Hawker and parking woes in Taman Bunga Raya have been acted on

SETAPAK: The problems of hawkers and indiscriminate parking in Taman Bunga Raya here were not "ignored", as Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL)'s corporate communication manager Anwar Mohd Zain said continuous action was taken.

"Last year, we compounded 1,367 hawkers in the area and seized 93 tables, 434 chairs and 104 other items. Meanwhile, up to last month, we issued 354 compounds and seized 15 tables and 74 chairs," he told The Malay Mail.

"Traders who violated their licenses have been issued with warning notices forcing them to adhere to rules and regulations."

Anwar also said the parking woes were found to have been caused by students of the nearby Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College.

"Many students rent terrace houses in the Taman Bunga Raya neighbourhood and the number of vehicles in each household exceeds its parking capacity, causing them to park outside their house perimeters and therefore contributing to the traffic obstruction," he said.

Anwar was responding to a July 13 report in The Paper That Cares highlighting the predicament of Taman Bunga Raya residents who are fed up with problems they attribute to the private college students and evening roadside hawkers.

The area's Rukun Tetangga chairman Amir Hakim Ahmad Dahalan said the indiscriminate parking by college students during the day and negative influence of hawkers in the area tested the residents' patience.

He appealed to the authorities for assistance, claiming that not much action had been taken.

Amir also said residents were concerned by the increasing number of street crimes over the past two years which attributed to the burgeoning presence of non-residents in the area.

From Malay Mail
Picture from The Final Word

Brickfields braces for traffic hell

Residents doubt RM110m traffic management system would work


KUALA LUMPUR: Brickfields residents are preparing for the worst as the temporary one-way traffic system for Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad is scheduled to start tomorrow.
It will be in effect until Oct 29 to facilitate the RM110 million traffic dispersal system for Brickfields and KL Sentral.

Most residents were unhappy with the temporary conversion of roads into one-way streets, including Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Jalan Tun Sambathan 4 and Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad.
Brickfields Rukun Tentangga chairman S.K.K. Naidu said the move would cause parts of Brickfields to experience bottlenecks.

"In front of Pos Laju Malaysia, for example, I am sure there will be massive traffic jams there. Looking at how traffic from Central Market will be diverted, based on the plan, I am also sure it is not going to be pretty."
Naidu said the alternative routes from Central Market and Jalan Istana to Brickfields would be congested as traffic will be diverted to smaller roads, such as Jalan Tun Sambathan 3, before turning into Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad and exiting at the intersection into Jalan Tun Sambathan.

"Brickfields folks and commuters may also have problems going to Bangsar and MidValley Megamall as the bus stop in front of KL Sentral station (KL Monorail), which heads towards these destinations, has not been relocated. Previously, the authorities and the developer had said that the one-way system would be on a trial basis.

"We have forwarded suggestions and advice, but they were not taken into consideration. They came up with the plan without consulting us.

"We are unhappy with the traffic dispersal system from day one and have made that very clear. When we raised our concerns during a previous meeting, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin had said he would look into the matter. But this is the outcome."

Rama Rao, who runs a printing business in Brickfields, felt the one-way traffic system was a bad idea. "It promises a smoother traffic but we do not know how good it is.

"Motorists coming from certain directions will enjoy a smooth drive, but residents and business owners will be facing a tough time."

He was, however, happy with how the new Jalan Bangsar-Jalan Travers flyover, which was part of the project, had eased traffic congestion.

Another resident, a college student who only wanted to be known as Tavvin, said Brickfields would look cleaner and more organised with the project, especially when roadside stalls were now relocated to make way for road works.

"I am not sure how the one-way traffic system will affect us until it takes place as we have to make a detour just to go to Bangsar and MidValley."

The project is carried out by Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB) to ease traffic congestion in Brickfields, and involves construction of flyovers, pedestrian bridges and road upgrading works under six packages.

