Most of the RM6.5mil upgrading works at Taman Persekutuan Lembah Kiara in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kuala Lumpur, went towards vital drainage, pond rehabilitation and electrical infrastructure rather than just landscaping.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said this when clearing the air over public misconceptions on how the budget was utilised, following a site inspection with the National Landscape Department and Drainage and Irrigation Department.
Out of the RM6.5mil allocation, only RM700,000 was spent on landscaping, she elaborated.
“There are a lot of complaints and news circulating that the whole project is for landscaping, but this is not true.
“The sum used on landscaping also includes upgrading pedestrian walkways and repairing two gazebos in the park,” she said in a video clip posted on her social media pages.
A breakdown of the project’s costs revealed RM2.5mil was spent on electrical works, including subterranean utility lines, feeder pillars and replacement of 233 street lamp posts.
The remaining RM3.3mil was used to repair and upgrade water retention ponds, waterfalls, stream drainage, sediment basins and upstream rehabilitation ponds.
Yeoh said that upgrading the park’s gym sets was not part of the scope, as these were existing facilities.
“Previously, monkeys damaged the street lamps in the area and the new ones are designed to prevent such vandalism.
“There is a one-year defect liability period until April next year,” she said, during which the authorities would continue monitoring the grounds.
The popular park reopened to the public on May 23 after being closed for nearly two years since July 8, 2024, for the overhaul.
The project was originally slated for completion in November last year, but faced delays when the appointed contractor missed the deadline.
According to public notices posted at the site, the park’s recreational zone – covering the pond and ground perimeter – is open daily from 5.30am to 8pm.
However, the arboretum zone (in the park’s hilly area) is only accessible from 7am to 7pm due to low visibility after dusk and safety concerns.
Despite the substantial investment, some returning visitors felt the upgrades fell short of expectations.
TTDI Residents Association chairman Abu Hafiz Abu Huraira said he received many complaints from regular park-goers.
“We are thankful that Yeoh took the lead in clarifying the upgrading works.
“However, residents were hoping for better landscaping, more benches, repairs to the boundary walls as well as upgrades to the children’s playground and the exercise areas.
“Overall, it is a missed opportunity to further enhance the park,” he said.
Long-time TTDI resident Dr Pola Singh said the authorities should have managed public expectations better by detailing the exact scope of works during a town hall meeting back in 2024.
“They could have told us that the upgrade would focus mainly on improving the pond and electrical works.
“Many of us expected the park’s overall landscaping to be upgraded,” he said.
Pola raised what he termed an important oversight – a suspension bridge that remains broken and cordoned off.
“The bridge connects the walking path in the hilly area into a complete loop, but that path has been closed since the bridge broke.
“We were hoping that the bridge would be addressed simultaneously during this recent upgrade,” he said.
