Affected residents walk along Jalan Tanjung in protest of the recent road closure. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
ABOUT 100 residents from 14 associations marched along Jalan Tanjung early Saturday (Aug 9) morning to protest against the road closure.
Following the closure last month, a pro-tem committee wants the Selangor government to acquire the private land and gazette the road as public.
Residents say the closure limits access for emergency services to enter the area quickly.
“If Jalan Tanjung remains closed, there is also limited access for us to leave,” said Tropicana Residents’ Association president Datuk Joy Appukuttan.
“We have to take longer routes to go to work, and for parents to send their children to school,” he added.
He said access into the area is from the SPRINT Highway via Jalan Tanjung and the Tropicana tunnel.
Joy said lorries and the Damansara Fire and Rescue Department cannot pass through the tunnel.
“In emergencies, the bomba will take longer to arrive at homes,” Joy added.
On Aug 7, StarMetro reported that the road has been closed since July 25 following a Court of Appeal order on May 28.
The issue first surfaced around 1998 or 1999 when the neighbouring developer sought to reclaim its land.
After pushback, the Court of Appeal ruled on May 28 that the road be closed permanently.
The road was then blocked with a trench and concrete barriers on July 25.
Pro-tem committee chairman Ravindra Kumar Rengasamy said the protest highlighted concerns, especially with many older residents living in the area.
“What gives them the right to break the road? There are already barriers, there is no need to destroy the road too,” he said.
“As a matter of law, public access overrides everything else,” he added.
“The state government should acquire the land and make it accessible to the public,” he said.