Package 1 sees the construction of a flyover at Jalan Travers/Jalan Bangsar intersection; Package 2, a flyover from KL Sentral to Jalan Damansara and the Mahameru Highway; Package 3 involves upgrading Jalan Tun Sambanthan and its vicinity; Package 4 is the construction of pedestrian bridges a n d linkages; Package 5 revolves around upgrading and road repairs at KL Sentral; and Package 6, the building of an elevated road from Jalan Bangsar to Jalan Maarof.

By NURUL HUDA JAMALUDDIN from Malay Mail
Monday, August 2nd, 2010 11:17:00

Image from BackpackingMalaysia

DBKL urged to decide on pedestrian bridge near Menara AIA

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has been urged to take immediate action whether to repair or replace the pedestrian bridge near Menara AIA in Jalan Ampang for the convenience of the people, especially school children.

The 40-year-old bridge was closed to the public two days ago after one of its stair structure became defective, forcing schoolchildren from two nearby schools having risk crossing the normally busy road there.

A mother, Begum Hanifah, 33, said the bridge was vital as most of its users were schoolchildren.

"Although there is a traffic warden, it is still unsafe for the children," she told Bernama while waiting for her daughter who is in Standard Two at Sekolah Rendah Convent Bukit Nanas.

A father of another student, who wanted to be known only as Abdul Malik, 42, said he also hoped that immediate action would be taken to solve the problem.

"I hope DBKL will make an immediate decision whether to repair the bridge or build a new one to replace it," he said.

Meanwhile, DBKL director-general Datuk Salleh Yusup said immediate action concerning the issue would be taken soon after receiving a full report from DBKL's technical unit.

"Our officers will run an inspection on the bridge. If it's fixable, we will fix it, if it's unsafe, we will demolish it and build a new one," he promised.

Image from Flickr

Rats and crows in dirty township

City Hall says they will monitor the cleanliness at Bandar Baru Sri Petaling

ANGELA GOH of Bandar Baru Sri Petaling is fed up with rats and crows infesting the township due to lack of cleanliness.

"Garbage is left uncollected for days in residential areas and this has given rise to rats and crows rummaging through the leftovers," she says, adding that her complaints to Kuala Lumpur City Hall have fallen on deaf ears.

"Compared with other townships, Bandar Baru Sri Petaling is in a bad state."

GOH says there is a lack of garbage bins, indiscriminate dumping of garbage, overgrown grass and illegal stalls sprouting everywhere.

"What I am most disgusted about is the overall lack of cleanliness, especially at the site meant for a morning wet market, which is filthy. The drains nearby are clogged and this has caused irksome smells," she says.

"What is City Hall doing? As ratepayers, we deserve a clean township."

KUALA Lumpur City Hall corporate communications manager Anwar Mohd Zain says they will monitor the cleanliness of Bandar Baru Sri Petaling.

"This year, up to June, we have exterminated 227 rats and 52 crows in Bandar Baru Sri Petaling.

"We carry out out extermination of rats and crows every month and will continue to do so to alleviate the pest problems in the area."

- Credit to Nurul Huda Jamaluddin and K.G. Krishnan from Malay Mail
- Image credit to Chaukhat

Raja Nong Chik: A year of learning

KUALA LUMPUR: Today marked the first year anniversary of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Datuk Raja Zainal Abidin assuming his post and shouldering the responsibilities of the ministry.

Speaking at a Press conference, Raja Nong Chik expressed his gratitude for all the support and also advice given to him by the people, including non-governmental organisations.

“Before I stepped into this post as FT Minister, I was told that I would not be able to handle the big responsibility that comes with the post. They said a lot of things, including the fact that I would have a very complex task and so on. But, I take it all as a challenge."

With a year having passed, Raja Nong Chik was glad to say that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is happy with the positive developments and improvements achieved so far.

Adding that he felt like he was back in school, the minister said he still has a lot of things to learn and improve on.

