DECADES of neglect, shoddy contractor work and lack of maintenance have left residents of Bandar Utama 2 (BU2), in Petaling Jaya, trapped in an ageing neighbourhood full of public hazards.
Resident SY Chan said that despite the 25% hike in Selangor assessment rates last year, their pleas for long-term infrastructure upgrades continued to fall on deaf ears.
The main grievance, among the neighbourhood’s 540 households, is the dismal state of walkways in the park at BU2/5.
“The walkways were badly renovated a few years ago, now many paths are broken and uneven, making it unsafe for the elderly to walk there.
“We wondered at that time if the contractors were properly managed or monitored, and if there was proper quality control,” said Chan, 68.
She said the residents had for years requested Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to replace the entire walkway at the BU2/5 park, only to be told by a city councillor that there was no budget.
“After two senior citizens tripped and fell on the uneven walkway, MBPJ did a piecemeal patchwork that failed within months,” she said.
She also highlighted that the BU2 inner roads had not seen proper maintenance or fresh line markings for decades.
Chan said BU2 was built in the early 1990s, so most of the facilities there were about 35 years old and needed maintenance.
She said the perimeter walkway to the Bandar Utama MRT Station, which was also used by residents from other neighbourhoods in Bandar Utama, was in poor condition.
The walkway has broken fences and uneven paths, she said.
“We also requested for the last-mile connectivity, to have part of this walkway covered and with zebra crossings on the main roads for added safety,” said Chan.
She added that this would encourage more people to walk to the MRT stations instead of driving.
BU2 resident Chua Kee Moh, 70, highlighted severe drainage issues, noting that persistent ponding occurred despite numerous manholes at the BU2/5 park.
He flagged safety hazards along the perimeter walkway, including exposed signal cables left lying in drain walls by previous contractors.
“MBPJ has the right to compel relevant parties to do the job correctly,” he said.
He also cited a case from a decade ago where a resident privately paved a section of the public park in BU2 for personal parking.
Chua claimed that MBPJ did not respond and the problem was marked as “closed” with no further action, so that section of the public park was still being used as personal parking space until now.
He questioned why the local authority relied solely on complaints rather than conducting regular on-the-ground monitoring.
Chua also suggested for MBPJ to instal portable closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at rubbish-dumping and illegal parking hotspots.
When StarMetro inquired, Zone 7 councillor John Leong said Bandar Utama assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin’s office recently upgraded the rubber mats at one of the children’s playgrounds in BU2, completed a 1.25km walkway connecting to Jalan Masjid, and another walkway to Persiaran Bukit Utama.
To this, Chan said the residents were grateful for the new rubber mats, but there was still little maintenance of the facilities.
“Furthermore, the 1.25km walkway serves mainly the Pelangi condominium in Jalan Masjid and a school.
“The Persiaran Bukit Utama walkway is far away from the MRT station, so it does not serve the last-mile connectivity.”
