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The Star Online: New Park Lightings for Subang Jaya Areas (2009)

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/9/central/5806434&sec=central

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<a href=mailto:jade@thestar.com.my>jade@thestar.com.my</a>

RESIDENTS and the business community have been urged to not dispose of non-biodegradeable waste like plastic objects and pieces of wood down their sewerage system.

"The sewege treatment plants are meant to treat domestic, biodegradeable waste only," said Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd Communications Department manager Shahrul Nizam Sulaiman.

"Non-biodegradeable waste will make the plant processes go haywire and shorten the lifespan of the machines, which is one of the reasons that lead to the stench emitting from the treatment plants.

"Oil, grease and petroleum should also be disposed of properly, as the presence of such items at the treatment plant will kill the healthy bacteria that break down the chemicals," he added.

IWK Treatment manager Hamzah Hasbullah said when one or more tanks at the treatment plants were not functioning at their peak levels, that would also lead to an unpleasant odour.

Both were speaking during a press conference organised by Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh to highlight the action taken by IWK to solve the odour generated by the IWK plant in Persiaran Mulia, USJ14, and the number of parks lighted up in 2009 in the Subang Jaya constituency by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ).

"We have spent about RM150,000 so far to repair and improve the damaged equipment at that particular plant so that it can function well," said Shahrul, adding that everything was done in compliance with the Department of Environment's requirements.

According to Hamzah, the treatment plant in USJ14 serves a population of 130,000 that covers areas from USJ2 to USJ14, the Goodyear Court apartments, USJ Taipan and Summit Shopping Centre.

"We began the repairs two years ago after Yeoh channelled the residents' complaints to us," he said.

"We've been carrying out the preventive measures over a period of time as the repairs are done in stages and involve a lot of money."

Shahrul also appealed to residents to help take care of the public utilities and to pay their service charges regularly to ensure that the maintenance work can be carried out.

Meanwhile, Yeoh said eight parks in the Subang Jaya constituency had been installed with 13 floodlights last year.

"Of the 13, three were installed at the USJ14 park, which caters to more than 1,000 residents staying in Goodyear Court 7, 8, 9 and 10," she said.

"The residents had asked for the park to be better lighted up during the first meeting two years ago, which the MPSJ fulfilled last year."

MPSJ Engineering Department director Ismail Shafie said the three floodlights at the USJ14 park had a total of six lamps, each using a 250-watt bulb.

"It cost about RM20,000 to install the three floodlights," he said.

Meanwhile, Yeoh said it cost the council about RM87,000 in total for the 13 floodlights at the eight parks in SS12, SS18, SS19, USJ2 and USJ14.

"A total of 27 parks were lighted up with existing and new floodlights by the end of 2008, while we have had requests and identified 10 more parks that are yet to be lit this year.

"It is now more safe for the residents to carry out their recreational activities," she said.

MPSJ councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran said another aspect was in terms of security.

"A well-lit park will deter potential thieves from lurking around and discourage unhealthy social activities," he said.
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Your one-stop information portal:
The Star Online
http://thestar.com.my
Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.

The Star Online: Most councillors keen on local govt polls

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/9/central/5820390&sec=central

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THE proposal by the Penang and Selangor state governments to have elections for local governments received mixed reaction from the existing and former councillors.

Most felt the move would enable the people to select leaders who could serve them at the local council level and do away with non-performers while a few felt the current practice of appointing councillors should remain.

Kelana Jaya MCA chairman Ong Chong Swen stressed on the need to spell out the definition of a candidate who would want to stand for local council election, the details of the implementation and the job specifications.

"Among the things that need to be considered are the quality of the candidates, whether the person is able to handle service-orientated tasks and whether the person can handle a normal job in addition to being a councillor.

"Generally, it is a good thing should the proposal be allowed to go through," said Ong, adding that nobody would object to having local council elections if it allowed them to have a greater say and role in the local authority.

Second-term Petaling Jaya city councillor Latheefa Koya felt it was about time that the state brought the local council elections back to the people.

"It will be able to provide greater tarnsparency and accountability to the voters.

"We will now have to answer to the people rather than the politicians who have appointed us into the council," said Latheefa.

"Kuang assemblyman and former Selayang municipal councillor Abdul Shukur Idrus has challenged the Selangor government to go ahead with the proposal.

