(From right) Mohd Zulkurnain, Hazman and some residents viewing a map at the public participation and publicity programme in Subang Jaya. — KK SHAM/The Star
SUBANG Jaya City Council (MBSJ) has not received any formal application for a proposed development near Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Puchong, says deputy mayor Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali.
“There is no record of any planning submission for a proposed development at that site,” he said.
“We don’t want to comment on that project without any basis or official documentation.”
Mohd Zulkurnain said there was a possibility that a developer had obtained some land near the forest reserve and intended to develop the hillside area.
“However, the area where the proposed development is supposed to take place is classified as a Class 3 slope,” he said, adding that such projects would be subject to strict studies and evaluation, including geotechnical analysis.
Under the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s guideline, slopes are classified according to degrees of incline: Class 1 (below 15°), Class 2 (15° to 25°), Class 3 (25° to 35°) and Class 4 (more than 35°).
Housing development is completely prohibited on Class 4 slopes.
“The entire process will take time as the project involves privately owned land located on steep terrain.
“We consider it risky if housing is built on those slopes,” he said.
MBSJ Town Planning Department director Hazman Mohd Mahayudin believed that the project was still undergoing a social impact assessment and that it would later be assessed by the relevant authorities for development in an environmentally sensitive area.
They were speaking after the launch of a public participation and publicity programme for the Draft Subang Jaya Local Plan 2035 (Amendment 1) at the USJ7 multipurpose hall in Subang Jaya, Selangor.
Mohd Zulkurnain, who launched the event, urged residents to take part in shaping how the city grows over the next decade by providing their feedback on the draft local plan.
“The public participation and publicity programme is meant to give residents a direct role in planning the city’s growth, in line with the state’s concept of participatory and people-friendly planning.
“The event will run for a month. After that, state executive councillors Ng Suee Lim and Ng Sze Han will chair hearings on public objections lodged against the draft local plan,” he said.
Hazman said MBSJ received 150 applications for land-use amendments, of which 85 were short-listed in the plan.
Most involved requests to convert institutional or residential land for commercial use.
Mohd Zulkurnain said all proposals would be evaluated based on traffic, social impact and adequacy of public facilities.
The public display period is ongoing until Dec 31 at MBSJ’s headquarters in USJ5, Subang Jaya, Kompleks 3K in Taman Serdang Raya, MBSJ Hypermedia Library in Bandar Puteri Puchong, PlanMalaysia Selangor’s office in Section 11, Shah Alam and the Petaling District and Land Office in Section U5, Shah Alam.
The documents can also be viewed and objections submitted online via www.mbsj.gov.my
