace Condominiums.

This RM9.7billion township will be launching its first landed property this year in the form of boutique semi-detached homes. With the newly improved road interchange system at the entrance of Damansara Perdana, traffic conditions have been greatly improved. The commitment towards the design and development of Damansara Perdana by MK Land will ensure the consistent capital appreciation within this area.

You can still be a part of this vibrant community. Currently, the most modern development in Petaling Jaya, Metropolitan SQ (MSQ), is selling fast. With 2 blocks of condominiums completely sold out, there is now a choice of the Milan and Paris condominiums which feature the first glass-edge pool in Malaysia, wi-fi ready units, modern clubhouse facilities, various choices of layouts to choose from, and more. Also available at Metropolitan SQ are retails shops and rare grade-A offices. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by end-2006.

Those who missed out on owning the industry trend-setting Armanee Terrace Condominiums (ATC) have yet another chance. The new and improved Armanee Terrace II condominiums are now open for sale. This luxury duplex condominiums feature a private garden, double-volume ceiling in the living room, full-glass frontage, superb security, club services wi-fi, and much more.

Visit the Damansara Perdana Show Village today to feel the difference that has made this township the talk of the town in recent times. Take advantage of owning a piece of this bustling township now to benefit from its proven capital appreciation in years to come.

For more information, call 03-7729 1133 (ATC) or 03-7722 1000 (MSQ) or visit www.damansaraperdana.com.my today!



Thanks for posting this but the content is pure sales pitch. There are so many things you could argue against the claims made here and many failures are conveniently left unmentioned.

Jaya One seeks more competition
By Wong King Wai
Email us your feedback at fd@bizedge.com
http://www.jayaone.com.my/

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A year after its opening, Jaya One, the mixed development in Jalan Universiti, Petaling Jaya, is slowly but surely gaining popularity as a great place to unwind after a hard day's work. However, that does not appear to satisfy its developer Tetap Tiara Sdn Bhd.
Ironically, while most businesses are fearful of new competitors pulling the rug from under them, Tetap Tiara executive director Charles Wong sees Jaya One's long-term success as being dependent on getting more competition.
"I think there is a lack of competition. Though this area covers 11 acres, it is still not substantial enough to become a noted destination. A lot of people still don't know about Jaya One. If there were a couple more developments around us, then more people will come because they can do a variety of things," he says and adds, "When I say competition, I mean 'complementary competition'. It's not about having two Wendy's in one place; you have a Wendy's and a McDonald's, and that creates an attraction, a pulling force."
Jaya One is developer Tetap Tiara's first project since its inception in 2004. The principal executive director is Wong Chee Kooi, one of the founders of S P Setia Bhd, who has over 30 years of experience under his belt. He had retired in 1997 but returned to the property scene when he caught sight of the land that now houses Jaya One. With the help of his son Charles and the board of directors, the first phase of the commercial development has been successfully launched and completed.
Already, some 82% of Jaya One's shoplots have been taken up, of which 68% are open for business. The patrons are mainly office workers within and surrounding the development, students from the nearby universities and residents from around PJ and nearby neighbourhoods like Sections 16 and 17.
At the moment, only seven acres have been developed for Phase 1 of Jaya One. The remaining four acres are for Phase 2, the plans for which are being finalised. "Most probably, Phase 2 will be a shopping centre supported by commercial office space. We're trying to figure out what kind of shopping centre it is going to be. We don't want it to be a traditional shopping centre, but a neighbourhood shopping centre that is exciting and different," says Wong.
The leasehold land in Section 13, initially owned by Aluminium Company of Malaysia Bhd (Alcom), was purchased for RM48 million in a deal brokered by Tetap Tiara director and real estate veteran Y C Mok in early 2004. In 2005, construction of Jaya One's Phase 1 commenced.
Phase 1 comprises four commercial shoplot blocks of seven to nine storeys and one purpose-built office block with a total of 226 units, which have all been sold. Of these, 80 ground floor retail units were snapped up at between RM2.50 and RM7.50 psf. The nett lettable area is 700,000 sq ft with a gross development value (GDV) of RM600 million.

Black box attraction
Also in Phase 1 are Palm Square and one other block where the PJ Life Arts centre resides. These are for lease and are owned by Tetap Tiara. Palm Square, which is nestled within the core of the Jaya One development, has custom-built 2-storey bungalow-style units conceived and designed specifically for restaurants. The sizes range from 900 to 4,000 sq ft.
The PJ Life Arts centre is the developer's initiative to bring the creative arts to the community. The design of the four-level complex was overseen by Datuk Zahim Albakri, a noted thespian in Malaysian art circles and director of Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical. The venue is wheelchair and handicap accessible and has offices for theatre companies, rehearsal space and a performance area.
At the moment, Dramalab Sdn Bhd, owned and operated by Zahim and Jit Murad, has confirmed taking up residency soon, while other theatre companies are considering moving into the centre. Rehearsal spaces with basic facilities like mirrored walls, are ready for use and are being booked. The performance space at the moment contains a small temporary "black box", which will eventually be removed to give way to a proper theatre set-up. This box within a box can seat an audience of about 180 to 220 people.
Throughout the development, the overall rental rates for offices are between RM2.50 and RM3.30 psf with retail spaces going for RM6 to RM7.50 psf.
For now, Wong junior is focused on getting Phase 1 operating at full capacity before moving on to Phase 2. "What we didn't realise was how long it took to get the operations of Phase 1 in place, so we started delaying the second phase for a few reasons. One of them is the land conversion issue. The other was that our operations in Phase 1 were just not ready and I didn't think it would be fair to move on to another project when we had not got Phase 1 right," he says.
The land conversion issue concerns an initiative by landowners and the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to convert the status of Section 13, where Jaya One is situated, from industrial land to commercial land. It is hoped that by end-2009, the land status will have changed in time for Jaya One's Phase 2 to commence. At present, a "limited commercial" provision allows landowners to develop their property for commercial usage under very strict conditions set by MBPJ.

Taking a breather
However, Wong junior is relieved that Phase 1 of the development is up and running and not stuck midway in the midst of the global economic slowdown. Looking on the bright side, he views the sluggish period as a good time to slow down and take stock.
"Now we have a one-year break to wind down the engine a little bit and cool down, and use this time to fine-tune operations. Also, it is time to free our mind to plan Phase 2 properly and not feel we're being rushed into planning because cash-flow demands it but instead to take the time and enjoy planning Phase 2," he says. "What I'm more concerned about is whether the tenants will be affected in any way. But so far they are doing okay. Another thing we have to do is build up a waiting list of new tenants."
The current tenants are a combination of various commercial businesses such as banks, insurance companies, IT firms and education and services companies.
"To ensure we get the right tenant mix, one of the conditions Tetap Tiara had for unit owners was that it will help lease their space," says Randall A Goeke, the company's director of leasing. The developer hopes to attract new tenants who will fit the existing tenant mix of the development.
This April, the launch of Cold Storage supermarket, situated beside Block D, in the back of the development along Jalan 13/6, and the PJ Life Arts centre will add to the conveniences with a dash of creative spice.
Already, Jaya One's popular outlets, like Old Town White Coffee and Duck King (which is the first to open in Malaysia) are seeing plenty of traffic, and although renovation works are on-going for several businesses and companies, the vibes are generally positive.
The Jaya One development, which attempts to marry the commercial with the creative, is introducing a new way of doing business in PJ. Although it currently lacks "complementary competition", it is taking a path less trodden, and with the impending land conversion, Jaya One hopes to transform itself into a highly successful and viable commercial and retail hub.

PJ as seen from Taman Jaya LRT Station

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Bus service to expand
By Dawn Chan

PETALING JAYA: The success of the Petaling Jaya City Council's free community bus services has prompted a company to propose expanding the service to the entire state of Selangor.

The company has also indicated its willingness to add more buses to the programme so that more people will benefit from it.

At present, there are two community buses which provide free service to the old and poor residents in Petaling Jaya.

The idea for a community bus was mooted by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, during the official declaration of Petaling Jaya as a city in 2006.


State executive councillor Ronnie Liu, who is in charge of the Local Government, Study and Research committee, said the company would be submitting a proposal next week.

"This initiative will be at no cost to the state government," said Liu.

"The company will provide the buses and the council will help them to coordinate the building of bus stops.

"The company will be free to dress their buses with advertisements which will become their income and enable them to maintain the service as well as to pay for the wages of the drivers."

Liu also said his department would study the proposal before bringing it to the state executive meeting for approval.

He was speaking at the council's launch of the Best Neighbourhood Award 2008/2009, an initiative under the Local Agenda 21 yesterday.

Organised for the seventh consecutive year, Mayor Datuk Roslan Sakiman expressed hope that more entries would be received from residents' associations this time around.

"We hope to get at least 24 entries since we have the same number of zones under our jurisdiction," said Roslan.

The residents' association which wins the Best Neighbourhood Award will get RM50,000.

The runner-up will receive RM30,000 followed by RM20,000 for the third placing.

The council's Local Agenda 21 officer Lee Lih Shyan said entries would be judged on five categories, namely social cohesion, environmental sustainability, local economic development, capacity building and leadership.

Application forms can be downloaded from www.mbpj.gov.my/bestneighbourhood.html and must be submitted by 5pm on April 30.

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Mixed views on Glomac sale


Valuers are divided on asking prices for Kelana Business Centre and Glomac Business Centre

PETALING JAYA: The real estate fraternity has mixed views about the price tags of RM30mil and RM25mil that Glomac Bhd is asking for its Kelana Business Centre and Glomac Business Centre respectively.

A valuer said it seemed to be comparatively higher than the ones sold earlier which were on a strata basis.

Two agents said the prices were not high.Glomac had, in February, said it was putting up for sale the two business centres located in Kelana Jaya to increase its war chest to prepare the company in the event the economy took a turn for the worst.

