PUTRA Heights residents have filed formal objections to Subang Jaya City Council’s (MBSJ) latest development roadmap, warning that it will paralyse local traffic and deplete remaining parking.
The group is challenging the Subang Jaya Draft Local Plan 2035 (Amendment 1), specifically opposing the rezoning of a major carpark at Putra Point and the approval of high-density housing near Putra Heights LRT station.
The Laman Putra Residents Association (LPRA) is leading the campaign to save a 1.14ha open-air carpark.
Under the new draft plan, the site, currently designated for transportation, would be rezoned for commercial use to house a food centre, hall and sales gallery.
“We are objecting to two specific proposals,” said LPRA president Adrian Looi, 53.
“One is the plan to rezone the Putra Point carpark, and the other is the high-density development scheduled for the area near the mosque and LRT station.”
The carpark provides 600 bays, serving a mix of local businesses and “park-and-ride” commuters.
Looi noted that the draft plan failed to suggest any replacement for these spaces.
“If you remove parking that is already at full capacity without providing an alternative, the problem does not go away.
“Vehicles will simply spill over into the shoplots, onto the roadsides and across the main thoroughfares,” he said.
LPRA treasurer Yee Wing Pang, 63, who has lived in the area for 20 years, stressed that the infrastructure was already under strain, and that parking at the Putra Point commercial centre was getting more difficult than at Taipan in USJ10.
A second point of contention involves a 10ha residential project proposed under the transit-oriented development concept.
This designation allows for higher density and a reduced number of parking bays for residents.
Looi argued that the proposed increase in plot ratio from 1:4 to 1:5 would place an unsustainable burden on the road network.
“A small increase in plot ratio still adds a significant number of units. This means more people and more cars, but there are no plans to upgrade our roads to match,” he said.
He added that physical constraints, such as the support columns for the LRT line, made it nearly impossible to widen the existing roads to accommodate more traffic.
LPRA also highlighted a disconnect between the city council’s “walkable city” goals and the reality on the ground.
Committee member Carol Teoh, 49, explained that the association had to spend RM40,000 of its own funds to build a small walkway.
“They talk about walking to the LRT station, but there are no proper footpaths,” she said.
“Even after building what we could, we still cannot cross the main road safely.
“The pedestrian infrastructure is missing,” Teoh added.
In total, 163 residents had submitted objections to the draft plan over the same concerns.
When contacted, Kota Kemuning assemblyman Preakas Sampunathan called on MBSJ to review the amendments and consult the community.
“Any development in Putra Heights must prioritise community needs rather than worsening traffic congestion,” he said.
Preakas also noted that the township still lacked essential services, including a fire station, government clinics and secondary schools.
“A comprehensive sustainability assessment is required to ensure these developments provide long-term benefits for the environment and the residents.”