"I feel as though I'm still in college, learning. If I were to describe how this whole thing feels, it's like I have just finished my first semester and Alhamdulillah, I've passed with flying colours since our Prime Minister is pleased with the improvements and my performance. But I'm still learning and hope to improve further."

As FT minister, the Key Performance Index (KPI) achieved includes the sale of flat units under the National Economic Action Council's (MTEN) public housing project (PPR). To date, about 39,000 out of 44,000 units have been taken.

He also cited the ministry's focus on improving the people's quality of life and eradicating urban poverty through redevelopment projects like the four-storey Kampung Kerinchi flats.

It is the first project to be carried out, involving 480 owners and 11 blocks. The project is the first where the public choose their own developers to carry out the task.

While the ministry's focus before was only to monitor the three federal territories of Labuan, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, its role has now expanded to include the eradication of urban poverty throughout the country and organising urban well being programmes.

MANTAP is the way to go

KUALA LUMPUR: In conjunction with his one year anniversary as the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin today launched the ministry's five-year plan known as Strategic Plan and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategic Plan 2010-2015.

The objective is to renew and implement the ministry's new direction, commitment and mechanism to realise a safe and developed Federal Territory.

Six core strategic steps were introduced, forming the acronym MANTAP (steadfastness) where M stands for 'modal insan' (human capital), A for 'aspek ekonomi' (economic aspects), N for 'nilai tambah' (added value), T for 'teknologi' (technology), A for 'alam sekitar' (environment), and P for 'penyertaan masyarakat' (public participation).

Raja Nong Chik said four core values -- 'cemerlang' (excellence), 'amanah' (trustworthy), 'mesra' (friendly) and 'prihatin' (caring) would govern the implementation of the strategic plan.

"We will not forget our main mission which is to spearhead development for the Federal Territories, improve the people's quality of life and eradicate poverty in the cities," he said.

The outcome-based approach framework, added Raja Nong Chik, also focuses on the people's needs. "If we really want people to measure well, improve their performance, and meet their public accountabilities, they must own this process." he said.

NADIRAH H. RODZI
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 18:34:00

Source : Malay Mail

Careful planning needed - Datuk Fuad Ismail

SLOPE development is a sensitive issue in Kuala Lumpur and yet a pertinent one.

We have 5% of land under Level 4 which is above 35 degrees, 49% for level two (15-25 degrees) and level three (25-35) and the rest falls under level 1 (15 degrees).

There are four hills, Bukit Tabur, Bukit Gasing, Bukit Nenas and Bukit Sungai Besi that we have agreed not to develop but there are other places like Bukit Tunku, Bukit Damansara and Bukit Lanjan that are also quite hilly but have been developed.

People often ask the question, “Why must we develop the hilly area?” They say it is dangerous and maybe it is. They always quote the Highland Towers and Bukit Antarabangsa incidents.

We mostly have level two, level three and level four. We need to check on that because some may develop level two and three and leave behind level four.

We cannot allow that to happen because it is dangerous. It is the common misconception that if we leave it alone it will not collapse. However, I have seen untouched hills collapsing. When it rains, trees may fall and sooner or later erosion will happen.

At the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) if the area is above 35 degrees and is a continuous highland we will never allow it to be developed even if the Housing and Local Government Ministry allows 10%.

However, if people touch the hill slightly below the stipulated level we would like to know all the technical aspects of their projects.

We want to know from geotechnical consultants about the design and the type of wall used. The safety factor for all slope and hillslide development is a minimum of 1.5 and places like Hong Kong and Switzerland are able to build under similar factors because it has the same physical features. The question is how do they manage the slope?

First of all we must have the complete data on the slope. For that we have to work with several departments including Mineral and Geoscience and the slope division under the Works Department.

We always advise the consultants and developers to be conservative especially in putting extra weightage in designing. To ensure we cover all the aspects. We invite IKRAM to help us to monitor the design.

Bear in mind we only allow 50% of the said land called the clean area to be developed and not 100%.

