‘Work together to resolve woes’

 01/10/2004 The Star By SALINA KHALID

THE pasar malam traders operating at Permai Apartment in Damansara Damai have to work together with the residents there to resolve the problem of the relocation of the night market, said Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Yong Dai Ying.

“The developer, Medan Prestasi Sdn Bhd, has allocated a piece of land in another location and with all the facilities.

“But they refuse to move out from the current location because they fear it would affect their business,” she said.

She was speaking at a meeting between the residents associations and the developers in Bukit Lanjan constituency on Monday which was aimed at addressing the issues and problems faced by the residents.

Yong, who acted as a mediator, said the meeting had been organised to seek joint programmes and initiatives for the various developments in the area to make the constituency a better place to live in.

She added that the residents were more familiar with the problems and should be able to decide whether they wanted the pasar malam relocated, and hence it would be unfair for her to make the call.

Also present at the event were Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) Councillor Krishnan Narayana Redy and representatives of developers Medan Prestasi Sdn Bhd, Saujana Triangle Sdn Bhd, See Hoy Chan Holdings Group, Sri Damansara Berhad, IJM Sdn Bhd, Rampai Tema Sdn Bhd and Puncak Dana Development. The three-hour meeting, which started at 3pm, was held at Bukit Seri Damansara Club House, and was attended by about 30.

Medan Prestasi Sdn Bhd customer service manager Raj Kumar Kanagarajah said the developer had spent more than RM60,000 to provide infrastructure, including surfacing the area, installing water pipes and electricity power lines and lighting at the new site to enable the traders to operate there. The site, located near Impian Apartment, is currently vacant although it has been earmarked for one of the five schools to be built in the housing development.

He said the pasar malam, which had started operations in 2001, was initially managed by the developer as part of the facilities for residents in the area. It was meant to be operated only by residents in the development and Damansara Damai. However, when the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) refused to give the developer approval for the pasar malam, they had informed the traders to stop operations.

“As suggested by MPPJ, we are turning the pasar malam into an evening market cum pasar tani instead.

“It means that the traders have to be relocated to a new place because the existing one is not suitable,” said Raj Kumar, adding that the developer had stopped managing the pasar malam but the traders continued to operate.

There are about 100 traders and 80% of them are outsiders. One of the reasons for relocating the traders is the chaotic traffic condition caused by the traders and customers parking their vehicles haphazardly, inconveniencing other residents in the neighbourhood.

Raj Kumar added that when completed, Damansara Damai would have 14,000 apartment units. More than 11,000 have been completed so far.

Other issues discussed were infrastructure and traffic woes, lack of phone lines and rubbish collection problems.

Residents also complained about the high maintenance fee charged by a developer. The developer later explained the reason.

Yong said similar meetings would be held in future to enable both parties to find solutions to their problems.