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Kelana Business Centre

About a month ago, it announced that it had sold its 12-storey Wisma Glomac 3, also in Kelana Jaya where it is headquartered, to Perbadanan Nasional Bhd (PNS) for RM50mil. It is now a tenant in the building.


Kelana Business Centre

Group executive vice-chairman Datuk Richard Fong said: “We would like to strengthen our cash position in light of the current economic scenario and to make the necessary preparations for the future.

“We also want to improve our balance sheet. In these bad times, we should be selling whatever we have that is not productive. People may read negatively into this but in these recessionary times, it is best to have as much as you can.”

Glomac’s total bank borrowings have reached RM311mil.

Fong said the company had held on to Kelana Business Centre and Glomac Business Centre for 12 to 13 years.

The rental yields from both are about 7.5% annually.

At RM25mil and RM30mil, a source said, the price would work out to RM265 and RM270 per sq ft respectively.

Another source said there might be a premium because maintenance and control would be in the hands of the landlord.

Rentals payable could be relatively higher as some units might be upgraded from the standard lots, and there might also be provision for centralised air conditioning, he said.

He also said that rentals would remain stable for now but might be pressured downwards when new stocks were added to the market.

Oasis from the Sime Darby Brunsfield group, Symphony House from the PuncakDana Group and new buildings from the Titijaya and Empire Groups in Subang Jaya will be added to the market this year and next.

The Glomac Business Centre has 300 to 350 parking bays while the Kelana Business Centre has over 400. Both are quite well-tenanted.

Glomac may move to the 15-storey Glomac Tower located next to Taman Tun Dr Ismail, which it is building.

Glomac Tower is part of an RM800mil mixed development, Glomac Damansara, which sits on seven acres.

Besides letting go of its assets, the company will continue to launch its projects, though in smaller blocks.

It has projects in Sg Buloh, Johor Baru and Rawang. Instead of double-storey terrace housing, it may also opt to change that to single-storey housing.

As for Glomac Damansara, which it plans to launch in about two weeks, the company will be offering competitive rates.

The offer includes a 10% downpayment and 90% financing.

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Revamp for free PJ bus scheme
Stories and photos by OH ING YEEN


THE free PJ Community Bus Service will revise its routes to provide better service to its target passengers — senior citizens and the poor — in Petaling Jaya.

The service was launched on Aug 17 last year and has two buses going around PJ Selatan (PJS) and PJ Utara (PJU) three times a day from 9am to 5pm on weekdays, except public holidays.

At present, there are 22 stops in PJS and 12 in PJU.

The PJS bus service cater to destinations like the MBPJ complex, the PJ police headquarters, the PJ Commu*nity Library, the Medan Maju Jaya district health centre in PJS 2C/5, the Jalan Othman market in Section 4, and the Taman Jaya LRT station.

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Free service: The air-conditioned PJ community bus, which has been operating since August 2008, can accomodate about 33 passengers.

The PJU bus service passes the roads along the MBPJ complex, the Tesco hypermart, The Curve, Ikano, Section 6 police station, Dataran Sunway police station and the National Registration Department at Section 8.

According to Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor Tiew Way Keng, who heads the recently formed PJ Community Bus Service task force, this is the second time that the bus routes are being revised.

“In the first revision, we included the LRT stations as previously the bus only stops at low-cost housing areas,” she said.

“Some people were hesitant to board the bus, thinking that it was meant for MBPJ staff only,” Tiew said.

On Wednesday, Tiew invited reporters to accompany the task force for a one-and-half-hour ride on one of the buses to observe and study the route.

Several shortcomings were observed during the trip. For example, there was no information on the bus schedule for people to know the time the bus would arrive at a particular stop, and there was also no bus stop sign to indicate where the people can wait for the bus.

Asked why the task force was only formed eight months after the service was launched, Tiew said that the service was previously the responsible of the engineering department.

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Let’s go: Salina (right) and her son Mohd Harilad boarding the PJ community bus.

“During the first few months, the response was good but fewer and fewer used the service after that,” she said.

According to Tiew, the PJS service has an average of 30 passengers a day while only about 10 people use the PJU service each day.

Each air-conditioned bus can accommodate 33 passengers — 23 seating and 10 standing.

“According to the feedback we have received, some people want the bus to stick to the main roads and not turn into the lanes in low-cost housing areas as it takes a long time for them to reach their destination,” Tiew said.

“The reason for going into residential areas is to been more convenient to the old folks,” she said.

During the press tour in the bus during noontime, there was no one waiting at most of the stops, and only four passengers boarded the bus.

Salina Lateh, 44, and her nine-year-old son Mohd Harilad Zainal Abidin boarded the bus after Tiew explained the purpose of the bus to her.

“I’ve seen and heard about the bus but I’ve always thought that it was meant for the MBPJ staff, so I have not taken the community bus,” Salina said.

Cleaner Sumathy Poovan, 46, and her son flagged the community bus after waiting in vain for a RapidKL bus. This is her second experience taking the community bus.

“I hope that the bus can come earlier such as at 6.30am and extend its service till 6,30pm so that my son can travel to school and back,” she said, adding that it would save her the monthly RM50 school bus fare.

To provide feedback about the free community bus and the bus routes, the public can email to aduan@mbpj.gov.my or tiewwaykeng@gmail.com or call 03-7954 2020/ 016-338 1503.

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PJ landmark hotel turns 25
Saturday May 9, 2009
By OH ING YEEN
Photos courtesy of Hilton PJ

Hilton Petaling Jaya, a landmark in Petaling Jaya, is celebrating its 25th anniversary today.

You’d often hear traffic reports that went: “Traffic is congested from PJ Hilton to the LDP.” Such is the testament to its role as an iconic landmark.

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Then and now: The Hilton PJ as it is now and (below)
the hotel in 1992 when it was still known as PJ Hilton.

According to information provided by Hilton PJ, the hotel’s roots can be traced back to the days it was known as the Jaya Puri Hotel and it then came under the management of Hilton in 1982.

After a RM40mil renovation, it was reopened in 1984 as the Petaling Jaya Hilton.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Syah, who was then the Selangor Regent, officially opened the hotel on May 16, 1984.

In 1992, the hotel underwent an extensive renovation, which saw 28 units of a two-storey tower block giving way to a 21-storey tower block that was later officiated by the fourth prime minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad in January 1995.

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In 1998, PJ Hilton was renamed as Hilton Petaling Jaya in line with Hilton’s global brand identity and to strengthen Hilton’s brand equity into the new millennium.

At today’s anniversary celebration, themed “25 Years at Your Service”, the hotel will celebrate this historic moment with loyal guests, long-serving staff members and the community.

In conjunction with the anniversary, 36 opening team members will be recognised as the “Silver Awardees”, who will be receiving their 25-Year Long Service Certificate and a recognition pin along with a cash incentive.

One of them is Ravindren Rajoo who started in the hotel as an audio-visual (AV) technician. Ravindren is now the chief engineer responsible for all the maintenance and repair work for the hotel building as well as safe operation of all plant and equipment.

“I have a strong bond with this building because I saw this spot transformed from a mangrove swamp to a Hilton hotel that is still standing proud after 25 years.

“The team that you work with is also important as they make this place great and fun. Furthermore, I always find new challenges at work. No matter how long I am here, there is always something new to keep the work interesting and challenging,” he said.

Assistant banquet service manager Yusof Mohd Basir, who joined in 1984 during the re-branding of the hotel, started his career in Hilton in stewarding.

His most memorable moment working in Hilton PJ was when he worked in the coffee house and got a last-minute booking from a guest who wanted to host 100 people in the Paya Serai.

“It was my first time handling such requests and it was really challenging as I needed to coordinate to ensure everything takes places smoothly. It was really stressful but it was a great experience because the guests were very happy.

“Each staff member serving that day received RM100 as tip. I have gained much experience and can now easily handle an event for 800 people,” he said.

For housekeeping supervisor Rajass Vari Perumal, a postcard from former hotel guests never fails to touch her heart.

She started in the hotel as a room attendant when it was still the Jaya Puri at the age of 23. She was also part of the re-branding team in 1984.

“I was glad when Hilton called me for an interview after the management changed from Jaya Puri to Hilton,” she recalled.

Luc Bollen, who assumed the position of general manager of Hilton Petaling Jaya on Aug 4, 2008, said that 80% of Hilton Petaling Jaya’s customers were those who patronise their restaurants.

Asked what changes he had implemented since he became the hotel GM, Bollen said: “PJ Hilton has been successful all these years, we do not need to change for the sake of change.

“To provide an interactive feature for what the customers of tomorrow want, we have created a website (www.ZestPJ.com). It is the new way of communicating. It gives people the chance to rate, comment, suggest or ask questions or make links to their favourite website.

Asked if the economic slowdown has affected business, he replied: “Everybody’s affected, companies are more prudent and looking for value for money and the best deal or partnership they can get in these challenging times.

“The ride has been a bit more rough but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a fruitful ride. We are on a good track this year.”

In conjunction with the anniversary, the hotel will reward 25 most creative greetings that can share their fondest memory and experience at the hotel or the restaurants.

Just log on to www.ZestPJ.com to post your most creative greetings in conjunction with Hilton Petaling Jaya’s 25th anniversary and stand the chance to win a 2days/1 night weekend stay at the hotel.

The contest is open from May1-31 and the results will be posted on www.ZestPJ.com.

Big clean-up for PJ
Thursday May 28, 2009

THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has embarked on a mission to keep the city clean. One of the steps taken was holding a a gotong-royong with Sunway Damansara Sdn Bhd in Zone 3, Petaling Jaya, at the Dataran Sunway commercial centre in Kota Damansara.

PJ mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman officiated at the event which was also attended by MBPJ councillor Panneerselvam Varathan, Sunway Damansara managing director Ngian Siew Fong and director Noraida Mohd Yusof, who is also with the Selangor State Economic Development Corporation (PKNS).