If this was implemented, he said the candidates from the opposition parties would get an opportunity to be elected into the local councils.

Petaling Jaya Utara Federal Coordinator Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said the current system practised was feasible and did not see a need for the state government to insist on changing it.

"The present system has been used for so long, so are they trying to say there isn't any check and balance to it then?" asked Wong who is also the SS3 Residents Association chairman.

Previously, a councillor who did not perfom well would not be nominated for the next term, hence giving others who could work better a chance to serve the people.

Wong said this was appropriate and found no reason to change this.

"The current system should be retained and more people such as community leaders and retirees should be included into sub-commitees for a more "people-oriented" council," he said.

Subang Jaya municipal councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran was also supportive to having local government elections.

"The local council is the one that makes the policies that are close to the people's hearts, like business licences, garbage collection and landscaping budget.

"It is important for the people to have a say in electing the policy-makers who determine the policies that directly affect them," he said.

MPAJ president Datuk Mohammad Yacob said local council elections had been held before but scrapped after some time.

"The state government should find out why local council elections did not work in the past," he said, adding that he believed that the government had the people's best interests at heart when proposing the idea.

MPSJ president Datuk Adnan Md Ikshan declined to comment on the issue as he said the proposal had political implications.
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Your one-stop information portal:
The Star Online
http://thestar.com.my
Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.

The Star Online: Parking limit proves effective

This article is from The Star Online (http://thestar.com.my)
URL: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/3/15/central/5837158&sec=central

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<a href=mailto:thoxinyi@thestar.com.my>thoxinyi@thestar.com.my</a>

DON'T change it! My clients are so surprised that they can now find car parking space in Taipan (USJ 10)!" Esther Ong, who owns a law firm, told a group of 40 at the auditorium of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) headquarters.

She was referring to the one-hour parking limit in Taipan, which was introduced in January to curb the problem of congestion and double-parking by restricting the motorists to paying only for one hour of parking at a time.

"I never went to Taipan during the day but recently I found a parking lot at 11am. I almost fainted!" another resident said.

His remark drew laughter from the floor at the feedback session conducted by Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh and MPSJ councillor Rajiv Rishyakaran.

Since its implementation, the system has been applauded by some, while others felt that the time limit should be increased to two or three hours, and yet others hoped it would be scrapped totally for the inconvenience caused.
Nightmare no more: Congestion has been reduced since the implementation of the onehour parking restriction in Taipan.
But, one thing is for sure: the system has improved the dreadful mess in the busy commercial area although double-parking is still rampant at certain spots.

On a positive note, more business owners and workers have finally opted for the discounted monthly passes in the multi-storey car park operated by Systematic Corporate Parking Sdn Bhd.

"The multi-storey car park has 900 parking bays. Previously, it only had 350 monthly pass subscribers but the figure has increased to 500.

"From being half-empty, its occupancy has reached 70% now," Yeoh said.

This has resulted in the street parking lots, which used to be hogged by these vehicles the whole day, being made available to the public.

Based on my experience, empty parking bays are easier to come by nowadays. When I went there for lunch at noon last Wednesday, I had no trouble finding a parking lot.

The usual double-parking in front of a bank was conspicuously absent, and there were even two empty parking bays nearby.

However, to my dismay, I found a truck parked right behind my car when I was ready to leave.

It is disappointing to note that some stubborn motorists are not willing to park a little further from the premises they visit.

Some argue that it is unpleasant to walk under the blazing sun, especially in the current hot spell. They feel that Taipan — like most areas in the Klang Valley — is not pedestrian-friendly.

The lack of shade, broken tiles, and even metal poles jutting out from the ground were highlighted in the feedback session.

Yeoh and Rajiv paid attention to the feedback and conscientiously took note of the points raised. There was no big crowd at the session but those who were present generally found the system effective.

One even suggested that the one-hour restriction be shortened to half an hour or 15 minutes in certain areas of Taipan.

There were also calls to lower the hourly parking rate at the multi-storey car park (RM2 for the first hour and RM1 for each subsequent hour) to match the street parking fee of 50 sen an hour.

Other local councils can also study the system to see if it suits their areas, such as Petaling Jaya Old Town, New Town and Section 14.

However, coming back to the core of the problem, the local councils should pay more attention to infrastructure when they approve new developments.

