Saturday, December 06, 2008

The Star Wednesday March 19, 2008

Storm in a teacup

By SALINA KHALID

THE Kota Damansara Muslim Cemetery will remain but there will be no more development in the area, according to Kota Damansara state assemblyman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim.“We have decided to keep the cemetery but at the same time ensure that the surrounding will remain a green area.


Allaying fears: Dr Mohd Nasir assuring the Kota Damansara residentsthat the Muslim cemetery would remain.

“Since the land still belongs to the state government, we will make sure that there is no further development at this forest reserve,” he said, referring to the Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve.

Dr Mohd Nasir made this promise to a group of 50 Kota Damansara residents who had gathered at the cemetery’s main entrance yesterday to protest against the visit by Bukit Gasing state assemblyman Edward Lee and to demand that the cemetery remains there.


Edward Lee is currently the Bukit Gasing N.34 State Assemblyman; Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment Assistant Exco Member to Elizabeth Wong; Special Select Committee on Competency Accountability and Transparency (SELCAT) Committee Member; Section 5 RA President; and All Petaling Jaya Residents' Association Coalition (APAC-CAHC) Founder and Advisor.

The newly elected DAP state assemblyman was caught in a sticky situation when he decided to conduct a site visit to the Muslim burial site.


His visit was misconstrued and had made the residents who had been fighting for the cemetery uneasy.


The group was seen at the main entrance of the cemetery as early as 9am. Some had put up banners on the fence urging the new state government to leave the cemetery alone.

Also present were representatives from Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) the Forestry Department.


“The residents wanted to know the purpose of Lee’s visit to the cemetery.


‘‘That is why they decided to gather here and find out for themselves,” said Kota Damansara Cemetery Development committee chairman Alpadzul Abu Hassan.


He said Lee had called representatives from the MBPJ, Forestry Department and also the Cemetery Development Committee to brief him on the cemetery development.

Alpadzul, who is also Section 6 residents’ association chairman, said they felt that Lee should not have come charging there to get such information and should have talked to Dr Mohd Nasir or sought details from MBPJ.


In response to the situation, Lee said it was all due to miscommunication.


“I went there to check on the environmental issue and not the cemetery.


Lee said he had received complaints from the residents living near the cemetery, voicing out their fears that the development would not stop at the cemetery.


He said as he had been involved in the Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve issue for a few years, he had wanted to check on its status himself.


The cemetery, which is part of the depleting Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve, was the subject of controversy last year.


A group of residents and those who wanted to keep the green area had objected to it.

Local Pharmacy News
Title :Parents report profiteering by mask sellers
Date :17 August 2005
From :The Star

The Government's confirmation of the hazardous air quality as a result of the haze has prompted panicked parents to rush to buy masks for their children, causing the retail price of the item to rise as much as five-fold in some areas.

Kota Damansara resident Alpadzul Abu Hassan called up The Star to complain about the price hike after trying to buy some soft fabric masks for his family from local pharmacies.

"It was only RM1 a few days ago, but the government's emergency announcement has caused many parents to rush to buy the masks," said Alpadzul.

"The traders are charging RM3 to RM5 for each mask now. It is ridiculous for the traders to profit like this."

Alpadzul, who is Kota Damansara 6 Residents Association secretary, said he received many complaints regarding the sudden hike in the price of masks from parents in his area and urged the authorities to clamp down on the traders.

The soft fabric masks used to cost between 80 sen and RM1 while the hard masks were priced between RM2 and RM5.50 each, depending on the quality of the material it was made of.
A check with a pharmacy in Damansara Jaya showed that they were still selling the soft fabric mask at RM1 each.

The pharmacist who declined to be named said the price of the masks, whether hard or soft, depended on the grade and filtration level they offer.
"The higher grade ones are more expensive and are priced between RM2 and RM3," said the pharmacist.

A hardware shop in Segambut has reported an increase in the sale of masks.
The shop owner who declined to be identified said the soft fabric mask, which previously sold at 80 sen each were priced at RM1.

"We have no choice but to raise the price because the factories have increased the prices. They tell us that even they are running out of stock," he said.
He added that hardly anyone ever bought the masks during normal times.

AKHBAR / NEWSPAPER:THE STAR
SEKSYEN / SECTION: NEWS
TARIKH / DATE:30-Apr-2005
HARI / DAY: SABTU (SAT)
ISU / ISSUE:KERAJAAN TEMPATAN
MUKA SURAT / PAGE: 8
TAJUK / TITLE: Best PJ area contest is on again


THE Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) Best Neighbourhood Competition is pack with development grants worth RM120,000 up for grabs.

The competition is open to all residents associations (RA), Rukun Tetangga (RT) and village development and security committees (JKKK), and the winner will receive a development grant worth RM50,000, while the second and third-placed organisations will get RM40,000 and RM30,000 respectively.

The fourth edition of the competiion carries the theme "Sustainable Community Initiative" and takes into account all activities that took place in 2004.

Selangor town planning department director Datin Paduka Dr Halimaton Saadiah Hashim is the head judge again. There are also more judges this year because the number of participants this time around is expected to increase. Over a hundred RA, RT and JKKK representatives received the entry forms during the launch of the competition recently.