According to Ngian, the presence of everyone at the Sunday Mission was a good sign that showed a shared vision.

The gotong-royong will also serve to act as a platform for both the owners and tenants to ensure that the cleanliness of Dataran Sunway is maintained at all times.

Bas percuma kurang promosi
Oleh Nor Azma Laila
norazma@bharian.com.my
Penduduk dakwa tidak tahu perkhidmatan ditawar MBPJ

PETALING JAYA: Penyediaan kemudahan pengangkutan awam percuma biasanya ditunggu dan pastinya mendapat sambutan daripada masyarakat apatah lagi ketika negara mengalami masalah kegawatan ekonomi menyebabkan semua orang ingin berjimat cermat.

Maka tidak hairan, jika perkhidmatan percuma yang ditawarkan sentiasa mendapat perhatian dan dimanfaatkan sebaiknya oleh masyarakat.



Namun, lain pula halnya dengan perkhidmatan bas komuniti Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) yang disediakan secara percuma untuk memudahkan penduduk sekitar Petaling Jaya bergerak ke destinasi yang ingin dituju di bandar raya itu.

Perkhidmatan bas yang mula beroperasi pada Ogos tahun lalu itu tidak mendapat sambutan dan dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya oleh penduduk sekitar Petaling Jaya yang kebiasaannya menggunakan perkhidmatan awam.

Tinjauan Sentral mendapati, bas berkenaan yang beroperasi bermula jam 9 pagi hingga 5 petang dari Isnin hingga Jumaat itu hanya digunakan oleh sebilangan penduduk saja, itu pun buat kali pertama kerana sebelum ini tidak pernah tahu mengenai kemudahan yang disediakan MBPJ itu.

Kebanyakan mereka yang ditemui berkata, mereka tidak tahu mengenai perkhidmatan bas yang disediakan itu kerana tidak banyak promosi atau publisiti dibuat oleh MBPJ untuk memberitahu masyarakat setempat mengenai kemudahan itu.

Peniaga, Ramlah Idris, 57, berkata beliau kali pertama menaiki bas berkenaan dan baru mendapat tahu mengenai kemudahan itu daripada cerita jiran dan cakap-cakap orang ramai ketika mereka berkunjung ke kedai beliau.

“Saya pernah nampak bas ini lalu di depan kedai saya tetapi tidak pula tahu ia menawarkan perkhidmatan secara percuma untuk memudahkan penduduk setempat bergerak ke destinasi yang diingini sekitar bandaraya ini.

“Orang ramai tidak tahu mengenai kemudahan ini, sebab itulah tidak mendapat sambutan yang menggalakkan. Kalau mereka tahu, saya rasa ramai yang ingin menggunakan perkhidmatan bas ini kerana ia percuma, apatah lagi dalam situasi sekarang yang mana semua orang ingin berjimat,” katanya.

Difahamkan, dua bas disediakan untuk memberikan kemudahan kepada penduduk sekitar dan bas berkenaan melalui beberapa kawasan terpilih di Petaling Jaya Selatan (PJS) dan Petaling Jaya Utara (PJU).

Di PJS, antara kawasan yang menjadi laluan bas itu ialah Jalan Sultan, Jalan Selangor, Flat Petaling Utama, Taman Medan, Desa Mentari, Flat Kampung Lindungan, Flat Taman Desa Ria, Jalan Othman dan Amcorp Mall.

Bagi menyediakan bas komuniti berkenaan, MBPJ membelanjakan kira-kira RM250,000 dengan RM200,000 untuk bas baru, manakala RM50,000 lagi bagi membaik pulih bas lama yang sedia ada.

Sementara itu, pekerja swasta, Roslan Hussein, 55, yang ditemui ketika menaiki bas berkenaan berkata, itu adalah kali pertama beliau menaiki bas komuniti yang disediakan MBPJ kerana tidak tahu mengenai perkhidmatan itu.

“Saya naik bas ini pun kerana diajak oleh rakan dan kebetulan ketika menunggu perkhidmatan awam lain, bas komuniti ini pula lalu, jadi saya naik.

“Saya harap pihak MBPJ membuat lebih banyak promosi atau publisiti mengenai bas ini kerana tidak ramai yang tahu mengenai perkhidmatan yang disediakan ini.

“Oleh itu, ramai yang tidak memanfaatkan bas ini dengan sebaik mungkin sedangkan ia boleh membantu penduduk bergerak ke destinasi yang ingin dituju dengan percuma,” katanya.

Suri rumah, Robyiah Abdullah, 45, berkata pandangan bahawa bas berkenaan hanya dikhaskan untuk membawa kakitangan MBPJ saja menyebabkan orang ramai tidak berani menggunakan perkhidmatan yang disediakan itu.

“Apatah lagi maklumat atau publisiti mengenai bas ini juga tidak digembar gembur di media massa atau oleh MBPJ sendiri menyebabkan tidak ramai yang tahu mengenai perkhidmatan bas komuniti percuma ini.

“Padahal ia boleh membantu penduduk setempat terutama yang tidak mempunyai kenderaan sendiri untuk ke destinasi yang tidak dilalui pengangkutan awam lain, malah secara percuma lagi,” katanya.

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Tropicana City now has an eight-screen cinema for movie lovers to enjoy

MOVIE lovers can now check out the Tropicana City Mall (TCM) as Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) has opened its doors to the public.

The eight-screen, 1,449-seat cinema is GSC’s 24th location nationwide and it opened on June 24, the same day that the highly anticipated Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hit Malaysian screens.

The RM21mil cinema is user-friendly for the disabled with escalators and a hydraulic lift making for comfortable access to the upper floor, and an additional 16 seating spaces for wheelchair-bound patrons.

The cinema was a hive of activity during the official launch and Transformers fan-favourites Optimus Prime and Bumblebee made a surprise appearance to the tune of Linkin Park’s New Divide, the movie’s theme song.

Dijaya Corporation Bhd managing director Datuk Tong Kien Onn was quick to welcome GSC to the mall.
Rolling out: (From left) Dijaya Corporation chairman Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali Seth, Tong, Koh and Irving Chee were present during the launch.

“TCM’s key components are shopping convenience, F&B and entertainment. The presence of GSC will further add to the variety of existing tenants,” Tong said.

GSC chief executive officer Koh Mei Lee talked about GSC’s aggressive efforts in the current economic downturn and said the company would continue to invest in cinema expansion.

Koh also said the recent three-screen extension to GSC Alamanda Putrajaya and Tropicana’s GSC would create more jobs for Malaysians.

Further projects include a four-screen add-on to the extended wing of Puchong’s IOI Mall, a nine-screen multiplex in Kuantan’s East Coast Mall and one in Sabah’s Suria Kota Kinabalu in early 2010.

PJ bandar raya mesra OKU

Oleh A. JAILANI ABDULLAH
kota@utusan.com.my




PETALING JAYA 6 Julai – Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) akan menjadikan laluan pejalan kaki di bandar raya itu mesra untuk semua golongan terutama orang kurang upaya (OKU).

Apabila projek itu siap kelak, ia diharap menjadi rujukan kepada semua pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) di Selangor serta di seluruh negara.

Projek itu merupakan sebahagian daripada Program Zon Bersih Petaling Jaya dan akan dilaksanakan di Seksyen 52 iaitu kawasan pusat bandar.

Matlamatnya ialah menyediakan laluan pejalan kaki yang tidak mempunyai halangan seperti pokok, tiang, tong sampah dan sebagainya. Ia juga akan dilengkapi tanjakan.

“Saya fikir penduduk Petaling Jaya, khususnya di Seksyen 52, akan berasa sangat beruntung kerana projek perintis ini akan dilakukan di tempat mereka.

“Laluan pejalan kaki ini berbentuk universal dan cirinya menepati standard antarabangsa. Ia akan menjadi model di Petaling Jaya dan lain-lain kawasan PBT serta seluruh negara,” kata Ahli Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ), T. Anthony Siva Balan.

Beliau yang dilantik mempengerusikan Program Zon Bersih berkenaan berkata, projek itu akan dijadikan rujukan kepada semua projek pembangunan yang akan dilaksanakan di Petaling Jaya pada masa depan.

“Selepas ini, kami akan memanggil semua pemaju untuk melihat pelan mereka dan menerangkan spesifikasi yang perlu diikuti,” jelasnya.

Mengikut ciri itu, semua laluan pejalan kaki mesti mempunyai tanjakan dan tidak mempunyai struktur yang berbentuk halangan bagi memudahkan pergerakan orang cacat, golongan tua dan kanak-kanak.

Program Zon Bersih dilancarkan oleh kerajaan negeri pada Mei lalu dan bagi kawasan Petaling Jaya, MPBJ telah memilih Seksyen 52.

Sehubungan itu, MBPJ telah menetapkan konsep kehijauan dan bebas halangan diterapkan di kawasan terbabit.

Sementara itu, Pengarah Jabatan Perancangan Pembangunan MBPJ, Sharipah Marhaini Syed Ali pula berkata, negara ini ketinggalan berbanding negara lain dalam penyediaan laluan pejalan kaki yang mesra semua golongan.

“Malah kita tercicir kepada Bangkok dan Manila dalam program ini kerana kita tidak mempunyai kepakaran.

“Tetapi jika tidak dilakukan dari sekarang, bila lagi kita akan dimulakan,” ujarnya.

Sehubungan itu, laluan pejalan kaki bangunan yang ada sekarang di Seksyen 52 akan diubah dan MBPJ akan mendapatkan kerjasama dengan pemilik premis.

Dalam pada itu, Anthony menambah, Petaling Jaya mempunyai OKU yang besar jumlahnya dan adalah penting laluan seperti itu diwujudkan.

Katanya, perubahan terhadap laluan pejalan kaki itu juga sedang dilakukan di Jalan Gasing.

