The Star, Friday March 16, 2012

New cineplex helps Shah Alam residents cut travel time

GOING for a movie had never been easier for Mohd Zam Abdul Rahman and his family whose house is only 7km away from the newly-opened MBO cineplex in Space@U8, Shah Alam.

The father of three said he used to travel double that distance from his home near Kampung Melayu Subang to treat his children a weekend movie.

“We used to drive to malls like Sunway Pyramid, Subang Parade or The Curve in Mutiara Damansara but we hardly do that now,” he said.

Nearer to home: Movie-goers buying tickets at the cineplex.

 

Mohd Zam’s wife Fatimah Isa agreed that they no longer need to worry about finding a parking spot or if they needed to get to the shopping malls early.

Students, Mohd Izuan Shah and Mohd Ridwan Anuar, who frequent the shopping mall often, said they preferred watching movies at Space@U8 as it was only “a walking distance” from their homes.

“We use to travel to Klang to watch movies but now with the cineplex near our house we do not need to travel far anymore,” said Izuan, who visits the cineplex twice a week.

Another resident Koe Kim Leong, said he heard about the cinema from his neighbours but had yet to visit the place.

“It is good to have a cinema near my house and now I can drop by anytime to watch a movie,” he said.

What to watch: (From right) Mohd Zam with his son Mohd 

Fikri Afiq, Fatimah and daughter Nuriffa Haziqah taking a look at the movie posters that are on display at the cineplex.

 

The new shopping mall in Space@U8 in Bukit Jelutong opened its doors late last year with the MBO cineplex as one of its anchor tenants.

Located at the top floor of the three-storey complex, the cineplex has become an instant hit among residents.

“We wanted to explore Shah Alam as there were no other cinemas there at that time, and we believe that the people staying and working here will benefit from having a cinema in the area,” said Mcat Box Office marketing communications manager Christina Yeo.

When asked if the movies screened were selected based on the demographic of the residents in Shah Alam, Yeo said: “We do not have a specific target market, although Shah Alam has a higher percentage of Malay residents. We will still screen a wide variety of English, Malay and Chinese titles.”

During a recent visit to the cineplex, it was noted that the screening times begin at 2pm with occasional midnight movie screenings.

Yeo said the late screening times was due to the traffic flow near the mall during the day.

“In due time, as traffic flow increases, we will adjust our show times accordingly to meet demand,” she said.

Although there are a number of malls in the city, namely Plaza Alam Sentral, SACC Mall, Plaza Shah Alam, Ole-Ole Seksyen 18, Anggerik Mall and the PKNS Complex but none had a cinema.

Despite Shah Alam being declared as capital of Selangor in 1978, so far only entertainment outlets such as bowling and karaoke outlets as well as an outdoor theme park are available.

“We are happy that residents are welcoming smaller cinemas in Shah Alam where they can spend quality time with their children and family during the weekends,” said Shah Alam mayor Datuk Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan.

He added that the council had received numerous applications from companies which intended to open cinemas.

However, only those situated out of the city centre and had adhered to the requirements would be approved.

The council’s One Stop Centre director Mohd Rusli Dalim said the second cinema in the city would be at the Setia City Mall.

Mohd Rusli said the yet-to-be-opened mall in Setia Alam would house nine halls which would cater to a larger audience.

The Star, Wednesday March 7, 2012

Residents claim housing development nearby affecting stability of slope

RESIDENTS of Taman Sri Timah, Balakong, are concerned that a housing development in the area may be affecting the stability of a slope on which a reservoir was built.

Serdang parliamentary constituency coordinator Datuk Yap Pian Hon, who visited the site after receiving complaints, said the ongoing earthwork had made the slope too steep.

He said the consequences were unimaginable if the exposed part of the slope caved in.

“We are not against development but it must not be at the expense of damaging public amenities,” he said, adding that he had written to the Kajang Municipal Council to find out if the developer had followed all the safety specifications,” he added.

He said any damage to the reservoir would have a huge impact as it was the main source of water supply to 414 households in Taman Sri Timah.

Fragile: (from left) Taman Sri Timah MIC Youth chairman Maganderan Rethinasamy, Yap, Sanmugam, Mohd Zali and Dr Lai inspecting the earthwork of a project that may be affecting the stability of a slope nearby.

 

He added that the water supply to the area had not been satisfactory, too.

“The local authority must come out with a solution to stabilise this eroding slope soon and explain why the residents are deprived of satisfactory water supply all these years,” he said.

Serdang MCA division chairman Datuk Dr Lai Kwong Choy said the developer should also address the area’s flooding and parking problems partly contributed by the project.

“Jalan Persiaran Sri Timah, which is the main road in the housing estate, is often hit by floods ever since the project began.

“The road is always congested with cars of condominium owners parked on both sides of the road. The development will worsen the situation when it is ready,” he said.

Taman Sri Timah Umno chairman Mohd Zali Ab Kadir said he was surprised that the council had allowed the earthwork to go on without any retention wall built to prevent soil erosion.

