Monday, January 18, 2010

CUTTING DOWN ON CRIME IN KAJANG, THE STAR, TUE 12 JAN 2010

Tuesday January 12, 2010

Cutting down on crime for Taman Sri Reko and Taman Hijau

By CHARLES FERNANDEZ


RESIDENTS of Taman Sri Reko and neighbouring Taman Hijau have been keeping their doors locked at all times due to a spate of break-ins recently. However, they can afford to let their guard down a bit now.

Kajang district OCPD ACP Mohd Sakaruddin Che Mood has given his personal assurance that all would be well and that the police would send patrol teams to the area.

Taman Sri Reko is home to many senior citizens who are often left alone in the morning, caring for their grandchildren and they have been keeping their doors locked at all times.

During a meeting attended by more than 30 residents from both the housing areas, the residents related how their peace of mind had been compromised since many of them had become targets of snatch thieves, robbers or even car thieves.

Taman Sri Reko and Taman Hijau

Anne Freeman, 47, from Taman Sri Reko said thieves were now employing a new method to break into the houses.

“They would first survey the area, study the movements of the residents and only break-in during a downpour.

“They know that cries for help are easily muffled by the sound of the rain,” Freeman said.

During the meeting, many of the residents told ACP Mohd Sakaruddin that they felt the police had been slow to act on their complaints.

One resident known only as Veni wanted to know if the police were supposed to get back to the complainants on the progress of an investigation.

Mohd Sakaruddin said by right, the investigating officer should get back to the complainant and inform them on the status of the case.

“They should get back to the complainants two weeks after the reports were filed and advise them on the status of their investigations,” Mohd Sakaruddin.

He also pointed out that while the residents had brought up many complaints at the meeting, the nearby police station had only received three reports last year.

“We hope in future the residents will work closely with the police. There are 1,2 million residents under the Kajang police district and the ratio is one policeman to 1,200 residents.

“We need your help to combat crime in the district before the statistics shoots up further,” he added.

Mohd Sakaruddin said residents could contact the police district headquarters at 03-8736 2222 or call him personally at 019-955 3555/019-600 0801.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

NEW SRAITS TIMES TUE, 5 JAN 2010

Town that satay built

PHILIP LIM

Everyone knows Kajang is famous for satay but foodies seldom make their way here as Kajang satay is now available in big towns and cities. PHILIP LIM makes an impromptu visit to uncover its other secrets

Haji Samuri Kajang Satay Restaurant is in an impressive building
Haji Samuri Kajang Satay Restaurant is in an impressive building
WHENEVER the name Kajang is brought up, the immediate response is always “satay!” That was probably true about 20 years ago. However, according to a long-time resident of Kajang, the best Kajang satay today is found in Kuala Lumpur.

Apparently, enterprising satay sellers have “migrated” to the big city because the high-income earners there don’t frown too much when they find out the price of a stick of satay.

That’s not to say, though that there are no good satay sellers left in Kajang. After all, the entire town’s reputation is built on this particular delicacy of grilled skewered meat with slices of cucumber and ketupat, served an aromatic peanut gravy.

Delicious Pit Stop

If you’re on a leisurely drive, returning to KL or Petaling Jaya from a short visit to Putrajaya, and want to take a break that will go eminently well with at least two tall glasses of hot teh tarik, Kajang is the town for such an unscheduled pit-stop.

According to 2006 statistics, Kajang has a population of 230,000. In recent years, the township has expanded but the town proper is still its charming old self, with narrow streets and the occasional traffic jam that reminds KLites of their own turf.

If not for a wrong turn on the highway, I would have bypassed the satay town because my planned destination was actually Dengkil. Dengkil probably lost carloads of premier visitors due to the poor positioning of highway signs.

Mother Of Satay Houses

At 4pm, the utmost thought on anyone’s mind is a quick bite of what makes Kajang famous. Naturally, it is the one and only Haji Samuri Satay Restaurant. This “mother of all satay houses” never ceases to impress, even for first-time customers.

A double-storey building with a huge compound for a car park, Haji Samuri Satay Restaurant even has several big dining halls to cater to private parties. There’s an air-conditioned hall on the ground floor.

Housed in Bangunan Dato Nazir, Haji Samuri Satay Restaurant is well organised and splendidly positioned. From the number of chairs and tables, it is estimated that the total number of seated customers is 1,000 or more at any one time.

