Syahredzan (sixth from right) and Farhan (sixth from left) with representatives of NGOs and community members at the launch of Bangi Youth Community Hub. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
A ONCE underutilised community hall has been upgraded to support youth activities and community programmes in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor.
The hall was repurposed by Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) and the Bangi Parliamentary Office.
The Bangi Youth Community Hub was launched by Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan and MPKj Zone 17 councillor Farhan Haziq Mohamed.
Farhan said the hub would address the need for a shared public space in an area filled with resident associations, religious committees and youth non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“The hall is actually where my office (as MPKj councillor) is located, but it was rarely used, so we proposed turning it into a more functional space for community use,” he said.
A total of RM46,000 was spent to improve the hall’s facilities, including toilets and air-conditionings.
The venue now includes Wi-Fi and outdoor spotlights from Syahredzan’s office.
“Plans are underway to instal air curtains and additional seating for up to 30 people,” said Farhan.
The hall located at Jalan 4/5, Section 4 is also accessible to a number of higher education institutions, including Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
To promote the repurposed venue, a festive gathering was held for the local community.
“We decided to use the Hari Raya event to spread the word and show people that this place is open for everyone to use, and we hope associations and residents from the community will make use of it,” Farhan said.
He added that there were plans to collaborate with youth NGOs to run tuition classes and workshops for children and senior citizens.
Farhan said the goal was for the space to become a centre for local engagement, adding that he has reached out to the Hulu Langat youth and sports district office to explore further collaborations.
Rental would be reasonable at about RM100 per day allowinggatherings and meetings among resident associations, management committees or similar bodies, he added.
Syahredzan, meanwhile, said with over 700,000 residents in Bangi, such spaces could become useful.
“There are some 300,000 registered voters here with a majority of Bangi residents being youths.
“It is important to have spaces where young people can organise, connect and take charge of initiatives.
“This is part of our wider plan to ensure our facilities keep up with the pace of development.
“We want to improve the quality of life for the residents as Bangi continues to grow,” he added.
Present at the event were representatives and residents from the community, along with youth-centric NGOs and MPKj officials.
