"Save Ampang Hills" Nature Walk

What do the residents of Taman Zoo View, Bukit Antarabangsa, Taman Hillview, Ukay Heights, Taman TAR and Taman Melawati have in common? Their neigborhoods are under the threat of hillslope development which will drastically reduce the beautiful greenery of Ampang and Ulu Klang, as well as greatly increase the occurances of landslides in this already fragile network of hills.

Date: Saturday 3 Nov 2007
Time: Walk 7.30 am
End with breakfast 9.00am
Location: Entrance to Bukit Melawati, Tmn. Melawati

Theme: Save Ampang Hills - Protect our families & our homes

Activities:
1) A walk up Tmn. Melawati Hill followed by a bring-your-own-breakfast (potluck if you feel like sharing)
2) Launching of umbrella website – "Save Ampang Hills - Protect our families & our homes"

Neighbors

Yes, a family of wild boars was spotted in Ukay Heights yesterday evening. The Ampang forests and hills are simply amazing, home to thousands of wildlife. Sadly, the hills will have to make way if MAA and its property division gets their way. Just say no to...

New application, same destruction

Malaysian Assurance Alliance Bhd have resubmitted their plans to clear the hills of Ampang. The new notice of application signed by Awang Mustapha Bin Md Yunus (Pengarah Jabatan Perancang Bandar - MPAJ) is to develop 149 bungalow lots and 460 offices on one of the last remaining hills on Jalan Ulu Klang.

This is a never-ending battle, and the constant resubmissions by the developer and numerous public hearings with MPAJ seem to be designed to wear us down. But let's not give up. If the project goes as plan, it will forever changed the landscape, beauty and tranquility of Ampang and Ulu Klang.

Though the MPAJ signboards gives a deadline of the 5th September to submit our objections, some residents have received their notices on the 14th August, thus with a deadline of 4th September, given the 21 days. Consequently we are advised that all written objections should reach the MPAJ's Office by Thursday, 30th August 2007. For those who wish to use a sample letter, please write to saveukayhts@email.com for one. Please sign 2 copies, one for MPAJ, another to be kept for your own records once MPAJ stamps it.

Please submit your Objection Letter to MPAJ asap. They have given us very short notice. Please do not miss this chance! Act now!

Interesting link?

You know the recently refurbished Selangor Properties condo's in Ukay Heights now called Puncak Ukay and Bayu Ukay? They're developed and marketed by Maple Homes. Well, I went to the developer's website and was shocked to see the logo placed on the buildings at the top banner of the website (right above "Home" and "Products"). Mighty interesting, wouldn't you say?

MPAJ to hear objections on March 5

It's next Monday.

I haven't received an invitation by MPAJ but according to today's The Sun:


" The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) will hold the objection hearing for the proposed development known as Dataran Ukay, in Ukay Heights, Hulu Kelang on March 5.

In a statement today responding to reports of residents protesting against the project, MPAJ public relations officer Norhayati Ahmad said: "Residents have been given an opportunity to voice their objections over the proposed hillside development by writing in to MPAJ."

She said MPAJ had received a planning permission application from Malaysian Assurance Alliance Bhd (MAA), whose subsidiary Panorama Skyline Sdn Bhd plans to build 164 bungalow units and a 10-storey building - comprising 410 shop and office lots with a two-storey basement parking - on a 25ha plot.

MPAJ had sent public objection notices to residents on Jan 22 and 23, who had up to Feb 11 and Feb 12, respectively to send in their written objections.

"Those who have written in can attend the objection hearing on March 5," she said.

All objections raised will be brought to the MPAJ planning and building plans department committee meeting in March.

MPAJ will inform the residents who have objected of the committee's decision, Norhayati said.

"If residents are dissatisfied with the committee's decision, they can then bring it up to the Appeals Board under the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department, which acts as a tribunal for cases pertaining to development," she said. "


That last line worries me. Has the committee already made a decision?

UPDATED The meeting is set for 9am at the MPAJ Auditorium, Level 5, Menara MPAJ, Jln Pandan Indah. Don't forget to bring the original MPAJ ‘invitation’ letter and/or a copy of the objection letter you signed earlier with the ‘MPAJ received stamp’.