As part of the launch, Dr Halimaton spoke on the points that the judges would be looking for in the competition." Although the presentation is entitled 'How To Win The Competition', the points are good examples for the creation of a sustainable community and will help your community become a better place; "Dr Halimaton told the residents' representatives.

A presentation by previous winners of the competition was also held in which they highlighted their achievements. During the question-and-answer segment, Kota Damansara Section 6 residents association secretary Alpadzul Abu Hassan declared that his association would nottake part in the competition to give a chance to other neighbourhoods.

Alpadzul also offered to give residents-based organisations a tour of Kota Damansara Section 6 and the projects that had helped the association become the competition winner in 2002 and 2003.

Launching the competition, Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Azizah Datuk S.P. Mohd Dun said MPPJ's choice to run the competition was in line with the objective of improving the service delivery to the public.

"Under the 9th Malaysia Plan, the ministry will bring LA21 ((Local Agenda 21) to all local governments because it is through this programme that the community and private sector can together plan and manage their own areas towards sustainable development and a better quality of life.

"To show the ministry's support for the competition, Azizah announced a contribution of RM52,000 to the LA21 programme.

Also present during the launch were MPPJ president Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh and LA21 Social Integration Committee chairman Datuk Lim Choon Kin.

AKHBAR / NEWSPAPER : THE STAR
SEKSYEN / SECTION : NEWS
TARIKH / DATE : 24-Oct-2005
HARI / DAY : ISNIN (MON)
ISU / ISSUE : KERAJAAN TEMPATAN
MUKA SURAT / PAGE : 2
TAJUK / TITLE : 'We are tired of writing to the authorities'


UNCOUNTABLE letters have been written to the council and numerous meetings arranged;
yet residents of Kota Damansara 6 are still saddled with the problem of illegal stalls around
the neighbourhood.

The problem is not new.

The stalls have been in existence since the last six to seven years, says Kota Damansara 6
Residents Association secretary Alpadzul Abu Hassan.

“We have written letters and met with the MPPJ presidents, from Datuk Mohamed Nor Bador,
to Datuk Emran Kadir, Datuk Abdul Karim Munisar and now Datuk Ahmad Termizi Puteh, regarding
the problem, but to no avail,'' he said.

“We're tired of sending letters. Even Kota Damansara state assemblyman Datuk Mohd Mokhtar
Dahlan is aware of the problem,” he said.

The stalls operate from morning till about midnight, and can be found in clusters along the roads,
particularly around Jalan Cecawi 6/19A, Jalan Cecawi 6/30, and near the low-cost flats.

“Eighty percent of the traders are from outside the area,'' said Alpadzul. “Kota Damansara is a
modern development, but these stalls are scattered all over, making the place look so messy.

“What's more, traders of illegal food outlets indiscriminately discharge dirty water into the drains.
Sooner or later, the area will be infested with rats.

“Cars park along the roadside, especially the main road, Jalan Surian, disrupting traffic flow and
risking the safety of motorists,” he added.

Alpadzul said two areas – Jalan Cecawi 6/30 and Jalan Cecawi 6/19 - had been allocated for the
Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) to build a structure so as to centralise the stalls. “But, to
this day, nothing has been done.

“As an alternative, the stalls can also be centralised at Kompleks Muhibbah (Kota Damansara 6's
multi-purpose hall). We have highlighted this to the council, but there has been no enforcement
so far,” he added.

“We don't want to disturb their business. We just want MPPJ to centralise them in a proper area
so that the stalls won't pose as a risk to traffic and pedestrians,” said Alpadzul.

Resident Abdul Musawi Abu Bakar said: “They (MPPJ heads) keep saying they will centralise the
stalls, but it's all lip service.

“If squatters can be relocated to proper living areas, why not the illegal stalls? How different are
illegal stalls from squatters?”

MPPJ public relations officer Zainon Zakaria said the council was in the midst of finalising an in situ
programme for the relocation of the traders, but could not confirm a date.

She said vacancies in existing council-owned stalls within and outside Kota Damansara 6 were
available, but the traders had not indicated their interest.

“They (the traders) would rather maintain their illegal stalls despite having been compounded by
the council.”

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Desa Ixora has launched its own Social Network here http://cecawi.ning.com/?xgi=bx6lw9K

Monday, April 28, 2008

GE Volunteers Day 2008



Inconjunction with EARTH DAY 2008, a clean-up project and environmental conservation program by GE Volunteers was held in Kota Damansara Community Forest Lake area.



The event was made successful with help from Parents-Teachers Association (PIBG) of SMK Seksyen, Friends-Kota Damansara (KDCF) and local community.



The volunteers were later participated in guided "Natural Walk" into the forest park.



Before Clean-UP



http://www.slide.com/r/uHpgoUzzzj-YhpokzD1kmEmm2_t4g_y4



After Clean-Up



http://www.slide.com/r/WqS-lo1G6T-f-oBeycViJeap-KzfhCxE





There is also plenty of birdlife. Just by the forest edge, birdwatchers have seen the black-bellied malkohas, crested serpent eagles, kingfishers, black and red broadbills and dollar birds. Deep inside the forest, they have encountered the rare and endangered argus pheasant.





Thursday, April 03, 2008

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Calon Pilihanraya ke-12 berucap di hutan simpan Kota Damansara


R Sivarasa