Still no takers for mall site in PJ

The access road heading to SSTwo Mall in Petaling Jaya is still open for motorists to use as a shortcut to Section 17. — Photos: AZLINA ABDULLAH and GRACE CHEN/The Star

AFTER close to a decade of living next to a vacant mall, residents in SS2, Petaling Jaya in Selangor, seem resigned to the white elephant in their midst.

Joe Lee, who rents a room in one of the houses along Jalan SS2/72, said he has no issues staying on the same road as SStwo Mall.

“The building may be dark inside at night, but there are lights on my street, so I am okay,” said Lee.

Another resident, retired lawyer Abdul Razak Ismail said it was time the owner did something about the building.

“They should consider turning it into a place where the community can come together, maybe a daycare and enrichment centre for senior citizens.

“Alternatively, they could consider setting up facilities for youth, like pickleball courts, climbing wall, fitness centre or even a glamping site,” he said.

Overgrown vegetation and rubbish seen outside the hoarding set up around the property.

Agreeing with Abdul Razak was Central 19 Residents Association (C19RA) president Anna Chang.

“As this is a mature neighbourhood, there is a ready market for those seeking elderly care as well as enrichment programmes like speech therapy for children with special needs.

“Lots can also be carved out on the rooftop space to be leased out for hydroponic farming,” she suggested.

Former C19RA president Penny Lim said residents were hoping the building would find a tenant soon.

“It would be ideal if the vacant building could be turned into a university catering to seniors.

“This will help boost mental health and help them in their journey towards purposeful ageing,” said lecturer Lim.

Former C19RA vice-president Thomas Ng suggested co-working spaces or even cloud kitchens be set up in the building.

While residents said it would be a waste should the building be torn down, they were also concerned about the premises being left abandoned and allowed to decay even more.

An exclusive tour inside the mall shows that much of the interior is intact,

They have also voiced concerns about overgrown vegetation, and the area becoming an illegal dumpsite and haunt for vagrants and drug addicts.

SStwo Mall closed in 2015 with news reports citing poor performance for the closure.

In 2019, it was reported that the building had been bought over by DK Group of Companies.

Anticipation grew among residents when hoarding came up and spotlights were installed.

In 2020, reports said the building would be reopened with a medical centre as a tenant.

A resident on Jalan 19/30, right next to the mall, said that around that time, he heard noises which he assumed was from renovation and construction work.

It went on for six months, then everything went quiet.

Teh urges people not to throw rubbish in or around the building.

When contacted, DK-MY Properties Sdn Bhd chief executive officer James Bruyns said the medical centre did not materialise.

“As for now, the management has decided not to redevelop this brownfield project, due to the many restrictions,” Bruyns told StarMetro.

Addressing residents’ fears that the vacant building had become an eyesore and a draw for negative elements, Bruyns assured that there were security guards patrolling the grounds day and night to keep trespassers at bay.

“There was an incident of cable theft recently but police apprehended the perpetrators.”

StarMetro was given an exclusive tour inside the vacant building by Aylwin Teh, manager in the property department of DK-MY.

It was observed that much of the interior remained intact, including the air ducts and fire sprinkler system.

You could also imagine how the atrium, which had been a central focus of the mall, buzzed with life during its heyday.

Teh said that for the benefit of the surrounding community, the access road beside Jalan 17/47 had been kept open so that motorists could use it as a shortcut to Section 17.

The streetlights along this access road were installed by the property owner, which also bears the cost of the electricity bills.

However, Teh said, as the area had also become a spot for illegal dumping of rubbish, the company might consider closing off the access road.

“Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) may fine us.

“We hope residents can be more considerate by not dumping rubbish near or on our property.”

According to Teh, the property has a gross floor area of 6.64ha, including a three-level 1,174-bay carpark. It sits on freehold land measuring 3.16ha.