“Bagaimanapun, saya sedih kerana projek di Jalan Gasing itu dikritik oleh sebuah persatuan penduduk seperti yang disiarkan dalam beberapa akhbar.

“Mereka harus melihat gambaran lebih besar. Perkara ini sudah ada lama dalam peraturan PBT tetapi diabaikan,” katanya.

Baru-baru ini, akhbar melaporkan mengenai rasa tidak puas hati Persatuan Penduduk Seksyen 5 yang menganggap tindakan MBPJ membina semula laluan pejalan kaki di Jalan Gasing sebagai membazir.

Ini kerana, menurut mereka, laluan itu baru sahaja siap pada penghujung tahun lalu.

Sementara itu, bagi menjadikan kawasan berkenaan bersih dan cantik, MBPJ akan meningkatkan penguatkuasaan kebersihan terhadap premis seperti restoran dan tandas awam.

Timbalan Pengarah Kesihatan Persekitaran MBPJ, Dr. Abdul Ghalib Sulaiman berkata, pihaknya akan memastikan kebersihan di luar dan dalam premis.

“Selain itu, bangunan kedai di sini akan dicat semula. Sampah akan disapu setiap hari kecuali hari Ahad manakala longkang akan dibersihkan setiap dua minggu,” ujarnya.

End of an era as Atria Shopping Centre faces redevelopment
Saturday August 8, 2009
By TAN KARR WEI

THE Atria Shopping Centre in Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya, will soon see a new look as there are plans for redevelopment.

The iconic structure has been around since the 1980s and was the talk of the town during its heyday, when it was occupied by the Kimisawa and Printempts department stores.

It was then taken over by Parkson Grand on one wing and individual retail shoplots on the other.

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Coming down: If the plans come through, the
food courts next to the mall will also be redeveloped.

The area was not without its controversies as the Piccadilly Disco located within the complex used to be a popular hang-out for teenagers and college students in the early 1990s.

The disco was famed for its afternoon tea dances and received as much attention for the frequent police raids on the outlet.

The discotheque with its main entrance at the side of the building has since been replaced by other businesses and is now a language centre.

As bigger shopping malls like 1Utama and Mid Valley came into the picture, Atria lost its appeal and became more of a neighbourhood mall servicing the surrounding offices and houses.

Even though the complex still manages to attract a sizeable crowd especially on weekends, the building itself has seen better days.

While the building was recently spruced up with a coat of paint on the exterior, the interior is still rather drab and in need of renovation.

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Recent makeover: The exterior of the building
was recently given a new coat of paint.

Talks of a proposed 33-storey building to replace the shopping complex first surfaced during the last general election in March 2008 and residents were up in arms over the development, citing potential traffic congestion in the area with such a high-density project.

At that time, both the Barisan Nasional candidate (incumbent Petaling Jaya Utara MP Chew Mei Fun) and the DAP candidate (current Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua) had spoken out against the development.

Damansara Jaya Residents and Owners Association president Yew Cheng Hoe said they had submitted a letter of protest to the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) after attending briefings with the developer.

Residents were told that the initial proposal for a 33-storey building on top of four levels of shopping podium and 3½ levels of basement parking had been scaled down to a 22-storey building with separate blocks of 12-storey buildings.

The plan also included the upgrading of the two food courts (currently run by the MBPJ) situated on both sides of the building, replacing these with multi-level carparks and a new food court.

“We’re not against development but the density of the proposed building is too high for a residential area and it will worsen the traffic congestion in our area,” said Yew.

Yew said a nearby mall that opened recently was already causing traffic jams in the area.

“We’re also concerned about the security of our area as the crime rate is quite high in Damansara Jaya,” he said.

Residents also requested for traffic and social impact assessments but have yet to be presented these documents.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said the commercial area was located within a residential area and residents should have a say as to the type of development that would take place there.

“Any development should be moderate and not bring in additional traffic into the area,” he said.

He said the 33-storey building proposed was beyond the allowable plot ratio of 1:4 under MBPJ guidelines.

Both the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the project developer declined to comment on the issue.

MBPJ to make greening mandatory
Story and photos by YIP YOKE TENG


DEVELOPERS of industrial and commercial projects in Petaling Jaya have to set aside at least 10% of the land for an open space for recreational activities, with a minimum 60% of this area be covered with greenery.

As for residential projects, the developer will have to set aside 20% for green area if the development exceeds 1ha, including reserving a minimum of a two-metre width of perimeter planting strips along its boundaries.

Trees with more than 80cm in girth will be protected while the public are prohibited from causing any damage to them unless permitted by the council for safety reasons such as posing risks to health and safety.

These requirements may sound too sweet at the moment especially for Petaling Jaya folk who are on a constant tug-of-war with developers over green space, but these are some of the highlights in the soon-to-be-introduced Parks and Trees By-Law.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2009/8/18/central/p2aman.jpg
Urban wildlife habitat: Taman Aman is one of the five parks maintained by the Petaling Jaya City Council. Under the rebranding exercise, the council hopes to enhance the parks with more greenery, including special species, to create wildlife habitat right in the city.

Compulsory greening

The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) is currently drafting the by-law to be submitted to the Selangor government for approval and scheduled to be implemented early next year.

It is part of the council’s all-out greening effort with a vision to “recreate nature in the city to provide a comfortable, healthy and quality living environment”. It kicked off last month with the rebranding of its landscape development, now renamed Landscape, Urban Greening and Ecology Department.

“Our target is to have more than 500,000 trees in the city eventually, which is at least one tree to a resident,” said mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman.

Currently, Petaling Jaya has about 150,000 trees and 443 parks or open space totalling 355ha, which is 3% of the city that sprawls over 9,720ha.

Last year, 197,000 plants and 12,489 trees were planted while another 80,800 plants and 6,000 trees were added between January and July this year. About 70% of these plants were contributed by developers.

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Cooling: Roads shaded by dense foliage in Bandar Sri Damansara is a soothing and welcoming sight in the city.

At this rate, the council has a long way to reach its target but it hopes to achieve that in five years with a higher budget and active public involvement.

The new trees will be planted at existing public parks, neighbourhood parks, buffers or open spaces, roadsides or medians and school compounds. The council will invite the private sector, NGOs, residents associations and schools to take part in mass planting while planting guidelines will be disseminated.

Budget allocated for tree-planting this year was RM200,000 and the council proposes to set aside RM500,000 for 2010. The budget has yet to be approved.

Another beautiful picture painted by the council under this effort is to have the open space in the city linked up with green strips or corridors created by tree-lined roads.

“This is what we have to do now for our future generation,” said Roslan when interviewed at his office, adding that the team that went on a study trip to Singapore did pick up good tips.

“In Singapore, one needs to pay S$200 (RM488) to plant a tree but here we do it free for our people,” he noted.

Wildlife Habitat in the city

To be a little more ambitious than just making it greener for better climate and environment, the council wants to also create wildlife habitat right in the city to bring forth an improved urban ecosystem.

In line with this, the five retention ponds under its care will be enhanced with more greenery, including species rarely seen in the city, to attract wildlife.

The remaining five retention ponds in Petaling Jaya are maintained by the respective developers.

Taman Aman, Taman Bandaran (Kelana Jaya) and Taman Jaya lakes have been identified to take the lead while Taman Rimba Riang in Kota Damansara and another in PJS10 will follow suit.


Skilled and passionate: Abdul Rahman Razali growing plants at MBPJ’s nursery in Kelana Jaya. Good landscape workers are harder to find as the young generation seldom have interest in tree-planting.

At these lakes, the council hopes to create a scene similar to that of Lake Cova in PJU5, that has attracted flocks of migratory birds like egrets and herons.

Landscaping director Zuraidah Sainan said the move could maximise the potential of the retention ponds meant for flood mitigation.

“Developers of newer projects have been urged to equip retention ponds with recreational facilities but we face difficulty in upgrading the older ones, especially those in PJ Selatan, due to space constraint,” she said.

Everyone’s responsibility

Keeping the lakes clean is part and parcel of the task but the council cannot do it alone.

“We would love to have sediment ponds to keep our lakes clean but it is costly, so what we can do is to desilt the lakes or to place aerators to induce oxygen into the water,” she said during a visit to several parks in the city.

“The onus is on every one of us to keep our lakes and rivers clean by not throwing rubbish into the drains. Last month, we scooped out a whopping three tonnes of dead fish from the Kelana Jaya lake over two weeks and we could not identify the source as the lake is connected to our drainage system.

“In the past, we have seen mattresses stuck in the lake’s garbage trap,” she said.

She said the council had allocated RM3.6mil for lake and landscape maintenance, adding that RM4mil had been proposed for next year.

Under the rebranding exercise, the council’s nursery facilities at Kelana Jaya and Penchala will be upgraded to cater for more plant production while workers and contractors will be provided hands-on training so that plants are better handled to minimise replacements.

“The council needs co-operation from all walks of life,” urged the mayor, adding that communities and developers are encouraged to adopt the parks and help out in planting trees.

But at the end of the day, the “not-in-my-backyard” attitude of many PJ folk should change.

“We have had residents chopping down matured trees, because they don’t like the trees to be too near to their houses,” he said.

Glomac to sell off block B at Kelana Business Centre
By Sharen KaurPublished: 2009/08/24

The proceeds from the sale of properties will form part of the war chest, says Glomac's executive vice-chairman

PROPERTY developer Glomac Bhd (5020) wants to sell off block B of its building at the Kelana Business Centre in Selangor for RM30 million.

This year alone, Glomac has sold two buildings for RM72.6 million, namely the 13-storey Wisma Glomac 3 in Kelana Centre Point and a building at Wisma Glomac.

Glomac is also in the later stages of finalising by the end of the month, a sale of a 25-storey building at its Glomac Damansara project to a government agency for RM200 million.

