The Gasing Green Belt gives the Section 5 neighbourhood its distinctive character. It is the pride of the community and its continued existence allows residents to enjoy fresh air, cooler temperatures and the privilege of being close to nature. The area is also a vital green lung that ameliorates urban pollution and provides much needed opportunities for recreation and relaxation for the larger Klang Valley community. More than ten years ago, a group of friends and neighbours living in the residential neighbourhood of Section 5 in the city of Petaling Jaya joined forces to prevent the Gasing Green Belt from being cleared for development. Since then, the Section 5 Residents Association has undertaken to be constructively engaged in the sustainable development and management of this special forest neighbourhood.  The residents’ vision for an integrated conservation, nature education and recreational park culminated in a detailed proposal for a Petaling Jaya Community Forest Park (PJCFP), an area available to the entire PJ community.  While there is support in principle for the park on the Petaling Jaya side of the Gasing Hill, it is necessary to keep this dream alive through sustained efforts to move the proposal to the next stage. In this section, you will find some of the background behind the PJFCP and regular updates on the campaign to establish the park. Presently, the DBKL managed section of Gasing Hill (also known as the Bukit Kerinchi section) is much less secure with numerous proposals for development currently being considered. These projects not only stand to destroy the natural area and weaken the green belt as a whole, they involve building on steep gradients and on unstable soils. This is a source of worry to the homeowners and condo residents in the Taman Petaling area. The residents’ associations involved are now actively appealing to the authorities to carefully consider the potentially grave consequences of permitting development in this area. In this section, you will find some of the commentary on this issue in the news. Even if you do not live in Section 5, the Gasing Green Belt is a piece of nature that belongs to us all. Let’s do all we can to ensure that we will continue to be able to enjoy it for decades to come.
 
UCARE - The Hub of the Section 5 Community
UCARE - Unity, Culture, Arts, Recreation and Education is an initiative of the Residents of Section 5 to organise events and programmes that build community spirit, cultivate a caring community towards the elderly, promote good neighbourhood relationships and promote the Section 5 Residents Association and the PJ Community Park. The UCARE committee believes that there is a tremendous resource of talent, enthusiasm and willingness to contribute within this neighbourhood. In creating a platform for committee members and residents to be actively involved in organising special projects and events, the community has been greatly encouraged by the energised people who have united across different ages and races towards a shared vision of community development and integrationUnity is at the core of all projects and programmes that we undertake. Our first project - the Merdeka Street Party in 2005 was a resounding success with close to 1,000 residents dancing in the street. Whether through events like these or the ongoing efforts to establish a community forest park - unity, mutual respect and national loyalty underscore all efforts and initiatives.  This year, we hope to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence with a number of community activities. If you have any ideas for regular or one-off activities, post a suggestion and get some feedback from other readers. Alternatively, send an e-mail to:

editor@greenwaveasia.org
ed_lee@greenwaveasia.org
ayesha@greenwaveasia.org
vimala@greenwaveasia.org