GREEN LUNG HAVOC AND SIR, AFTER FEDERAL HILL, DOES BANGSAR GO TOO? - Malay Mail

April 27, 2008

THE only remaining green lung in Bangsar is slotted for development. But not if the residents of Jalan Medang Serai, Bukit Bandaraya, have any say
in it.

Residents are up in arms against a proposed high-rise luxury condominium project by Bandar Raya Developments Berhad.
The developer has announced it will be putting up eight blocks of 212 luxury condominium units and multi-level car park.

Of the eight blocks, two blocks will be 28-storeys high and the rest 11 and six storeys.

A City Hall notice on the project had stated that the project would increase the density in the area from 30 people per acre to 175 people per acre —an increase of 500 per cent.

This has caused residents in the Medang Serai area, including those living in townhouses, Tivoli Villa and Bangsar Puteri, to see red as they claimed that the proposed development would not only destroy their only patch of green lung but also cause massive congestion in an already congested area.

“The dust and noise will be a health hazard to the residents and there is no logic in increasing the density by 500 per cent,” said Medang Serai Residents Action Committee pro-tem president Tunku Zurie Tunku Izham.

She said residents were also shocked that the project was being promoted and advertised in a newsletter and on its website although City Hall claimed that it had not issued any development order.

“It smacks of arrogance on the developer’s part to promote the project when no approval has been granted,” said another resident, who had been living in the area for more than 20 years.

However, Gunasegaran Naidu, deputy-director of Monitoring and Enforcement (National Housing Development) in an e-mail to a resident representative, who had lodged a complaint with the Housing and Local Government Ministry, said the brochure did not advertise any sale.

“It was an announcement that BRDB will be launching a con- dominium project in the area.

Neither was it an exercise to register prospective buyers,” s a id Na idu .

The residents had also organised a signature campaign and sent a petition to, among others, the mayor, the director-general of City Hall, the Lembah Pantai member of parliament and the Federal Territories Minister.

Residents had also put forward their concerns at a hearing called by City Hall but to date, the anxious residents have not been told of the outcome.

“We urge the authorities not to approve the project. A massive high-rise project such as the one being proposed is not suitable as the Medang Serai area is made up of mostly low-rise houses and apartments.

“With the current flash floods that we have been experiencing in Kuala Lumpur, we should not be cutting down more trees,” said Tunku Zurie.

Environmental experts have also pointed out that sacrificing forests for high-rise buildings negate efforts to promote tree planting in cities.

Many have pointed out that it is a paradox for City Hall to spend millions on tree planting while at the same time, projects were be- ing approved which destroyed the greenery.

Late last year, Datuk Bandar Datuk Ab Hakim Borhan had stated that City Hall was spending an additional RM5 million on tree planting in the city.

Another RM94 million has been allocated in this year’s budget for the building of recreational parks and green a re a s.

In 1980, City Hall had admitted that there was only 0.2ha of green open space available per 1,000 persons —which, even at that time, was considered insufficient.

“If so, why does City Hall con- tinue to approve projects at the expense of the remaining urban forests?” asked a resident, who said that the pressure from urban living requires the community to seek relief and the urban forests are a fine example of providing a soothing atmosphere.