After we have approved the design we will check on the implementation. There are certain procedures that developers must ensure, including that the working hours do not disturb residents, the lorries coming in and out of the site have to be washed properly and they have to beef up safety especially during heavy rain.

Many times, developers fail to adhere to these simple rules and people lose trust in them. I think we may resort to issuing stop-work orders to contractors if we receive at least two complaints from residents.

Apart from that, there has to be proper drainage and a buffer zone of 4.5m to 5m at least from the houses.

With the buffer zone and a caisson wall, we will have an early warning system in the event of a landslip.

Finally in the third stage it is our responsibility and the developer’s to ensure that maintenance is carried out.

The DBKL is always in a dilemma because people think we are biased but that is not the case. The developers are the land owners, they have to pay for the land, assessment and the quit rent.

Under the present Act if we do not allow the development we will have to pay them. Just imagine how many lands in KL fall under the level two and level three categories. I personally feel we cannot afford to acquire the land because it is too big and our priority is to provide services for the people.

However, that does not mean the developers can build what they want. We only allow low-density development so they have to decide on the money spent for the buffer zone and if they think they can earn profits at the end of the day we will come in.

This does not only generate income it also creates a safety net for the people. I personally believe that this is an opportunity for people to get involved and know about the slope located near their house.

Developers can use us as a mediator to talk to the people. Everyone has a role to play and together we can understand the problems each other faces.

We have to be practical and choose between two options, leave the hill the way it is or put up a good structure that can maintain the safety factor. The topic is still open for discussion.

Taken from MAYOR SPEAKS By DATUK AHMAD FUAD ISMAIL. Picture credits to juiciest one.

DBKL will install CCTV in public parks

City Hall mulling over CCTV plan for 14 public parks


TO ENSURE the safety of park users in the federal capital, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will be beefing up security in all its 14 public parks in stages.

Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said security measures might include installing closed-circuit cameras (CCTVs) at all these parks.

He said Taman Tasik Perdana, which was now being upgraded, would be the first to have the facility.

For a start, he said DBKL would increase patrolling at the site by its Horse Patrol Unit and enforcement officers.

“Installing CCTV cameras is one option that we are considering, but that will be at a later date.

“For the moment we are improving the lighting system as well as safety features such as walkways that are pedestrian and disabled-friendly,” he said.

Fuad said safety was an important aspect in the parks and it must be addressed, but he also advised park users not to put themselves in a situation where their safety would be at risk.

“On our part we will do whatever we can to ensure the safety of people who use the parks, but my advice is to be careful and do not go alone in the early morning or late evening,” he said.

Apart from beefing up security, the mayor said DBKL was working on creating a different concept for each park.

Citing an example, he said the Lake Gardens was being transformed into a botanical garden with big trees and tropical shrubs.

“So far we have planted about 1,000 trees of various species and Lake Garden’s concept is about a tropical garden with flowering trees and bonsai plants.

“Taman Titiwangsa on the other hand will be more sports-oriented while Taman Metropolitan is geared towards family activities like kite-flying and remote-controlled car racing,” he said.

Fuad said once all these parks were ready, DBKL would work with various NGOs, schools and corporations in organising programmes and holding activities at all these parks to educate the public on the various plant species that were synonymous with Malaysia.

“I want people to come here, get their hands dirty, plant heliconias and learn new things,” he said, adding that there were plenty of things one could learn at the parks.

The other parks in Kuala Lumpur are Taman Pudu Ulu, Taman Tasik Permaisuri, Taman Bukit Jalil, Taman Tasik Manjalara, Taman Tasik Datuk Keramat, Taman Lembah Kiara, Taman Rimba Bukit Kiara and Medan Idaman in Taman Ibu Kota Cheras.

P/S: I hope people will aware of this. I'm sick and tired with unmarried couples in the park. Bet this is one of the way to prevent wrongdoings in the public. Congrats to DBKL and minister Dato' Raja Nong Chik.