KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has been urged to upgrade a disused lake in Taman Sri Murni, Selayang, into a public park for nearby residents.
The lake is located at Jalan 9/3A next to SK Seri Murni and 99 Wonderland Park near Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market.
The area has seen a surge in population due to several high-rise residential projects in recent years.
Local activist Yee Poh Ping said this pushed up demand for recreational facilities.
“DBKL should upgrade and beautify the lake and build a walkway around it, besides providing other amenities,” he said during a visit to the area.
Yee added that a letter proposing improvements at the lake has been sent to DBKL earlier this month.
He suggested that DBKL ask developers of nearby projects for funds to implement upgrades.
“This will be beneficial for the developers too as the park will attract more buyers to their projects,” he said.
Checks by StarMetro found the lake overgrown with bushes and rubbish strewn around the area.
A collapsed signboard, bearing a DBKL logo, states that the land is gazetted as “open space and recreational area”.
Several men were spotted fishing at a rundown gazebo.
Resident Idris Awaluddin said it had been three months since he last saw someone come to trim the bushes.
“I have seen snakes here before. Luckily, they didn’t strike at anyone.”
Another local, Mohd Hafiz Mohd Idris, backed the call for DBKL to upgrade the lake.
“The area is an eyesore and a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes, posing health risks.”