Otherwise, the same old tale of congestion caused by lack of parking spaces would surface again and again.
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Your one-stop information portal:
The Star Online
http://thestar.com.my
Copyright © 1995-2010 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Star Publications is prohibited.

Persidangan Anak Muda Kebangsaan 2010 (Anjuran EXCO Belia & Sukan Negeri Selangor)

OBJEKTIF
1) Menimbulkan kesedaran belia terhadap isu-isu kepentingan masyarakat dan negara.
2) Mendapatkan buah ide dan pemikiran pakar-pakar dalam segenap bidang untuk menyumbang kepada pembangunan belia yang seimbang dan holistik.
3) Menggarap kehendak para belia untuk diterapkan dan dijadikan asas pembangunan belia yang mendasar.

Perasmian Penutup : YAB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid bin Ibrahim, Dato' Menteri Besar Selangor
Tarikh : 20 Mac 2010
Hari : Sabtu
Masa : 8.00 pagi – 10.00 malam
Tempat : Auditorium, Dewan Sivik MBPJ, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan
Hadirin : 1,000 orang

Pendaftaran: sbns@gen-s.com.my

MASA
PERKARA
CATATAN
8.00 AM
PENDAFTARAN & MINUM PAGI

9.15 AM
UCAPAN ALU-ALUAN
YB Amirudin Shari
- Pembantu Exco Belia dan Sukan
9.30 AM
Ucaptama / Pembentangan
“ANAK MUDA DAN MEDIA BARU”
- Komunikasi
Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah
- Universiti Malaya
10.10 AM
Ucaptama / Pembentangan
"EKONOMI BERIMBANG : SATU TUNTUTAN"
- Ekonomi
YB Tony Pua
- Ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara
10.50 AM
Ucaptama / Pembentangan 
KEPIMPINAN ABAD KE-21
- Kepimpinan
Dato’ Zaid Ibrahim
-Bekas Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri
11.30 AM
REHAT

11.45 AM
Sidang Pleno
KOMUNIKASI, EKONOMI & KEPIMPINAN
- Dialog
- Soal Jawab
YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, ADUN Seri Setia
YB Liew Chin Tong, Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera
Khoo Kay Peng, Penganalisis Politik
12.45 PM
JAMUAN TENGAHARI

2.30 PM
Ucaptama / Pembentangan
“KEPELBAGAIAN KAUM LEGASI MALAYSIA”
- Sosial
YB Khalid Samad
- Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam
3.10 PM
Ucaptama / Pembentangan
“BAHASA MELAYU PENYATU MASYARAKAT”
- Budaya
Prof Nik Safiah Karim
- Universiti Malaya
3.50 PM
Sidang Pleno
SOSIAL & BUDAYA
- Dialog
- Soal Jawab
Hasmi Hashim, Pengkritik Sosial.
YB Sim Tze Zin, ADUN Pantai Jerejak
Uthaya Sankar SB, Aktivis Budaya
4.45 PM
REHAT

5.00 PM
Ketibaan Dato' Menteri Besar Selangor
Nyanyian Lagu Negeri Selangor
Ucapan Perasmian Penutup
"ANAK MUDA PENGGERAK KESEJAHTERAAN RAKYAT"
YAB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim
- Dato' Menteri Besar Selangor
6.30 PM
REHAT & MAKAN MALAM

8.00 PM
PENGGULUNGAN
Pembantu Exco Belia dan Sukan
YB Amirudin Shari
YB Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi
YB Jenice Lee Ying Ha
8.30 PM
PENYAMPAIAN SIJIL PENYERTAAN

On neighborhood recreational parks


USJ is blessed with a number of neighborhood parks that the residents can enjoy. Within a walking distance from most houses, one would fine a park. We have in total 30 parks in Zone 3 (USJ2-15)

I do have bigger plans for the parks. Repair works will always be on-going, as I expect that no matter what, park equipment will get broken every now and then. What we need for our parks, in my opinion,

1. Cleanliness  - I'm fighting for parks to be cleaned everyday, in terms of picking up rubbish/litter. Pruning or trees, landscaping and grass cutting to go on as is under the present system/. 

2. Repairs of broken equipment - regardless of whether broken by natural wear and tear or vandalism, the response time needs to be improved. I would like to head towards 1 day respond time for critical repairs - things that can hurt people, and 2 weeks for non critical repairs. 

