Medan Damansara residents oppose commercialisation of houses

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 19): Residents of Jalan Kasah in Medan Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, do not want their residential terrace houses to be converted for limited commercial use by City Hall.

The residents are of the view that if commercialisation is allowed, the area will face congestion, pollution, and security issues.

Retiree N Thiran, 72, who lives on Jalan Kasah, said that he had received a letter from City Hall on February 10, stating that the council was conducting a survey to obtain the views of Jalan Kasah residents over the matter.

“The roads here are already congested with vehicles and if the area is converted for commercial purposes, it will not be able to sustain the volume of vehicles coming in here.”

“How can City Hall consider commercialisation when there are no parking facilities here?” he said.

Thiran was also concerned about safety and security issues that will arise with the commercialisation.

“Outsiders and foreigners will start coming here to work and this will pose a security issue for us.”

“If City Hall allows commercialisation, what is going to stop them from turning the other areas here for commercial use? We don’t want what happened in Bangsar to happen here,” he said.

Pilot Rajkumar Henry, 58, who lives on Jalan Kasah Dalam, said that residents have sent a petition against the conversion to City Hall yesterday.

“The survey letter stated that the residents must give their feedback or objections by February 19, otherwise the residents would have agreed to the commercialisation. How can City Hall give a directive like that?” he said.

Henry said that the survey stated that the commercial activities allowed once conversion takes place were barber shops, beauty parlours, tailors, insurance offices, fashion boutiques and furniture shops.

“This is a residential area and we want our privacy. We don’t customers coming to the barbersshop or the business outlets and peering into our homes,” he said.

Henry said that their main concern was that Jalan Kasah was already congested with vehicles daily, and it gets worse during the weekends.

“At the end of Jalan Kasah, there is a row of shops and pubs. Many people visit the area and park on both sides of the roads causing the dual carriageway to become a single lane.”

“The vehicles have also spilled into our area, and there was an incident where our neighbour had to call City Hall to tow a car that was parked in front of her house.”

“If commercialisation is allowed, the area and traffic situation will worsen,” he said.

Medan Damansara Residents Association president Peter Raiappan said that it had had a meeting with the committee members on the issue.

“A majority of the committee members are of the view that this is a matter between the house owners and City Hall and the association should not get involved.”

“If the residents call for a meeting, then the association will discuss their issue and represent their cause,” he said.

City Hall Planning Department director Datuk Sahrom Ujang told The Malaysian Insider that for now Jalan Kasah will remain as a residential area.

“There are two parties in this matter, and one had requested for the area to be converted for commercial use and the other had requested for the area to be residential.

“We have already carried out a survey and we will be conducting another thorough survey next week.”

“The results will be brought to the City Hall One Stop Centre (OSC) to be deliberated. If we do allow it, it will be for a row of houses and not for certain portions,” he said.

Sharom said that it is possible that the area can be converted for commercial use, subject to the survey and based on the decision made by Mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz. – The Malaysian Insider

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