"We are selling the buildings so we can use the money and develop bigger projects. The proceeds from the sale of the properties will form part of our war chest," executive vice-chairman Datuk Richard Fong Loong Tuck told Business Times.
Glomac slashed its gearing from 0.5 to 0.12 times since a year ago via the sale of assets, he said.

Glomac Tower, located near the Petronas Twin Towers was sold to a Bumiputera firm for RM577 million in December 2007 and proceeds from the sale are being recognised now as construction progresses, Fong said.

Elsewhere, Glomac Galleria in Sri Hartamas featuring 20 units of four-and-a-half-storey shop offices was sold en bloc last year for RM100 million.

On the fresh asset sale, Fong said that despite block B of the building being put up for sale in the market recently, the company has received numerous offers.

Fong said Glomac will do better this year, with net profit and revenue increasing by 10-20 per cent.

For the fiscal year ended April 2009, it posted a net profit of RM32.3 million on a revenue of RM351 million.

"We have had better sales this year, thanks to financial packages that we had launched earlier in the year. We are also getting income from Glomac Tower and Glomac Galleria, and from our Seri Bangi project," Fong said.

Seri Bangi comprises double-storey terraced houses and shoplots worth RM121 million, and half of the residential properties were launched in April and August this year.

"We launched 94 units and 76 units of double-storey terraced houses in April and August respectively and almost 70 per cent were sold within two weeks after the launch. We were caught by surprise.

"We are going to launch the final 88 units early next year, each priced from RM360,000. We are expecting a similar take up," Fong said.

Menara Merais in SS2 is under renovation

Section 52 picked as the city’s Clean Zone in competition
Friday September 18, 2009 Story and photos by YIP YOKE TENG

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2009/9/18/central/m_pg02cleanzone2.jpg

Reminder: A total of nine Clean Zone signage
have been put up around New Town.

TRADERS and visitors in Section 52, Petaling Jaya, think that the cleanliness in the area has improved but there is still room for improvement.

The area, popularly known as PJ New Town, was identified by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) as a Clean Zone, which will compete with the Clean Zones of other local councils under a contest initiated by the Selangor government.

Each council was given one year to transform its dirtiest area into the cleanest and they have until next June to do so.

A check at the Clean Zone on Monday found that the back lanes were quite clean even though the shops were old with many occupied by restaurants. Garbage was either packed up in plastic bags or disposed of in the litter bins. However, some drains still had stagnant water.

“I have only been here six months so I cannot compare the current state with how it was in the old days, but so far, I find it satisfactory,” Kopi-Oh! Restaurant owner Ng Taw Heng said.

He also urged the council to look into the area’s security problems and install more street lights.

Several traders shared Ng’s views but some of them, like Ong, who had been in the area for more than 30 years, said he did not see much of a difference.

“I have not seen them doing anything drastic to make this area cleaner, but the parking problem is getting worse by the day and the most frustrating part is that many of the bays are occupied by MBPJ employees,” he said.

Three patrons at a busy restaurant here felt that the cleanliness had been improved but hoped that more would be done.

“Check the drains — many are still clogged – and there are still illegal posters and haphazard parking to deal with. The council still has a lot of work on its hands,” Allan said.

A group of art college students, however, gave their thumbs-up to the effort.

“It’s good enough, we have no complaints,” Hafiz Mohd Zain, 18, said.

However, some highlighted the clogged drains and said something should be done about it.

An MBPJ spokesman said a task force involving the health, engineering, planning, greening and enforcement departments had been formed to make the Clean Zone a success.

“The effort encompasses many aspects, not only cleanliness. For instance, the engineering department will be repairing and upgrading the roads, drains and even hawker centres while the planning department is looking into making this entire area disabled-friendly.

“Many buildings here are old so they may also be repainted.

“The Greening and Ecology Department has just appointed a contractor to work on landscaping while enforcement has been beefed up with more spot checks on restaurants and rounds to catch litterbugs,” she said.

She added that four meetings had been held while the order for new litter bins had been placed.

Nine Clean Zone signs have been placed at various sites and it was earlier reported that the council would add another 500 bins around the city.

Four new Special Area Plans for PJ
Saturday September 19, 2009 By TAN KARR WEI

THERE will be Special Area Plans (RKK) for the PJU1, PJU2, SS (Subang-Sungai Way) and PJS zones in Petaling Jaya.

During the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) full board meeting yesterday, Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman announced that the official launch and workshop for the pre-publicity of the plans was scheduled for Oct 21 at the MBPJ Banquet Hall.

He said the Petaling Jaya Local Draft Plan 2 (RTPJ2) was still applicable and that the objection hearing sessions would still take place.

The Shah Alam City Council and Subang Jaya Municipal Council have already conducted the objection hearings for their respective draft local plans.

MBPJ assistant town planning director Bakri Salleh said the RTPJ2 was done at the Petaling district level while the special area plans would focus on specific areas in Petaling Jaya.

“They would detail the land usage for individual plots,” Bakri said, adding that both the Special Area Plans and the RTPJ2 would be coordinated.

Commenting on the Clean Zone campaign, Roslan said efforts to turn Section 52 into a model for the rest of the city had not really taken off.

“Even though there is an improvement, more needs to be done,” he said.

The mayor also announced that the MBPJ Aidilfitri Open House would be held on Oct 7, from 3pm to 5pm, at the Petaling Jaya Stadium and the public was welcome to attend the event.

From flickr

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Traffic diversion in PJ
Monday October 12, 2009 By TAN KARR WEI

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Affected areas: Major work to relocate water pipes along
Jalan Universiti is expected to commence in early November.

THERE will be a major traffic diversion in the Jalan Universiti area in Petaling Jaya starting next month.

Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) engineering department director Ismail Shafie said besides Jalan Universiti, the other roads affected were Jalan Dato Abu Bakar, Jalan 17/1, Jalan 16/6, Jalan 16/4 and Jalan 16/10.

The project to relocate 1.6km of 1.8m diameter water pipes under the Jalan Universiti flyover was undertaken by the Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry.

According to the announcement published on the ministry website, the purpose of the project was to prevent damages on the flyover and ramp structures in the event of a pipe burst.

Bukit Gasing assemblyman Edward Lee expressed gratitude that sufficient funds had been provided by the Federal Government to carry out the project to ensure the safety of motorists using the flyover.

Ismail said the project was expected to start next month and completed in May next year.

He said the final details of the road diversion would be announced after the MBPJ traffic committee meeting on Oct 22.

The ministry’s website stated that Jalan 16/6 and Jalan Dato Abu Bakar would be partly closed while Jalan 16/4 and Jalan 16/10 would be fully closed.

Details on the road diversion is available on http://www.jba.gov.my/files/pamphlet%20b12_300909.pdf.

Lee said the authorities would provide information to affected residents and regular road users through leaflets and billboards to indicate alternative routes.

Towards a greener Petaling Jaya
Wednesday October 14, 2009 By TAN KARR WEI

IN AN attempt to make Petaling Jaya a greener city, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will come up with a Parks and Trees bylaw.

“We will also have an inventory to keep track on the trees in the city and make it harder for trees to be cut down,” said mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman during the launch of the Landscape Seminar 2009.

Held for the first time, the seminar was a collaboration between the council and the University Putra Malaysia design and architecture faculty.

The two-day seminar was launched by Selangor tourism, consumer and environment committee chairman Elizabeth Wong.

“We had a study trip to Singapore and we want to emulate the city in terms of having greenery. We will work towards greening the city with the cooperation of the residents, housing developers and the private sector,” said Roslan.

He said the seminar, which was attended by councillors, council officers, private agencies, NGOs, academicians and other stakeholders, was a first step towards the initiative.

During a press conference that followed, MBPJ landscaping director Zuraidah Sainan said they would be looking at securing more planting spaces within the city.

Wong added that there were many older areas in Petaling Jaya that were going through redevelopment and the council could look at these places to start making the change.

Roslan said they would also step up efforts in the coming months to turn Section 52 into a clean zone. Section 52 was identified as the area to be cleaned up in the statewide Clean Zone competition.

Councillor Chan Chee Kong, who was also the organising chairman for the Landscape Seminar, added that they would soon start to implement its policy of revoking food outlet licences if the operators committed the same offence three times in a year.

Deploying microbes to clean up lakes
2009/10/16 Dawn Chan

http://streets.nst.com.my/Friday/Stories/20091016004754/insidepix1

From left) Mohd Rauf Nasir and MicroGreen Group of Companies chief
executive officer C.K. Chung pouring the EM solution into Lake 4.
— Picture by Azahan Rosli

PETALING JAYA: They have always been told not to throw things into rivers and lakes but yesterday, that piece of advice was happily ignored by a group of pupils as they joined in efforts to rehabilitate the Kelana Jaya lakes.

Together with Motorola Malaysia employees, the students of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Kelana threw 1,100 effective microorganism (EM) mudballs into Lake 4 as an initiative to cleanse and conserve the water ecosystem.

The event was to mark Motorola's fourth annual global community service programme called Global Day of Service.

Themed "Green & Global", the event saw Motorola employees and 27 pupils from the school's Smart Rangers getting their hands dirty in a workshop where they moulded the EM mudballs made of soil, fermented rice bran and EM solution.

Before the mudballs were thrown into Lake 4, the EM solution were poured into the lake to improve its water quality and clarity, and revive the ecosystem.

The mudballs will help reduce sludge, remove odour from the lake and control the growth of algae.

Motorola Malaysia country president Mohd Rauf Nasir said the initiative was a three-month pilot project.

"In the next two months, another 2,200 mudballs will be placed in Lake 4. This is because one mudball is needed for every one square metre and the size of Lake 4 is 1,100 square meters.

"After three months, together with our project partners, MicroGreen Group of Companies and the Petaling Jaya City Council landscape department, we will evaluate the project. We will assess the effectiveness and the improvement of water quality and will then decide on the next course of action," he said.

