The Star, Thursday December 29, 2011

Landslide, flood and traffic take spotlight in Hulu Langat, Kajang and Seri Kembangan

FOR the working class, there would surely be audible groans when they hear the sounds of the rolling thunder — especially in the late afternoon.

Evening jams aside, what worries people most are the thunderstorms that could end in flash floods.
Early this month, an unusually heavy downpour transformed Kajang town into a sea and left many people reeling from losses to their properties and businesses.

Vehicles parked in the basement of a shopping mall were like ducks taking to the water that was as high as 1.5m. This brought extensive damage to the cars, goods and roads too.

There was a video of a barefooted woman stranded on top of a van that was half submerged in floodwaters.

Fortunately, she was rescued by several people who lowered a ladder from the upper floor of a shophouse to lift her to safety.

There were no casualties reported, but these are incidents that remind us that we should not take things lightly as it involves the livelihood of people and pose danger to their lives.

The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) flood management division director Datuk Zainor Rahim Ibrahim said smooth water flow in Sungai Jelok was restricted by rubbish that had clogged up the river and drains in the town.

However, this was denied by Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman, who said it was a result of excessive amount of rainfall.

For the people in Kajang, this serves as a lesson on civic consciousness — proper disposal of waste — though it is the responsibility of the local council to clean the drains periodically.

Restaurants must stop discarding their leftovers into the drains at the backlanes.

In the recent MPKj full board meeting, Hassan warned that heavy rainfall over Kajang has been predicted in March next year.

He added that as precautionary measures, Sungai Jelok would be widened by four metres and the bridge near the wet market in Kajang town would be raised by two metres.

With the new measures promised, let us hope that the proposed measures would be effective and the recent flood is something of the past.

Another disaster that is still fresh on the minds of the people is the landslide that hit an orphanage home in Hulu Langat on May 21. This incident claimed the lives of 16 people.

The building, with its foundation built on a slope of more than 80 degrees with no retaining wall, was constructed without approval.

Many have been said on the issue but Malaysians need to be reminded once again to learn from the past and be sensitive to the environment as thoughtless destruction of nature will always come back to haunt us.

Meanwhile, over in Seri Kembangan, traffic congestion remains a headache for the residents in the township.

Jalan Besar, as the main “artery” in the area is choked heavily with traffic.

It does not help when inconsiderate motorists park their cars haphazardly on both sides of the narrow road near the morning market.

It seems that selfish Malaysians will never learn to be thoughtful for other road users.

As for public transportation, LRT and MRT services will not be coming into this township. The nearest KTM commuter stations for the residents are Bandar Tasik Selatan and Serdang (near The Mines shopping centre) while LRT stations are Bukit Jalil and Sungai Besi.

The residents can only pray and keep their fingers crossed for smoother traffic with several proposals to improve the flow are being considered.

One good news is that the Cabinet has finally agreed in principal to construct an access road from Serdang to the Maju Expressway (MEX).

MEX is a 26km expressway connecting Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya, and Cyberjaya to KLIA. Although it passes Seri Kembangan, there is no interchange for this area.

Serdang MCA chairman Datuk Liew Yuen Keong said the access road was estimated to cost RM50mil when it was first brought up in 2007 but has ballooned to RM90mil.

Hopefully, it would not be another four years before the link is finally built and open for use.

Looking back at main news for Kajang and Hulu Langat. Happy New Year to all.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Thursday December 29, 2011

Kajang flood and landslide in Hulu Langat make headlines

 

WITH a landslide tragedy in May and a flash flood early December, Mother Nature did not seem to favour the people in Kajang and Hulu Langat.

On Dec 2, Kajang residents were hit by a three-hour downpour that transformed the satay town into a sea, resulting in damage to shophouses, homes, and vehicles.

The people were caught off guard when the water started rising around mid-afternoon and some motorists were stranded in their vehicles.

Sinking feeling: A view of the river running through Kajang town which overflowed causing the flash floods.

 

Sungai Jelok overflowed onto the main road of Kajang town and the vehicles were trapped due to the quick rise in water level.

By 4pm, the Plaza Metro commercial complex’s — a favourite shopping spot for residents of Kajang — basement carpark was flooded up to 1.5m.

The other affected areas were Semenyih town, near the road to Bangi Lama, Kajang wet market, Jalan Jeluk, Sungai Kantan, Jalan Semenyih and Jalan Kelapa.

When contacted, the council said the cause of the flash flood, said to be the worst since 1971, was caused by “extraordinary rain fall”.

Reports by the council stated that the average rainfall recorded (during the flood) was 111mm compared to the normal 40mm.

The total losses suffered by property owners in Kajang town were estimated at RM2,477,200.

Devastating: The Hulu Langat landslide the Al-Taqwa orphanage claimed 16 lives.