3. Improving the quality of parks - this is where I'm looking for ideas. How can we make our parks more interesting, for adults, teenagers and kids. One way is to install more sports facilities, playground equipments. Maybe more benches and tables? What about BBQ pits and facilities for picnics? 

Would appreciate any ideas. 

Do we really monitor the CCTV Feed?

Following my first article on CCTV, I did receive some feedback in private. There was suspicion among some residents that despite a functioning system, no action is being taken on incidents that is caught on camera.

I checked with the department, and was glad to hear they keep records of the incidents arising. I just received the report today. Basically, the reports arising from CCTV feed:

  1. Illegal business activity - such as illegal stalls. Among reported is DVD sellers and even one case of selling illegal firecrackers.
  2. Traffic faults such as traffic light failures, double parking, etc
  3. Road accidents
  4. Infrastructure failures such as street lights and park lighting failures
  5. Indecent public behavior, at public parks at night

PENYATA MINGGUAN EPIDEMIOLOGI KES DEMAM DENGGI / DEMAM DENGGI BERDARAH MENGIKUT TARIKH 21 FEBRUARI 2010 HINGGA 27 FEBRUARI 2010

 BIL

KAWASAN
LAPORAN
DD
DDB
1
No. xx, Jalan USJ 11/1K, Subang Jaya
1

2
No. xx, Jalan USJ 13/3, Subang Jaya
1

3
No. xx, Jalan USJ 2/3, Subang Jaya
1

4
No. xx, Jalan USJ 9/3A, Subang Jaya
1

Town Hall on 1-hour parking system at Taipan USJ10



Come and give your feedback and suggestions...

Join Malaysian Celebrities Go Green Founders at Subang Parade!



Join Malaysian Celebrities Go Green Founders at Subang Parade!


Come join in the fun of creating eco-awareness in Subang Parade on the 27th and 28th of March 2010 with lots of activities lined up just for you! Founders of the Malaysian Celebrities Go Greeen, 8TV Celebrity host Baki Zainal, Miss Malaysia Soo Wincci and singers Dina Nadzir and Azizi Zakaria will be celebrity judges of the 3R Eco-Fashionista where students will be creating a dress out of used materials and recycled items. In addition to that, there will be performances by Fallen Stars Project, Azizi Zakaria, Dina; an exhibition and many more!

The project is organized in-conjunction with the Eco-Week entitled H.O.P.E (Helping Our Precious Earth), an initiative of several school based Leo Clubs in Subang Jaya and Petaling Jaya jointly with Subang Parade and Jawatankuasa Penduduk Zon 3. For more information, log on to www.mcg2.com now!

CCTV & MPSJ

During the last JKP meeting, among other things we discussed was the existing CCTV system that MPSJ has in place, as well as whether we would like to head down the road to install more CCTV throughout our township. 

There was mixed opinions on this matter. Some felt that it could be a deterence to crime as well as be very useful for evidence gathering in solving crime.

Why Subang Jaya roads are in bad shape...

Ever since we took over the administration of MPSJ in 2008, one steady complaint has been the conditions of our roads. Potholes here and there, patching/resurfacing not done right, roads getting from bad to worse...

I'm ont a civil engineer by training, below is compiled from the explainations of Jabatan Kejuruteraan MPSJ as well as some civil engineers I know. If you know of any mistakes or options I've missed out, please let me know.

Most road in USJ has not been resurfaced sinced it was first built by the developer 15-20-25 years ago. The roads experience wear and tear over time, and needs to be resurfaced every few years (between 7-12 years). The frequency of resurfacing would depend on the quality of the initial construction (some areas the roads are badly damaged after 2 years) as well as the usage (commericial/industrial areas get worn out faster than residential areas, and so do u-turn areas).

Re-public Of Youth Award: Nomination Form and Details

This is an award that is created by the Selangor State Government-Belia & Sukan Department. The purpose of having this award is to give encouragement and appreciation to the young people (age 16-35) who have outstanding performance in the art and cultural field.
Kindly forward to those who may be interested. Nomination closing 11 March 10. Detail at http://www.gen-s.com.my/ 

Copyright © 2010 Rajiv for Malaysia All rights reserved.