Padang Awam BRP in Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh is popular with the community who jog, walk and play basketball or football at the field.
RESIDENTS of Bukit Rahman Putra (BRP) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, have succeeded in preventing their neighbourhood public field from being taken for a road project after a hard-fought legal battle.
In 2023, the residents formed the registered society Warga Mesra Bukit Rahman Putra Association (PWMBRP) to pursue judicial review proceedings.
This was to challenge a 2019 decision by Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) to carry out a road upgrade and expansion project that would have affected the field.
On May 29 this year, the Shah Alam High Court ruled in favour of the residents.
The high court quashed MPS’ conditional approvals for tree-felling and roadworks.
It also ordered that the park be restored for public purposes as a recreational site and open space, as well as awarded RM5,000 in costs.
The community were against the project as it would take up 20% of the 3.15ha Padang Awam BRP, involve cutting down shady perimeter trees and split through a portion of the field.
A StarMetro report on Aug 31, 2023, quoted the then MPS president Datuk Mohd Yazid Sairi saying that the road project had to go ahead to mitigate traffic congestion in the area.
PWMBRP chairman Suleiman Meerah said the community was overjoyed by the outcome.
“This fight was not just for us, but for the entire community here who love this field.
“We wanted to protect one of the only gazetted green lungs in our neighbourhood,” he said.
Suleiman said they did not have a choice but to take the legal route as all other avenues, including appeals to the local authorities and elected representatives, were exhausted.
“We sent nine letters to MPS between 2019 and 2023, as well as to the MP, assemblyman, area councillor and even to the Mentri Besar, (but) with no response.”
Association vice-chairman Venugopal Armugam said the legal fees of some RM80,000 was entirely crowd-funded.
“For two years, we were at the field nearly every day; updating the community, collecting donations and spreading awareness about the importance of preserving the space.
“What kept us going was the simple love we all had for the field and the shared spirit to stand up for something that mattered to everyone here,” he said.
Resident Lam Kin Tong, 64, said it had been a challenging few years.
“We have been fighting to save this field for the past six years, the last two in court.
“Financially, it wasn’t easy either, but everyone pulled through.
“We have to thank our lawyers Datuk Joy Appukuttan and Kelvynn Foo who stood by us throughout the process.
“They believed in our cause and guided us every step of the way.”
Lam added that the group took inspiration from Kuala Lumpur residents’ victory in the Taman Rimba Kiara case.
BRP residents now hope MPS will not appeal the court decision, but find a suitable alternative for the traffic mitigation.
MPS did not comment as at press time.