We're living next to a State Park!

It's official, the Selangor State Park is a reality! 91,441-hectares of forests, stretching from the Selangor side of Fraser's Hill, down to Ulu Yam, behind the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, all the way to Hulu Langat. That's bigger than tiny Singapore island. It's the second largest park in Peninsular Malaysia, after Taman Negara. Home to numerous flora and fauna. The source of most of the Klang Valley's water. It's all protected.

And it's right outside our doorsteps.

Proof again that the hardwork and persistance of Ampang residents does really pay off. Congratulations to all parties involved in this massive and important undertaking -- the Selangor government, Selangor town and country planning unit, Selangor forestry department, all the NGOs, scientists and legal advisors. And a special shout-out to TrEES, who's first office in Taman Melawati at the base of the Klang Gates Quartz Ridge, started this ball rolling in the first place.

Trail of landslides

Something from the archives, June 1, 2006.

Views on Landslides

Google "landslides", "ampang", "hulu klang" and you're bound to get an endless list of commentaries on the ever recurring man-made disasters in these areas. I found the ones on the Property Malaysia , Malaysian Bar Council and National House Buyers Association sites interesting.

Site of destruction

The hill slopes referred to as Lot 1680, 1681, 530 and 531 which Panaroma Skyline/MAA proposes to clear and level in order to build 152 bungalows, 520 shop lots, a 10 storey building and a two storey car park.

Can't decipher the bird's eye view of Ukay Heights? The southern border of the red box runs from the former Selangor Properties apartments -- now redeveloped and named Puncak Ukay and Bayu Ukay -- all the way to Taman Hijau. The apartment blocks on the right border of the proposed development are the Mutiara Heights apartments in Taman TAR. That's the Middle Ring Road (Jalan Ulu Klang) on the left border.

And just a few hundred metres north of the red box (not in picture) is Highland Towers.

Entrance to this new development will probably be from Jalan Ulu Klang, right before the SMART showroom and Honda service centre. But access roads during the period of construction would most probably cut through the Ukay Heights and Dataran Ukay neighborhoods. Expect a lot of lorries, dust, traffic and potholes all the way down to the Ampang Jaya/Ukay Heights turn-off on Jalan Kolam Air Lama.

(Google Earth photo from SaveUkayHts.wordpress.com)

Background on Ampang hillslope development, here and here .

New Application for Development in Ukay Heights

They're at it again.

Rather that wait for the outcome of the court hearing that was held on 17th December 2006, the developers of Lots 1680, 1681, 530 & 531 (Mukim Hulu Kelang) have put in a new Application for Development on the very same lots.

As before, only a handful of residents in Taman Hijau received the new notice, forwarded by MPAJ, probably a tactic to minimize the number of objections. But thankfully some residents have alerted neighbors of Panaromic Sklyine/Malaysian Allied Assurance's latest move.

Objections to the proposed development must reach MPAJ by Friday, 9th February 2007.

Reasons for the objection should include:

1. Insufficient notice (signboards, flyers, etc.) had been put up for the information of the residents of Ukay Heights, Taman Hijau, Taman TAR, Dataran Seri Ukay, Ampang Jaya and adjacent neighborhoods.

2. There was no EIA Report tabled for public viewing.

3. There was no certificated survey plan for the residents to study the nature of the project and its effects on the neighborhoods with more accurate information.

4. There was no assessment done as to the increase in traffic and carrying capabilities of the existing roads.

5. MPAJ has failed to draw up a Local Plan for Ampang Jaya that incorporates the feedback and views of ALL of its residents.

Please feel free to pepper your objections with references to other hillslope developments that have turned into tragedies (Highland Towers, Kampung Bukit Pasir Tinggi, etc.) and the Selangor Menteri Besar's directive to stop all hillside development particularly in the Ampang/Ulu Kelang area.

If you're concerned about your home, neighborhood and way of life, please take some action. The deadline for objections is 9th February. Get your neighbors to send in their objections, too.

SPECIAL THANKS to Dato Mustapha B Mahmud for keeping everyone informed.