A neglected playground in SS4C, Petaling Jaya in Selangor, has been revamped with a new jogging path and seamless rubber flooring added to the play area.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Zone 7 councillor John Leong said the SS4C/22 park makeover was one of four park and court upgrades carried out in the zone this year, costing about RM421,879 collectively.
Works on the SS4C/22 park, costing RM160,000, started in March and were completed about two weeks ago, he said during a site visit.
For years, residents avoided the park because of overgrown trees and mosquitoes.
“This park was abandoned for the longest time,” said Leong.
“There were a lot of trees in the centre and it was not planned properly.
“Parents would not bring their children here.”
He said the old trees were overgrown, with surfacing roots causing uneven ground.
MBPJ removed the trees in the centre of the park and planted new ones along the perimeter, he said, adding that with the park getting more sunlight, there would be fewer mosquitoes.
“In the evening, children can play here without being bitten by ants and mosquitoes.”
The park previously only had a playground. After the upgrade, it now has jogging path too.
“The elderly sometimes just need a place to walk,” Leong added.
The park − with a playground − is the smallest of three in SS4C, which has more than 400 houses, according to SS4C/22 Rukun Tetangga (RT) chairman Herman Chia.
Leong said the old rubber tiles at the playground, which had shrunk and warped over time, were replaced with a single-piece rubber surface.
“It was very bad. The tiles had curled up and they were very slippery,” he said.
Chia said the new flooring was a major improvement.
“This is so much better than the tiles, which allowed water to stagnate underneath so fungus grew there,” he said.
According to Leong, the new flooring comes with a seven-year warranty from the contractor, covering major damage such as chunks coming off, but not normal wear and tear.
The material is fire-retardant, he said, which is important as children sometimes set off fireworks or burned leaves in parks.
Leong said RM149,301.60 was spent to resurface a basketball court in Taman Bukit Mayang Emas, with premix asphalt, and to replace rings and backboards.
He said epoxy paint on typical cement courts would start peeling within six months while the court surface would be prone to cracks and water ponding.
“Premix is a material used for roads. The paint sticks much longer, the water is absorbed and there are no cracks.”
He said a playground in SS4A/3 was also upgraded this year at a cost of RM67,483.35, while the Kampung Chempaka playground was upgraded recently at a cost of RM45,093.65.
Leong said work on the SS4C/22 park was funded under MBPJ’s landscape upgrading allocation, while the SS4A/3 playground, Bukit Mayang Emas court and Kampung Chempaka playground were paid for from the MBPJ Landscape Department’s 2026 maintenance fund.
He said the city council was identifying parks for major overhauls under its 2027 budget.
“Parks are social spaces where people carry out activities and spend time with their children.
“As a father of three, I need to know that the park is safe when I bring my kids out,” he added.
