By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, June 27 – Petaling Jaya continues to face the modern challenges of sustainable development, a delicate balancing act between increasing the quality of life of its inhabitants, driving economic growth, and catering to an ageing population.
Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung said the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has the unenviable task of dealing with the complexities of these issues, but has developed a holistic plan and policies for the city’s sustainable development.
“What makes Petaling Jaya distinct is that we have active city councillors, and we have progressive officers who work tirelessly towards a more sustainable Petaling Jaya in terms of … more engagement, not just with adults, but also with children.
“We have a children’s council, where primary school pupils are selected, and we listen to their opinions… what they think about the traffic (system), whether certain junctions are dangerous, whether playgrounds are joyful for them.
“Petaling Jaya is special. We are not competing with other cities or towns in Malaysia but rather, Petaling Jaya charts a new path and tries to compete regionally with cities such as Bangkok and Jakarta. I think we outshine many of these cities,” he said in Selangor Journal’s talk show, Lunch on Us!, which aired today.
While Lee’s parliamentary seat has over 200,000 voters, the district of Petaling Jaya, overseen by the MBPJ, has a growing population of over 800,000.
Recently, MBPJ launched two major plans — the Child-Friendly City Action Plan 2030 and the Senior Citizens Action Plan 2030.
Both plans complement each other, where one focuses on developing child-friendly infrastructure and policies to support the city’s growing young population while the other aims to prepare the city for Selangor’s transition into an aged state.
Petaling Jaya, a satellite town developed in the 1950s to resolve congestion in Kuala Lumpur, faces challenges of over-development and traffic jams, a broad problem faced by most in the Klang Valley.
But, Lee said, with such a huge population, the district has its unique challenges.
He said certain parts of the district lack economic activities and a youth population, and they need rejuvenation.
“I want to point out that in some parts of Petaling Jaya, we suffer ageing problems and hollowing issues.
“If you look at Bukit Gasing at night, it has become quiet, unlike places such as Kota Damansara or Shah Alam. Some parts of Petaling Jaya require redevelopment. We need to bring youth back to PJ.
“On the other hand, urban planning needs to be smarter so we can maintain a balance between the needs of the elderly and the youth,” he said.
Lee, however, acknowledged that redevelopment in any township would be challenging, especially as many retirees live in the district.
With those who adopt a “not in my backyard” mentality, known as NIMBY, Lee said he tries to address their concerns via constant engagement.
He cited the mixed redevelopment in Section 17 and Taman Megah as good examples of how the local community can thrive from these projects.
He said in successful redevelopment cases, the elderly find they can still do their groceries and find hawkers they like to buy from, but the project also draws young people to those locations, adding that additional parking and commercial centres are a major benefit for local communities.