Rauf said they were humbled by the opportunity to work alongside MicroGreen, the council as well as the Global Environment Centre (GEC).

"Hand in hand with our partner organisations, the Global Day of Service has allowed us to work towards our common goals of better education, social support and protection of our environment," he said.

On Wednesday, Motorola employees based at the manufacturing site in Penang had cleaned a river next to the plant using the EM technology.

The council's landscape department director Zuraidah Sainan said GEC, the Smart Rangers as well as Friends of Kelana Jaya Park had been lending their support to rehabilitate the Kelana Jaya lakes.

Smart Rangers, she said, did their part by monitoring the water quality of the lakes while GEC handled the lake rehabilitation project with public participation. The Friends of Kelana Jaya, meanwhile, helped with the dissemination of information and awareness programmes.

As part of the company's Global Day of Service, Motorola offices in Asia Pacific carried out 100 projects involving 3,000 employees for the benefit of their respective local communities.

Over in Hong Kong, employees weeded, watered and removed rocks in the organic farm at the Hong Chi Association Pinehill Village.

In South Korea, employees planted trees to make a fence for a school dedicated to the education of deaf children.

TYREPLUS Outlet Launched In Petaling Jaya
December 09, 2009 16:33 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 (Bernama) -- TYREPLUS, an independent professional network of tyre retail stores has set up shop in Taman Megah, Petaling Jaya.

The TYREPLUS outlet at Tyrezone Sdn Bhd was launched last month.

Supported by Michelin Malaysia Sdn Bhd, TYREPLUS offers Michelin and BFGoodrich branded tyres.

In a statement here on Wednesday, Michelin said TYREPLUS also provides professional tyre services such as tyre repairs, wheel balancing and wheel alignment.

At the same time, it also offers non-tyre related services such as oil and battery changes,comprehensive brake inspection and replacement and minor mechanical repair services, all under one roof.

There are three other TYREPLUS stores in Malaysia in Penang (Jelutong), Selangor (Subang Jaya) and Pahang (Temerloh).

Established in 2002, TYREPLUS has also a presence currently in Australia, China,Thailand, Russia, India, Taiwan and Mexico.

Gary Wong, the owner of Tyrezone said the association with TYREPLUS, would help enhance the store's image and offer consumers the confidence to seek its professional services.

-- BERNAMA

Damansara Perdana @ PJ Utara

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Jalan Harapan project back on track
By CHRISTINA LOW Tuesday January 5, 2010

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/1/5/central/m_pg04sec17.jpg

Crowded: The infamous roundabout near Section 17.

ROAD users who frequent the Rothman’s roundabout near Section 17 in Petaling Jaya will be able to heave a sigh of relief soon as work to convert the roundabout into a traffic lights junction are scheduled to begin in March.

PJ Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian said the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) had approved the project, which would take about a month to complete, under its 2010 budget.

“It is the first step, and a short- term one, to ease traffic at the roundabout and Jalan Harapan (Jalan 17/47),” Hee said.

He added that the long-term measure of linking Jalan Harapan to the Sprint Highway had yet to be approved by the state government.

“We are looking at the link to be approved and work to begin within the next two years,” Hee said.

Hee also said there had also been several complaints that the Jalan Gasing flyover was congested during peak hours.

Last year, MBPJ carried out a 30-day trial at the area using a traffic contra-flow system from Jalan Gasing heading towards Old Klang Road and the New Pantai Express-way.

Hee said he had received positive feedback from the public on the system and many had hopes for it to be implemented again.

“Motorists accepted the contra-flow system and it helped reduce the traffic problems there,” said Hee, who is looking at implementing the system again soon.

Hee was at the Jalan Othman market with Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Talha to distribute calendars and Mandarin oranges in conjunction with upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations.

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great pics hafiz...anyone has info about the proposed redevelopments plan of PJ mooted recently by the MB?...

Residents divided over growth plans for PJ
By YIP YOKE TENG Wednesday June 23, 2010
Photos by KAMARUL ARIFFIN and IQMAL HAQIM ROSMAN
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/6/23/central/6523421&sec=central

PETALING JAYA is entering a major transition period as it is poised for urban regeneration but the residents have different views on the city’s next leap.

Urban regeneration was one of the six economic stimulus packages adopted by Selangor last year to tackle recession. Petaling Jaya, Klang and Kajang were earmarked for the move.

While the move was aimed at creating jobs and generating income as well as making the city vibrant, the residents want traffic jams that they face daily to be tackled.

One proposal that is being discussed by residents is to build office blocks, hotels and service apartments on the site where PKNS headquarters now sits.

Supporters of the project feel that Petaling Jays needs to be rejuvenated, with more life pumped into the area, while others feel that the area would be congested.

Stakeholders, councillors and urban planners have expressed that many of the issues arose from its former status as a satellite town.

Petaling Jaya was developed as a satellite town 50 years ago so that people could live here and work in Kuala Lumpur. It marked the beginning of PJ’s growth into a self-sufficient city, which achieved city status four years ago but it has become the thing that impedes its growth now.

Ageing and decaying city

Long-time PJ resident Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou, who is also a former councillor, pointed out that many parts of the city, especially Section 52 that is supposedly the city centre, are decaying.

“Fewer people visit the buildings at Federal House as even the National Registration Department now functions as a branch, and most people go to the headquarters in Putrajaya,” he said.

He also pointed out the weaknesses in the infrastructure, among them the dilapidated post office in Jalan Sultan and its dangerous access near a slope, the dirty and exposed monsoon drain behind the A&W Restaurant in Lorong Sultan, the unfriendly Taman Jaya LRT station’s ingress and egress, roadside parking bays and underused multi-storey carpark.

“It is the pride of MBPJ to adopt Section 52 as its model of a Barrier Free City status but it is still a major issue for the disabled to move about, such as to cross Jalan Sultan to the main commercial area from the Taman Jaya LRT station or to access the post office,” he added.

Also, he commented that the current layout of Section 52 was unhealthy.

“This is due to its design with an outer ring of banks and commercial buildings and an inner ring of traders and eating places. The Menara MBPJ with its sunken plaza has only some of the floors utilised by MBPJ’s departments. Roads are crammed with parked vehicles while multi-storey public car parks are barely frequented,” he said.

Despite the hustle and bustle during the day, Section 52 was a ghost town at night as there were no residential elements in the design of the business centre, he said.

Transit-oriented development

MBPJ councillors related the beauty of transit-oriented development (TOD), a trend adopted by many major cities in the world in creating vibrant, liveable communities, to describe what they have envisioned for Section 52 and eventually the entire PJ.

Councillor Tang Fuie Koh, who has been assigned to oversee Section 2 and 52, said the objective was to create a hub in an effort to reduce trip generation, thus reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. However, friction occurs as the council attempted to gear the city centre towards that as the influence of the satellite town is still strong and the mindset of most residents is that PJ is still very much residential.

“PJ has attracted an influx of business activities including international investors over the years but if the city does not improve, they will leave and in fact, many have done so.

“This has led to a chicken and egg issue — to have the buildings first or the infrastructure? I would say we have to provide both concurrently,” he said.

Councillor Prof Dr Melasutra Md Dali, who is also a Universiti Malaya lecturer and urban planner, commented that the problem of PJ was not the rapid development but the stagnancy of infrastructure previously meant for a satellite town.

“PJ needs to move with time. The infrastructure cannot cope simply because these are meant for that particular year. The council appeals to the public to give us a chance to improve it with the current technology,” she said.

She noted that MBPJ had appointed Universiti Malaya to conduct a macro traffic impact assessment for the entire city,

“We do not want PJ to remain as a satellite town, we want it to be good enough to compete with other cities such as Singapore and Bangkok. It has great development potential but certain areas have become old settlements,” she said, citing Section 52 that was supposed to be the city centre but places like Bandar Utama and Mutiara Damansara now being more appealing,

Tang also explained that urban regeneration did not mean only physical development, but also social, spiritual and cultural development.

“We are looking at the happy index,” he noted.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/6/23/central/m_02menarambpj.jpg

Underutilised: MBPJ’s departments use only some
of the floors at Menara MBPJ with its sunken plaza.

Both councillors did not deny the problems of development by private operators who are not concerned much about the public’s welfare, discrepancies between planning and implementation, incompetency within the authorities and most of all, that past experiences had caused the people to lose confidence in the plans and policies.

Tang assured residents that the council had become more stringent with the developers, in addition to encouraging active participation from the public in scrutinising the proposed projects.

“We have expanded the criteria they have to fulfil, among them green building index, inter-connectivity and surrounding developments. We have also imposed a development fund to ensure that developers contribute to public infrastructure,” he said.

Both councillors feel that the one thing that PJ is acutely lacking in is public transportation, but a large part of that falls under the purview of the Federal Government.

The way forward

Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, political secretary to Selangor Mentri Besar, said the state wanted to leverage on PJ to attract more businesses to the city as people seek cheaper and better alternatives to Kuala Lumpur.

“PJ can improve through a balanced approach in development. There should be areas in PJ where there is a more open approach towards plot ratios and density provided there are adequate public transport and parking facilities,” he said.

Still, the green initiatives should be given equal weight, too.

“PJ should explore taking the lead in green initiatives, including recycling and park and ride. The city can even go a step further by exploring rainwater-harvesting and green roofing as a way to minimise pollution,” he said, adding that recreational facilities and heritage landmarks should also be cautiously maintained.

He admitted that PJ did have its pool of problems that hindered development.

“What we can do is seek to improve traffic flow and public amenities while continue to ensure proper planning and consultation for upcoming projects.

“The state also has limited powers when it comes to traffic issues as public transport falls mainly within the federal jurisdiction.

“It creates a dilemma for us as we cannot stop development if we want to promote urban renewal and yet increased traffic congestion impedes the development possibilities for PJ,” he added.

