INFRASTRUCTURE upgrades must take place before the proposed 17,000-unit development project in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, is allowed to proceed, say affected residents.
The residents from Bandar Kinrara and nearby neighbourhoods said this at a dialogue on the project sitting on the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor border.
They said the scale of the proposed development would place heavy pressure on already congested roads, utilities, parking and community facilities.
The proposed phased residential scheme is located on government land in Mukim Petaling, covering 26.26ha and involving 23 plots.
It will comprise 14,200 Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) units, 1,750 Residensi Madani units and 1,050 units for civil servants, with buildings of up to 40 storeys.
Other components are a vertical school with 104 classrooms, government offices, police kiosk, multipurpose hall, transport stops, surau, retail lots and hawker space, as well as a health clinic in the future.
Bandar Kinrara (BK) Section 6 resident Francis Jayadurai said residents wanted an explanation on why the earlier plan for the area had changed from low-density to high-rise housing.
“If the government wants to increase density, then the infrastructure must be improved first,” he said during a social impact assessment (SIA) engagement at Kinrara Golf Club in Puchong, Selangor.
Francis said residents were concerned that traffic upgrades and utility capacity improvements would only be carried out later, leaving existing communities to bear the impact.
He added that the proposed one parking bay per unit was insufficient and would likely lead to roadside parking.
Residents also raised concerns over the 6m buffer between existing homes and proposed high-rise blocks, adding that it was insufficient and would affect privacy, noise levels and safety.
Bandar Kinrara 8 Qaseh 1 Residents Association president Ruvin Wong called for the project to be assessed based on the cumulative impact of existing and upcoming developments in Bukit Jalil, rather than as a standalone proposal.
“Several high-rise developments in the vicinity have yet to be fully occupied, so the actual future traffic load in the area remains unclear.”
Siow Kai Wen, whose home is near the project boundary, said the impact of piling works, noise, air pollution and privacy issues should be addressed in the SIA report.
“Due to the proximity of the project site, we are already facing noise pollution,” Siow said.
Another resident suggested relocating some of the green spaces to the edges of the development to create a wider buffer between the project site and existing homes, instead of placing them mainly in the centre of the project.
Rimbun 2 BK7 former chairman Tay Chiong Soong said traffic should be studied holistically, rather than only within the project boundary.
“Access roads serving Bandar Kinrara, Bukit Jalil and Puchong are already congested, especially near major junctions and routes leading to Bukit Jalil Expressway and Damansara-Puchong Highway,” he said.
He also pointed out that the area was not directly served by public transport.
Residents also requested follow-up dialogue involving the developer, consultants, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), relevant agencies and elected representatives.
They said the SIA recommendations, traffic mitigation measures and utility plans should be made available before any approval was granted.
The SIA consultant, who chaired the engagement, said residents would be allowed to review the full SIA once it was compiled.
The first phase of development is estimated to start in 2027, and be completed over three years.
The entire development is expected to span 22 years.