Inside, numerous home-grown artefacts are strategically placed all over the building. Old motorcycles that look very much like the half-forgotten Vespa of yesteryears are positioned around the staircase that leads to an open veranda where customers can enjoy the views from various perspectives.

At the entrance, an ancient buggy-like vehicle, probably horse-drawn, lends that flavour of a bygone era to the establishment.

For KL folks who are not that keen on making the trip to Kajang, just go to Selayang Baru where you’ll find a Samuri Satay outlet located just outside the Selayang Mall. It’s just as good as that in Kajang. In fact, someone claims that the satay at this outlet is even better.

Chicken, Beef, Rabbit, Deer

The satay menu is handsomely displayed on the wall, offering chicken and beef satay as well as other choices of meat. This is one restaurant where the culinary adventurer can also have rabbit, deer, sheep or fish. Add to that the liver, heart and other edible parts.

Perhaps it’s the time of day, but we’re told that rabbit satay is sold out, so we settle for chicken and beef. The only complaint is that the beef has probably been sitting on the fire for too long as it’s a bit too tough.

It would also have been better if the sticks of satay are served piping hot, straight from the grill to the dining table as that’s the way most Malaysians like it.

More Than Satay

Yes, satay may be the town’s biggest billboard attraction but Kajang has more to it than just sticks of meat. There are other facets to its character just waiting to be discovered.

The pace, albeit slower than what city folks are accustomed to, is just perfect for a walking tour. Adjacent to the satay house is a charming but quaint post office that calls for a closer inspection.

The next time, you are in Kajang and drinking coffee, bear in mind that the town owes its early development to the coffee estates that once dotted the land.

Kajang has its historical roots in 1709 when traces of settlement were discovered. Then its foundation was laid in 1807 after the dust from the Battle of Kajang had settled.

Since then, it has taken Kajang two centuries to scale up the ladder of development. Today, the town is officially recognised as the district capital of Hulu Langat and plays host to several institutions of higher learning.

Among these are Universiti Tenaga Nasional, University of Nottingham in nearby Semenyih, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in close-by town of Bangi, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman in Bandar Baru Sungai Long and Universiti Putra Malaysia’s New Era College located opposite the town railway station.

For most residents of KL and PJ, Kajang is “where other people sometimes go”. But really, Kajang is worthy of a close-up, personal view by outsiders who usually give this place a miss as they head for other more publicised tourist destinations.

Pictures by PHILIP LIM

Until next time, cheers.

Friday, January 1, 2010

RUBBISH PROBLEMS ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

Friday January 1, 2010

Closure of RDF plant puts council in a bind

CHARLES FERNANDEZ AT THE MPKj FULL BOARD MEETING


THE Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) technology plant in Kampung Pasir Baru, Semenyih, which has temporarily ceased operations since Dec 26, has put the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) in a bind.

The board has urged the council to look into reviewing its contract with the RDF since the latter had only given a short notice, citing maintenance procedures, for the plant closure. This has made it necessary for the MPKj to look for alternatives for its waste disposal.

The RDF said it would restart operations after Jan 1 but the board was told that if the plant was closed for maintenance work, operations would not restart any time earlier than three months.

“Since it has put us in a difficult situation, we urge the council to review its contract with the RDF, including looking at its past performance,” said Lee Kee Hiong, who is also a member of the infrastructure committee.

Closed for maintenance: An excavator is seen working on the garbage dumped in the premises of the RDF plant in Kampung Pasir Baru Pasir. Semenyih.

The RDF facility has proven to be successful in producing energy and reducing municipal solid waste at the same time, and the sudden turn of events has forced the MPKj to dump garbage at the Sungei Kembong landfill.

RDF, a private company, has a 30-year concession with the MPKj and it is leasing the land in Semenyih where it has built Malaysia’s first RDF research centre and waste management plant.

“The Sungei Kembong landfill is not a feasible alternative to coping with the solid waste management in the Kajang municipality as it is both far and not easily accessible,’’ Lee said.

The board was told that the landfill in Bukit Mahkota, near Beranang, was not an ideal alternative as it was located close to two rivers.

The landfill was closed after a bund built to absorb leachate gave way during a storm, resulting in leachate flowing into Sungai Beranang and Sungai Semenyih.

Council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman told the councillors that he would request for a meeting with the RDF board to look into the problem.