Likewise, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua also highlighted public transportation as the main problem.

“If compared with major cities such as London, Tokyo or even Singapore, the population and built up space in PJ is relatively moderate and there is room for more growth.

“At this point of time, PJ is “saturated” because our public transportation is far below the required levels of comparable cities. As a result, PJ has hit its growth bottleneck, and so does the Klang Valley. There is a major problem with public transportation issues, not only in PJ but the entire country,” he said.

As such, he said there should be a thorough transformation of how public transportation is managed in Malaysia.

“This is critical to unclog the development bottleneck in our cities such as Petaling Jaya. Car ownership rate in the Klang Valley is more than 1:1, meaning that every baby born already “owns” a car, this has to be reduced to enable urban growth.

“This goal can only be achieved by injecting an element of competition in public transport, decentralise decision-making to local authorities and making public transport requirements an integral part of all development orders approved by the local council,” he added.

Upgrading Petaling Jaya into a vibrant city
MAYOR SPEAKS Wednesday June 23, 2010
MOHAMAD ROSLAN SAKIMAN

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/6/23/central/m_01pjCity.jpg

CELEBRATING our fourth anniversary last weekend had definitely made most of us realise that we have come a long way from municipal to city status

My focus for the city now is to bring the people together and to make the city well known, one that can stand on its own without being known as a neighbour to Kuala Lumpur.

It is not pleasant to hear people describing Petaling Jaya as the corner of Kuala Lumpur when we are much better than just sitting on the corner.

The council may have received awards for various achievements each year but our effort to maintain and provide good service is always a great challenge.

At present we hope to get on smoothly with the project of regenerating Petaling Jaya and turning it into an elevated city with proposed work in Section 52, Section 51A, Section 51, Section 13 and SS8.

Besides, the council had also started on several environment-related projects to keep the city green and vibrant such as the upgrading of public parks like Taman Jaya, Taman Aman, Kelana Jaya as well as children’s playground in housing areas. This is being done in stages.

The upgrading would involve repair work on the walking paths, at the playgrounds and the landscaping of the area.

I also hope to realise the dream of having an urban jungle within our city by retaining the Gasing Hill as well as the green areas in Kota Damansara and Damansara Damai whereby the latter would be gazetted as a public park to fulfil the proposed green corridor project.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/6/23/central/m_09pJaya.jpg

A city for all: An aerial view of Petaling Jaya.

The Clean Zone system which had kicked off earlier in the year had received positive responses from the residents, hence we are looking into expanding it to other areas within the city soon.

Some of our services such as the free community bus service and the Quick Response Team which was set up to help in solving public complaints would continue.

Keeping all the on-going plans in mind, I am also a person who is young at heart and certainly do not intend to drive our young residents out of the city.

At present I am also concentrating on hosting several programmes in music, arts and culture.

With PJ Live Arts Centre in Jaya One had been a great help as they are hosting some of the best theatre shows and dances so residents can enjoy without having to drive out of the city.

It is always nice to see more shows in arts and culture as I feel it appeals to all ages and is a great way to relax.

PJ towing zones to be expanded
Mayor Speaks Wednesday July 21, 2010
Mohamad Roslan Sakiman
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/7/21/central/6695428&sec=central

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2010/7/21/central/m_9sec16two.jpg

Take it away: MBPJ officers carrying out a towing exercise in Section 16, PJ.

PETALING JAYA will be expanding its towing zones in phases. The move comes after public feedback showed that many residents wanted their neighbourhoods gazetted as towing zones.

Some of the areas where people are keen to see towing zones created are Damansara Perdana, Dataran Sunway and Flora Damansara.

The residents are frustrated with the indiscriminate parking by inconsiderate motorists.

For example, in Dataran Sunway, the residents have asked us to take action as the place has an allotted parking space, which is unused.

Some of the problems we face when it comes to towing cars is that some are unable to produce their registration cards to claim their cars back.

We have seen the effectiveness of having a towing zone in areas like Section 52 and Section 14.

From a town planning perspective, there is sufficient parking space in the city.

Areas without enough spaces have increased their bays but we also have to take into consideration the increasing number of cars per household.

The Petaling Jaya City Council’s parking rate is 60 sen an hour and we have managed to get the PJX and Section 52 areas to have the same rate as us.

We will try to speak to the operators in other areas to provide a reasonable fixed rate for their spaces but you have to consider their operational costs as well.

I think at the end of the day, we are talking about discipline and civic consciousness among the people in terms of parking.

If we want to make Petaling Jaya a liveable city, we have to play our part as well.

I suppose the whole scenario is a Catch 22, where people need to drive as the public transportation is in need of improvement.

We are working closely with Syarikat Prasarana Negara Sdn Bhd and have the RapidPJ bus services and a depot to cater to the increasing number of users.

We have found a plot of land that we think is suitable but we will have to see if Prasarana is agreeable. I think PJ should have an efficient public transportation system that connects the different modes of transport in the city

During my recent visit to Singapore, I found that people there rely totally on public transport and the MRT system.

There are seven taxi companies operating and each must have about 400 cabs to cater to the needs of the public.

The underground MRT system is quite impressive because it seems like there is a city under the city.

As for this new venture with the mechanical parking system, there have been mixed reviews.

People have to understand the rate is set to suit the system and this also helps to maximise the parking space.

At present, we have two tow trucks but we are going to get another six soon.

Currently, we tow away about 10 cars a day in areas like Uptown, SS21 and Section 16.

Petaling Jaya has the highest standard planning for parking with 500sq ft + 20% parking space for visitors.

We also require two carparks for each apartment unit, which is three times more than any other council.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterbach/4941537406/
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4098/4941537406_3c9019cb98_b.jpg

PJ to start community policing next year
ELAN PERUMAL and THO XIN YI at the Selangor State Assembly Saturday November 13, 2010
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/11/13/central/7412224&sec=central

THE Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will start community policing in the city next year.

It will be done with the approval of the IGP's office, state local government committee chairman Ronnie Liu told the state assembly.

He said that it would be implemented with the collaboration of residents' associations and Rukun Tetangga.

Each RA or RT will be allocated RM5,000 including RM2,000 worth of uniform and equipment,'' he said.

Liu said the community policing exercise would be effective from next January.

He added that the members of the community policing would be registered with both the state and the police.

"They will be recruited based on the recommendation of the RAs through the councillors in charge of the particular zone.

"Each member of the community policing programme will be required to submit a report once in every three months," he said.

Liu also said that they would also be empowered to make citizen arrests of suspects involved in criminal activities.

He said the community policing programme was being implemented following the Royal Malaysian Police's rejection of the state's proposal to introduce Auxiliary Police (AP) team in Petaling Jaya.

"The application from MBPJ dated Dec 4, 2007 was rejected on March 15 this year. They felt that there was no need for the AP team as in their opinion, it will overlap with the role of the police force,'' he said.

He said, RM1mil would be allocated annually for the community policing project.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5406358357_87da610c85_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/n-o-n-o/5406358357/

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5007/5322247403_a9659c9ea4_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/asyraaf_azahari/5322247403/

^^ miss my former collage

best yrs of my life:)

---

nice..pj is well-known of its compactness..

Flora Damansara from 1 Utama.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6724553529_dcec42722e_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thienzieyung/6724553529

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6836276442_1c15d64688_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alzikr/6836276442/)
Ku Cari Cinta di Kuala Lumpur (http://www.flickr.com/photos/alzikr/6836276442/) by alzikr (http://www.flickr.com/people/alzikr/), on Flickr

Daeng, i wonder what you learnt in COLLEGE?

The quality of Malaysian education...

pj litle by little, industrial areas change either to commercial or residential..but i think pj is already crowded

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/5406358357_87da610c85_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/n-o-n-o/5406358357/

nice pic but this is not PJ, it is somewhere around Ampang

nice pic but this is not PJ, it is somewhere around Ampang
Yup, although there is a small view of PJ City beyond the TM Tower and MidValley cluster... :lol:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/6920469058_9a3218ddbd_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_chan/6920469058/)
ROLL 023 - Olympus OM-1n MD + Lomography Tungsten 64 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/rob_chan/6920469058/) by Rob_Chan (http://www.flickr.com/people/rob_chan/), on Flickr

The upcoming new skyline, TTDI
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p436/darrenyeo/WP_000291.jpg

Nice shot there, looks like the Tropicana City and TTDI area is indeed becoming a new skyscraper cluster in Northern PJ... Don't forget the new bunch of high-rises under construction in Damansara Uptown, with the supposedly tallest building in the city, i.e. the 200+m office tower next to the twin condos...

I've also taken some shots of PJ State when heading to KL via the LRT... I will update those pictures in the site very soon! :)

Yeah. There's lots of new cluster of skylines coming up:) And best of all, quality ones!

recent photos of rising northern PJ
http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3168.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3172-1.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3178.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3179.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3180.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3181.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3184.jpg

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3185-1.jpg

Part of PJ State - viewed from the LRT heading to KL
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/touch1979/City%20Skylines/P1050133.jpg

Looking towards the high-rises of the outer PJ suburbs
http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv175/touch1979/City%20Skylines/P1050132.jpg

Linear park for PJ

24-9-2012

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2012/9/22/central/m-2linear.jpg
To be put to good use: This area in Section 12, Petaling Jaya, will be turned into a linear park.

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2012/9/22/central/m-3artist.jpg
All laid-out: An artist’s impression of the linear park

IMAGINE opening your back door to a lush, green landscape filled with happy children playing games or senior citizens practising tai chi or enjoying the outdoors in their free time. While most can only dream about such luxury, residents of Section 12 in Petaling Jaya will be the first in the city to have a linear park to enjoy.

A linear park is one that is long compared to the usual parks that are wide and will come with amenities for residents to enjoy. Countries such as Australia, the United States and even Canada have long adopted this idea.

