RESIDENTS of a housing estate in Puchong, Selangor want the municipal authorities to put a stop to a development project that will destroy a children’s playground.

The people living in Taman Puchong Intan said that works were afoot to turn the only playground in the neighbourhood into a car park.

They told The Malaysian Insight that their pleas to officials had fallen on deaf ears. There had also been no response to the multiple police reports they had lodged against the developer.

This morning the residents took their plight to the media. The group’s representative Deva Varman, 40, said the Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) and its elected representatives had failed to help them.

“We requested that MBSJ show us the black-and-white document approving this development project but they could not provide with us any.

“Hence we had no choice but to lodge police reports,” said Deva.

Bordering the playground in Jalan Intan 2, Taman Puchong Intan Phase 1 is the 10-storey Apartment Puchong Intan and the Sri Naga Nageswari Alayam Hindu temple.

Across the playground are 378 single-storey terrace houses, 240 units of walk-up shophouses and a surau.

On the park grounds are swings and slides for children.

According to Deva, residents are unsure whether green light was even given by authorities to build a car park at the site.

Meanwhile, retiree Shelarajoo Sabathy, 61, said the residents were not looking to get any compensation. They just wanted the playground to remain.

“We want this open park to remain and not be developed into something else.

“This is the only place our kids spend their evenings as there is nothing much in the area for them to do,” said Shelarajoo.

He said he was one of the residents who had lodged a report at the Bukit Puchong police station over the car park project.

“We didn’t receive any notice from MBSJ but contractors have started chopping trees and destroying playground equipment.”

Another resident S. Moorthy, 48, said if the car park project is to proceed, the developer should first build a new playground for them.

“Malaysia is becoming a country that does not appreciate nature with every plot of land being made into concrete jungle.

“If this carries on, it will come to a point where our kids will only be surrounded by bricks rather than greenery,” said the businessman.

He hoped that MBSJ would respond immediately as the residents were worried about losing their green space.

In April, Selangor MCA Public Complaints Bureau chief Lawrence Chiew said he had received feedback from Taman Puchong Intan residents who wanted MBSJ to withdraw the project.

“Urban planners in MBSJ must review the plan to protect existing green spaces.

“Spaces for open-air recreation are essential as residents in the neighbourhood use the park that is home to mature trees,” he had said. – June 12, 2022.