Zuraidah (standing left) and Juwairiya (standing right) during a townhall meeting with Kampung Warisan Condominium residents.
FOR decades, residents at the Kampung Warisan Condominium (KWC) in Ampang, Selangor, have enjoyed the best of both worlds – easy access to the capital city while being surrounded by lush greenery around their property.
That may soon change, if the proposed MRT3 alignment − also known as Circle Line − gets built.
A map of the proposed line was displayed during the public inspection period, which ran between Sept 2 and Dec 2 last year.
According to the map, the route would straddle the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor border and pass through Taman Setiawangsa in Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur, and Taman Keramat in Hulu Kelang, Selangor. (Refer to map)
It will cross over the Kelana Jaya LRT Line and Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway, connecting the proposed Rejang MRT Station with the Setiawangsa LRT Station, before continuing towards the AU2 Taman Keramat Station. (See graphic)
Worried about the project’s impact on their property and health, KWC residents formed a task force to urge the relevant authorities to identify alternative routes.
Kampung Warisan Condominium (left) is situated near Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (above, middle) and Setiawangsa LRT Station.
The condominium on Jalan Jelatek 2, built more than three decades ago, comprises five blocks, each having between five and seven storeys, with 275 units in total.
Datuk Zuraidah Atan, who heads the task force, said residents learned about the public inspection via word of mouth.
She said they organised a meeting last November with MRT Corp, which is the project owner, to air their concerns.
“We were informed that a tunnel portal would be built on the vacant plot of land next to our residence.
“The portal is the opening through which the train will emerge from the underground section onto elevated tracks,” she said.
According to Zuraidah, the vacant plot is currently being used as a community garden.
During the meeting with MRT Corp, residents were also told that Setiawangsa MRT Station would be built nearby – somewhere in the Taman Keramat Permai commercial area – and would be linked to the Setiawangsa LRT station.
Zuraidah said they had asked for the traffic and social impact assessments, but had yet to receive those reports.
“We are not against the project, we are simply asking the relevant authorities to review the alignment,” she stressed.
KWC residents interviewed expressed concerns that noise and vibrations from the rail line – before and after construction – would disturb their peace.
Siti Jaleha Yusoff highlighted that the condominium housed a sizable number of retirees.
Christine Lee, who owns two units including one where her 84-year-old mother lives, is equally worried about the impact of the project on residents’ health.
Misha Shah was concerned that water runoff from the project site could cause flooding in the surrounding area.
Kampung Warisan Condominium (left) is situated near Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (above, centre) and Setiawangsa LRT Station. — Photos: SHAARI CHEMAT and LOW BOON TAT (From left) Misha, Lee and Zuraidah showing the distance between their residential block and the proposed site of the MRT3 Circle Line project.
Objections noted
Responding to StarMetro’s request for comments, MRT Corp said it had “received feedback from various parties regarding the alignment, with some supporting and some against the proposed route”.
It added that the feedback would be reviewed to ensure a “decision that takes into account the social, economic and environmental impact.”
The MRT3 Circle Line proposed route put up for display at Semantan MRT station in Kuala Lumpur last year. — Filepic
KWC residents also held a meeting with Juwairiya Zulkifli, who is Hulu Kelang state constituency coordinating officer and former aide to Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.
When contacted, Juwairiya said she would write to Amirudin and MRT Corp to highlight the residents’ concerns.
“According to residents, the environmental impact assessment did not take into account the vacant plot next to their residence.
“In addition, the plot is located on a Class 4 slope, increasing safety risks,” she said, adding she would ask the authorities to identify an alternative route.
MRT3 Circle Line is a 51km railway loop across major townships in Klang Valley.
It will comprise a 12km underground alignment and 39km elevated section, with a total of 32 stations planned, including three provisional ones.
The line will be connected to 10 existing MRT, LRT, KTM and Monorail stations and is expected to transport 25,000 passengers per hour in one direction with 750 people per train, according to news reports. A full loop will take 73 minutes.
The project is expected to start in 2027 and become fully operational by 2032.
MRT Corp is in the midst of acquiring some 1,000 land plots, a process expected to be completed within next year.
A tunnel portal will be built on this piece of vacant land next to Kampung Warisan Condominium, in the proposed alignment plan.
Mixed reactions
Some nearby residents interviewed by StarMetro expressed support for the proposed MRT3 alignment, saying it would bring benefits to Taman Setiawangsa and Taman Keramat.
Zuraidah wants the authorities to identify alternative routes for the MRT3 Circle Line project.Farah Abd Samad, who recently bought a property in Setiawangsa, was eager for the MRT3 project to commence.
“I heard that it would be built behind my housing project. I hope to use the MRT once it is operational,” she said.
Echoing her view was Hadi Ibrahim, who works in AU2 Taman Keramat. He too plans to use the MRT once it is available.
“It will cut my commute time and reduce transportation costs,” he said, adding that the area had seen increased traffic in recent years.
Long-time Setiawangsa resident Abdul Malik Majid hoped that the MRT3 project could be expedited.
“Yes, there will likely be disruptions during the initial years of construction, but it will benefit everyone in the long-term,” he said.
