EcoWorld launches public park after RM1mil upgrade

Giving back to Mother Nature: Tengku Adnan (second from left) officiating at the launch of Laman Eco Sky along with (from left) EcoWorld president and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz, Lee and Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan.

Facing the busy Jalan Ipoh is a 1.2ha lush oasis of green, fully landscaped into a public park known as Laman @ Eco Sky.

Eco World Development Group Berhad (EcoWorld) took on the project to improve the park as part of Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) drive to foster green spaces in the city – one pocket park at a time – through park adoption programmes.

The green space beside upcoming Eco Sky development in Taman Wahyu cost about RM1mil and approximately four-and-a-half months to upgrade, said EcoWorld Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

“When EcoWorld first launched this project in 2014, we made a commitment to do upgrading works in the vicinity to elevate the quality of life, not only for future residents of Eco Sky but also for the surrounding community.

“The group pledged RM3mil for facilities in the area, which includes building a new covered walkway connecting Eco Sky to the Taman Wahyu KTM station and helping to rejuvenate the landscape of this public green-space belonging to DBKL.

“We want to do something to help DBKL protect and preserve the environment, and I was informed the mature trees in the green reserve have been preserved, with a significant increase from around 500 to 900 trees.

“Under the agreement with DBKL, EcoWorld will maintain the park for the next three years, with an option of extending it for another two; this is something we are proud of for we strongly believe in building sustainability,” he said.

In addition to the covered connecting walkway, the upgrade involved the construction of garden walkways, garden benches, lightings and educational signage on different plant species.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor launched the Laman @ Eco Sky.

“The number of parks or trees in Kuala Lumpur is not equivalent to the density of people living in the city.

“A lot of people have approached me asking take over the land to build low-cost housing and all sorts of things.

“But it is better to retain it as a park because people in the vicinity need space; we would like to ensure this city has a lot of greeneries and recreational space for its rakyat,” he said.

He emphasised the need for conscientious developers assisting in the preservation of green spaces to create a liveable city.

“We set a target to plant 100,000 trees by year 2020 but DBKL had already planted 135,734 trees by 2011.

“On top of that, about 36,185 trees were sponsored by private companies such as EcoWorld who came forward together with DBKL to plant trees all over Kuala Lumpur.

“We have a lot of pocket parks in Kuala Lumpur; and we would like to see more private developers work with DBKL to enhance these parks and provide facilities for people living in the surrounding areas, to enhance the living conditions of our citizens,” he said.

The Laman @ Eco Sky project was a strategic public-private partnership between EcoWorld, DBKL and the Federal Territories Ministry as part of the Entry Point Project (EPP) 6 Greener Kuala Lumpur programme.