by DEBBIE CHAN

The Star, Jan 25 2008

THE one green area in Petaling Jaya that has been a subject of dispute between residents and the local authorities for the past few years is again in the news.
Bukit Gasing, located on the border of Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, is under the jurisdiction of both the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).

Stark images: Yeo (left) and Maxwell Tower Residents Association chairman Victor Oorjitam holding up pictures of development at Bukit Gasing.

 In the latest row, the Joint Action Committee for Bukit Gasing (JACBG) is accusing the DBKL of refusing to conduct a public hearing on a proposed development by Gasing Meridian at the green area. The JACBG contention is that according to the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan, Bukit Gasing and its surrounding areas are designated as stable areas or green areas, and hence, should be preserved.

The stable areas are defined as areas with established development and activities in which minimal changes in development are anticipated over the plan period, which is up to year 2020. The green areas are defined as areas generally covered with natural or planted vegetation, consisting of open spaces, recreational areas, utility and infrastructure corridors, buffer zones, forest reserves, agricultural areas, cemeteries, nurseries, shrubs and residential compounds.

“The proposed development constitutes a change of use and is also a full scale re-sculpturing of the portion of Bukit Gasing visible to all commuters in and out of Kuala Lumpur on its southern section,” JACBG member Gary Yeo said.

“We’ve been appealing to DBKL to clarify and provide updates on its considerations on this project.

“We are very concerned that DBKL’s only response to our many concerns was to write to us to tell us that they will not grant us a public hearing,” Yeo said.
According to Yeo, the main safety concern of the residents is in relations to the possibility of landslides if the development project is approved.

“We already have limited green areas and we will stand firm against this project that will permanently remove a beautiful landscape for both the residents in the area as well as others in and around the congested cities of PJ and KL,” he said.
The residents intend to organise further campaigns to make the DBKL give due consideration to their concerns. The DBKL rejected the appeal for a public hearing on the basis that the proposed development would not increase density nor involve a change in land use which is in compliance to Wilayah Persekutuan Planning Act 1982-Development Plan Rule 1970. According to the rule, the residents could only file objections if the development project increases density and changes land use. The JACBG objection against this project has been a long-standing one, going back to 1999 with a lot of discussions and dialogues among the residents, the DBKL and the developer over the years.