In Malaysia, Penang’s Taman Jajar has also made a name for itself among the locals and is a noted tourist destination for those who enjoy a quiet walk.

The idea to build a park on the empty stretch of land in Section 12 stemmed from residents’ lament that they were tired of seeing such big plots of land empty.

The linear park will be built between houses on Jalan 12/14 and Jalan 12/12 stretching from an existing playground beside Jalan 12/13 and Jalan Utara.

More: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/9/22/central/12036269&sec=central

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3185-1.jpg

this triple tower are high..what are them?

this triple tower are high..what are them?

Tropicana Grande in Tropicana Golf & Country Resort Petaling Jaya >>> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=551316

Dijaya Corporation Bhd's Tropicana Grande has been named the best residential high-rise development in Asia Pacific at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2011 in Shanghai.

Do we have any PJ forumers here besides me (and also @chkang who originated from Ipoh)? :lol:

Let's do our kampung talk here. :lol: :lol:



Damansara Performing Arts Centre (Opening Soon in PJ)
The Place Where Dance Lives.

Placing dance as focus, DPAC aims to be Malaysia’s leading dance performance space uniquely dedicated to broaden and raise dance standards in Malaysia through quality educational programs, complemented with quality productions from local and international artists.

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4800/photo0719d.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/208/photo0719d.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Work and study in PJ also count kah?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8469307066_0c67e9222e_b.jpg

View form the driving range of Tropicana Golf & Country Resort

damansara,petaling jaya
http://i346.photobucket.com/albums/p436/darrenyeo/WP_000811.jpg..
Some pictures I took yesterday.

View of PJ North (Damansara) from Subang Jaya
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8187/8441289042_237339f949_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/92794759@N03/8441289042/)
PJ North (http://www.flickr.com/photos/92794759@N03/8441289042/) by argory2 (http://www.flickr.com/people/92794759@N03/), on Flickr

Work and study in PJ also count kah?

Depends on you lor.... any forumer is free to post.

Except for my parents, I was born (ooops actually that hospital is now part of KL near PJ), bred here, live here, studied here, work here in PJ, so for myself, PJ is my hometown.

Besides posting skyline pictures, it is also interesting to know the happenings around PJ, example: restaurant openings, people lifestyle, the famous double-parking in PJ (LOL), neighbourhoods stalking (LOL), queue at myBurgerLab (LOL), etc, anything besides shopping (which is in another thread).

BREAKING NEWS: Big news in Petaling Jaya

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/560459_10151286132758365_997180863_n.jpg

BREAKING NEWS: Big news in Petaling Jaya

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/560459_10151286132758365_997180863_n.jpg

Infinity pool? Act of God? Disaster of humankind?

:coffee:

Infinity pool? Act of God? Disaster of humankind?

:coffee:

Puchong people called it "Act of BN" :lol: :lol:

New mall for PJ!

JAYA Shopping Centre - PJ mall announces new anchor tenant
The Star | Thursday February 28, 2013
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/28/metrobiz/12764934&sec=metrobiz

http://starstorage.blob.core.windows.net/archives/2013/2/28/metrobiz/ismail-signing-ceremony-m29.jpg[/img
Inking the deal: Ismail at the signing ceremony.

JAYA Section Fourteen Sdn Bhd, the developer and manager of Jaya Shopping Centre signed on with 12 of its tenants.

At the signing ceremony, one of the two anchor tenants, TGV Cinemas officiated its lease with Jaya Shopping Centre.

The second anchor tenant, a gourmet supermarket, is expected to be announced in the near future.

The two anchor tenants are expected to take up 20% of the 270,000 sq ft retail space of the seven-storey mall, which can accommodate up to 150 retailers.

“Our Jaya Shopping Centre aims to be the community’s surrogate home: for busy parents to spend quality time with their children, catch a movie or two, conduct banking needs, grocery shopping, browsing books, enjoying a meal, a safe and fun recreation centre for kids, boutiques and homeware arranged over seven floors.

“We aim to make this mall an integral part of the community as Jaya Shopping Centre returns at the heart of Petaling Jaya,” said Jaya Section Fourteen director Ismail Ani Arope.

“We are pleased to announce a dozen of the anchor and key tenants who will form part of the Jaya family. Collectively, they will occupy over 30% of the mall’s nett lettable space.

“We have one of our two anchor tenants TGV, the other being a gourmet supermarket which will be announced later,” said Ismail.

The mall, located in PJ’s Section 14, is accessible via major roads and highways.

The entrance and exit to the mall are parallel to Jalan 14/17 and Jalan Dato Jamil Rais 15.

There is also feeder bus service to and from the Asia Jaya LRT, which link customers to Jaya Shopping Centre and its vicinity.

Divided into seven retail zones, the mall has 780 parking bays, over four basement levels connected via travelators and escalators.

Twelve tenants, comprising anchor and key tenants, were represented at the signing ceremony.

There were TGV Cinemas, CIMB Bank, Cobay, Original Classics, Chapter One, Chilli’s Grill & Bar, Levain Boulangerie & Patisserie (from Jalan Imbi), Wendy’s and Papa John’s, Caring Pharmacy, Bata, Mac Studio and Kenny Rogers.

Jaya Shopping Centre, which is expected to re-open its doors in the second half of the year has secured more than 60% occupancy by nett lettable space.

“The new Jaya Shopping Centre exists within a 500,000 strong established and vibrant PJ community.

“Jaya Shopping Centre will offer convenience for sundries, the latest trend in fashions, cineplexes, recreational centre for children, entertainment, F&B and retail mix.

“It is a perfect complement for the PJ community that yearns to be self-contained.

“No more long commutes and negotiating with the traffic,” added Ismail.

New-look Jaya Shopping Centre to open by year-end
By Sharen Kaur Published: 2013/03/05
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/JAYA26/Article/#ixzz2McnftxTk

[IMG]http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/JAYA26/pix_topright

JAYA Section Fourteen Sdn Bhd is investing RM400 million to redevelop the old Jaya Shopping Centre in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, into an iconic lifestyle mall.

The company, controlled by a group of local and Arab institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds, is using equity and debt to finance the redevelopment, its director Ismail Ani Arope said.

The new seven-storey building will be double the size of the previous mall. It will offer 270,000 sq ft of retail space, with room for 150 retailers.

The mall will be operational in the fourth quarter of this year. So far, 50 per cent of the mall is developed and the entire building will be completed by September or October, Ismail said.


It will be managed by real-estate fund management company CIMB Mapletree Management Sdn Bhd - a 60:40 joint venture between CIMB Group and Singapore's Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd.

CIMB-Mapletree Real Estate Fund 1 (CMREF 1), managed by CIMB Mapletree Management, acquired the old Jaya Shopping Centre for RM110 million in February 2006.

CMREF 1 is a RM2 billion closed-end real-estate fund with a diversified local and foreign institutional investor base.

According to Ismail, at least 30 per cent of the original tenants at Jaya Shopping Centre will return to the new premises.

They include retailers like Heng's Watch, DE Touch Jewellery, Guardian Pharmacy and Benchmark Alliance.

Yesterday, the company inked agreements with 12 new anchor and key tenants, who include TGV, CIMB Bank, Chilli's Grill & Bar, Bata, Kenny Rogers, Chapter One Bookstore and Original Classics.

"As a new mall, we want to have a good tenant mix and stabilise the rent. The new rates are between RM7.00 per sq ft (psf) and RM20.00 psf, as compared with RM5.00 psf to RM12.00 psf previously.

"In terms of recouping our investments, the asset will provide attractive annual income with good capital increment," Ismail said.

Some 60 per cent or 80 retail lots have been snapped up and he expects full occupancy by the end of this year.

Perfect for your retirement.


Taman Eko Ara Damansara

http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Entrance2.jpg

http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Bridge.jpg

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http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Picnic.jpg

http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Exercise1.jpg

http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Path.jpg

http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Bridge2.jpg

http://www.aradamansara.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Observation.jpg

Guys, I'm a PJ-rian through and through, born in Assunta Hospital and staying in SS2... My office is also here, in the Paramount area! :lol:

And speaking of new developments, did anyone notice that one large chunk of the Armada open-air car park has been hoarded off? I saw a "Pinnacle PJ" wording on the hoarding and there is a website we can surf to for more info: www.pinnacle-pj.com... However, typing this name in Google gets you this Pinnacle office tower at Sunway City, next door to Menara Sunway (confusing eh)!

http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss97/ethanielsiaw/Ethaniel%202/IMG_3184.jpg
I always wonder why Armanee Terraces 2 (at the right) is taking forever to complete... After so many years, only one wing has reached the top floor... While at the same time, so many other skyscrapers in KL and PJ have already gone from the piling stage to occupancy...

What happened to that building? Was it abandoned for some time? In fact, Armanee 2 was a condo that I wanted to purchase, a few years ago, but the idea was dropped...

Guys, I'm a PJ-rian through and through, born in Assunta Hospital and staying in SS2... My office is also here, in the Paramount area! :lol:

And speaking of new developments, did anyone notice that one large chunk of the Armada open-air car park has been hoarded off? I saw a "Pinnacle PJ" wording on the hoarding and there is a website we can surf to for more info: www.pinnacle-pj.com... However, typing this name in Google gets you this Pinnacle office tower at Sunway City, next door to Menara Sunway (confusing eh)!

Nobody is faster than Sksycrapercity Malaysia >>> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1603214

Damansara Perdana

http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/5605/sc20130426233615.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/832/sc20130426233615.jpg/)

Damansara Perdana


http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3319/20130503121954.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/692/20130503121954.jpg/)

Kelana Jaya

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4262/20130511173120.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/208/20130511173120.jpg/)

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7002/screenshot2013051208411.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/407/screenshot2013051208411.png/)

^^ What is that empty plot there? Some building site?