 

Rain and landslide are a bad mix, as exemplified by the Hulu Langat landslide that claimed the lives of 16 people on May 21.

The landslide, which smashed into the Madrasah Al-Taqwa Orphanage in 14th Mile, Hulu Langat, near Kajang, occurred at about 2.30pm following overnight rain.

The building was found to have no certificate of fitness (CF).

While council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman admitted that the council was aware of the orphanage’s existence, he said the building was not situated within its “service area”.

“The orphanage was built 17 years ago on agricultural land without a CF.

“The council, which was formed only in 1997, did not exist at that time.

“Two years ago, this area (Lembah Semungkis) was included as part of the municipality. However, this is not part of our service area,” he said.

Following the Hulu Langat landslide tragedy, the council had begun making its rounds to high-risk areas near slopes with a gradient of more than 25 degrees to urge owners of buildings without a CF to submit building plans.

“It will take us two weeks to conduct our checks and we will give them three months to apply for a CF. If they still fail to do so, then they will have to bear the consequences if there happen to be any calamities,” Hassan had said.

He also said the council would set up a four-member slope unit, headed by a geo-technical engineer.

Aside from the two major disasters, there were several other problems in Kajang such as the sunken road in Taman Bukit Mewah, Kajang — a housing estate on a hill. Residents are also urging the authorities to check on the strength of the slope in Taman Bukit Permai.

Taman Bukit Permai resident Zaharah Md Salleh once said: “Do we need to wait till someone dies like in the recent Hulu Langat landslide before action is taken?”

Those living in high-risk areas have a New Year’s wish — that the relevant authorities take appropriate action before it is too late.

The Star ran a news article on our own Rev Father George Harrison of the Holy Family Church Kajang.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Tuesday December 27, 2011

Rev George Harrison reaches out to the faithful

KAJANG: His name has elicited all sorts of responses, including a teacher who thought he was trying to be cheeky.

 

Catholic priest Rev George Har­rison (pic), who was named after a famous member of The Beatles, said he was once reprimanded during his PMR examinations by an examiner, who was suspicious of his name.

“The examiner even asked me to show him my identity card. When he realised that it was my real name, he was taken aback and started laughing,” said the 38-year-old, who is a parish priest at the Holy Family Church here.

True to his namesake, George, who was named by his uncle, also has a musical side and said he loved to sing for charity.

“When I sing at events, I tell the audience that their donations will go to the less fortunate,” he said, adding that he sang and preached in four languages – English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil.

“I learnt Mandarin when I was in Taiwan for two years. Learning many languages is one way I can reach out to more people. The Beatles too reached out to people with their music and I admire that,” said George, whose favourite song by The Beatles is Let It Be.

For his Christmas wish, George said he hoped Malaysians would be more giving and help those in need.

At least some of our residents got some goodies from the Government. Merry Christmas to all.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Tuesday December 27, 2011

Families happy to welcome DPM as special guest

KAJANG: Odd-job worker Peter Ng Ah Kaw, 70, had a special guest at his house for Christmas – the Deputy Prime Minister.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin gave Ng and two other families RM1,000 as well as essential items.

“We were so excited to hear the Deputy Prime Minister would be paying a visit that my family started painting and sprucing up the house two weeks ago,” said Ng.

Warm reception : Ng offering some fruit cake to Muhyiddin at his house in Taman Sg Jelok, Kajang, yesterday. Looking on are Ng’s wife Wong See Moi (left), son David Ng Kim Fat (standing, red shirt) and Muhyiddin’s wife Puan Seri Norainee Abdul Rahman.

 

Ng’s efforts had some help as he was among 10 low-income families whose homes also received a makeover from the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry’s Special Affairs Department (Jasa).

His single-storey terrace house in Taman Sg Jelok here was repaired, including work on the roof and the plumbing.

“Since I paint houses for a living, I wanted to do that part of the repair work myself,” said Ng at his house after the presentation ceremony yesterday.

He said he was grateful for the donation since his monthly income only comes up to about RM500, of which RM200 is from the Social Welfare Department.

Retiree V. Voral, 88, and his wife V. Susama, 77, were also present to receive the RM1,000 and a hamper.

Voral said he grew vegetables in his garden to supplement his income.

Another recipient, Lam An Tai, 70, who is partially-paralysed, said the money would allow him to repair his motorcycle so his family could use it.

I am sure it is not difficult for MPKj to generate more income if they can reduce leakages. The additional income can then be used to repair or upgrade many facilities in the area. With elections looming, surely all parties better "pull up their socks".

I agree fully with PR's effort to have local elections and to stop the local authorities from making "mini kingdoms". This will make the councils more accountable for their actions and spending.

They must also be more transparent in their dealing and provide much more information to the residents of the area.

Is this an achievable aim or a rather foolish dream?

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Wednesday November 2, 2011

MPKj aims to generate more income next year

COUNCILLORS at the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) have suggested that the council generate revenue for 2012 via the issuance of permits, stricter enforcement and legalising renovation works.
Councillor Lee Learn Eng said as at end of August, the council had generated RM8mil via the licensing department and RM114,500 via issuance of parking permits.

“We can also generate RM900,000 from parking permits and RM1.35mil from billboards next year.
“To ensure this, there must be strict enforcement,” he said.

Source of revenue: The Kajang Municipal Council aims to collect RM1.35mil from licensing of billboards.

 

In the meeting that lasted for over four hours, Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin suggested that council members discuss in a macro way and set a goal.

“We are focusing too much on the technical aspects, which could go on for two days and still there will be no conclusion.

“We have to think a few steps ahead. There were too many debates on issues under the finance department,” he said.

Kim Sin suggested the council make an analysis of what had happened (in terms of budget) and see which methods were successful and which were not.

“For example, we should focus on the flood problem and set a target; the same goes for problems pertaining to infrastructure,” he said.

The meeting will resume on Friday.

Chua: Thanks for the Chinese school help (in Kajang)

Well, is the election round the corner? Anyway, who cares, as long as the Government does as it says. It's their responsibility anyway. Obviously, nobody likes that they only promise things when elections are coming. I suppose it is also the same for any political party.

It's high time they increase the number of Chinese schools. I hear that the current ones have about 10 classes for each year and each class it more than 50 students. So, this is not healthy at all.

We hope that the Government will always know it's responsibility for education as it is the most important tool for the future of the country. Please do not mess around with it just for the sake of politics.

Until the next time, cheers.

Sunday October 23, 2011

Chua: Thanks for the Chinese school help

KAJANG: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has thanked the Government for allocating land and money to build two new Chinese schools and refurbish another in the Kajang area.

 

He welcomed Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement yesterday of a RM9mil allocation to build two SRJK(C) schools in Kajang Utama and Sg Long and RM3.5mil for SRJK(C) Sg Chua to improve its infrastructure.

“We thank the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister for bringing us this much-awaited news.

Community gathering: Dr Chua (centre) accompanying Muhyiddin at SRJK(C) Sg Chua in Kajang Saturday.

 

“The two new schools will help cater to the increasing number of students in the area.

“There is an increasing demand around Kajang even as the area develops rapidly. Both are expected to get about five acres of land each,” Dr Chua told reporters after the meet-the-residents session at SRJK(C) Sg Chua.

Earlier in his speech, Dr Chua said the Government had allocated RM100mil under Budget 2012 for the construction, improvement and maintenance of Chinese vernacular schools.

“SRJK(C) Sg Chua needs two new buildings due to the increasing number of students and rapid population growth in Kajang,” he added.

The crowd gave a standing ovation after the announcements were made.

Dr Chua hoped the allocation would be given soon so that construction could begin.

On the general election momentum, the MCA president said everyone had to work hard to secure a win for Barisan Nasional, adding that unity was very important.

“If we add all Barisan members in every area, the chances of Barisan winning are very high,” he said.

Dr Chua reiterated MCA's strong stand that it would not accept any government position should it perform badly in the upcoming polls.

RESTORAN TIAN XIAN (EX TAI WAH STAFF)

We celebrated Mothers Day lunch and my second son's birthday at this restaurant as we wanted something different for my brothers.

For those who were brought up in Kajang, the restaurant then was Tai Wah. So, after quite a number of attempted reincarnations, this is the latest. It is run by an ex-staff of Tai Wah and they do serve some of it's famous dishes. They also run a chicken rice and mixed rice shop next door.

The restaurant is located in Bandar Technology on the way to Semenyih. The entrance to the restaurant.....

The restaurant is air conditioned and the view inside.

We had a four season starter which included some Tai Wah favourites, boxing chicken and stuffed fried bread with pork.

 Then we had the sharkfin soup, but I forgot to take the photo before we finished the bowl, sorry.





Next was the steamed Giant Garoupa...

And then, deep fried "pai kuat wong" or pork chop, another Tai Wah favorite.

We then had the butter prawns which was polished off quickly.....as you can see.....

This was also a Tai Wah favorite, bird's nest (which is a crunchy yam basket, different from the normal ones that you find in most restaurant).

A mixed vegetable to end the meal....too much, we could not finish all the food.

Dessert was "tong sui".....

The food is not bad as we have eaten there quite a number of times but this time round, the old Tai Wah favourite did not seem very authentic. Maybe the chef, who has won a few awards and appeared in a number of food related articles and blogs, wanted to have his take on the dishes his way.

The price of the meal was RM 450.00 for a table of ten.
 
Until the next time, cheers.....

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

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.