“The developer has also promised to build a sludge settling basin but where is it?

“It floods every time it rains and residents are stranded for at least an hour,” he said.

Taman Sri Timah MIC chief P. Kanapathy also urged the authorities to act fast as any untoward incident could affect the lives of children studying at a kindergarten situated near the slope.

The development, which involves the construction of 107 houses, is scheduled to be completed in July.

Yap, who is also Selangor MCA publicity chief, said he was confident that MCA could wrestle back the Balakong state seat.

He said the statement made by Selangor executive councillor Teresa Kok showed that she was unaware of the change in the rakyat’s preference as many had expressed dissatisfaction over the current administration’s performance in the past four years.

“From waste collection and cleanliness of public places to dengue problems, the current administration has not been able to handle these issues well,” he said.

He said he was bewildered that Kok complained about having 6,000 additional voters in Balakong.

“Haven’t they been registering new voters aggressively? Why are they complaining?

“After all, there are still one million unregistered voters in Selangor,” he said.

KYK Development project manager Wee Kiat Hun said the developer had taken the necessary measures to prevent soil erosion, under close monitoring by the council.

“The slope looks steep if you view it from the top, the gradient is actually only about 45 degree, it is safe,” he said.

Resident Sanmugam Doraisamy said the sight of the exposed steep slope near the project site gave him sleepless nights, adding that the developer had not attended to the matter despite his many complaints.

The Star, Wednesday March 7, 2012

Cops smash car theft and burglary gang in Kajang

KAJANG: A gang that broke into houses in the morning after home owners had left for work has been crippled with the arrest of three men.

The gang members not only ransacked the houses and stole valuables but also drove away with the victims’ cars.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab said the suspects had broken into two houses here within 24 hours and escaped with two cars.

He said the first incident happened at 5.10am last Thursday when the suspects broke into a house in Section 8, Bangi, and stole a Toyota Camry after ransacking the house.

The next day, the gang broke into the house of a state assemblyman’s special assistant at 7am and drove away in his Proton Exora.

“We launched a hunt immediately and arrested a 29-year-old man at Dataran Cheras four hours later,” he told a press conference.

Police also seized a Toyota Altis from the man, reported to be stolen in Seri Kembangan in January.

Police then raided a house in Balakong and nabbed the second suspect together with the Toyota Camry that was stolen in Bangi.

ACP Abdul Rashid said the third arrest was made at a hotel here.

The Proton Exora was parked at the hotel’s basement parking area.

The gang would monitor the targeted houses early in the morning and break in after the owners had left for work.

“If they manage to find the keys for cars parked in the house, they would steal the cars,” he added.

Police believe the suspects were planning to sell the stolen cars, all of which had false number plates.

Police also seized housebreaking tools from the suspects.

It is learnt the suspects had been active since January and were involved in four such cases.

All the suspects have been remanded.

This is certainly good news for all motorists.I passed through the highway on Friday night (yesterday night) at around 10.30 pm and traffic was really heavy, much higher than normal. This is probably due to the motorists wanting to enjoy the lower toll (including us) rather than using the North South Expressway or the Sg Besi/Mines toll.

It then occurred to me that the toll company may have the last laugh as they will be compensated by the Government and still enjoy additional 30% to 40% extra traffic as it will be much cheaper to use this road. 

Wow, talk about a good business deal (for the toll company) and who gets to pay again?

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Saturday March 3, 2012

Cheras-Kajang road users rejoice over reduced toll

IT was a bittersweet victory for road users and those who had campaigned for the Cheras-Kajang Highway to be toll-free.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced on Thursday that the RM1 charge for the 9th Mile (Batu 9) toll plaza towards Kuala Lumpur and the 90 sen charge at the 11th Mile (Batu 11) toll plaza towards Kajang along the Grand Saga Highway had been abolished.

On Thursday night, road users and nearby residents gathered near the toll plazas to witness the abolishment of toll rates.

Some of those interviewed initially did not know that it was only a 50% discount and thought that it would be completely toll-free.

Road user Nazim Ahmad said he was happy with the 50% discount.

“When the East-West Link 50 sen toll was abolished last year (in May), I thought the toll along Cheras-Kajang would have been abolished, too,” he said.

Taman Cuepacs Residents Association chairman Ramakrishnan Ambalam said residents living in the 30 residential areas near the toll plazas were affected, even those who did not have to pass through the toll plazas.

“Motorists who want to avoid paying toll will use Jalan Koop Cuepacs 3B and 4 in the residential areas and exit near the Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA), causing congestion in the residential area during peak hours.

“Some residents have to leave as early as 6am to avoid the jam. What could have been a two-minute drive to get on the highway takes us 30 minutes,” he said.

Taman Fern Grove Residents Association deputy chairman Datuk Cheah Kong Wai said accidents had happened due to the congestion.

“Sometimes we cannot even get out of our house. The toll issue is still a concern (as it is not a 100% abolishment),” he said.

Ramakrishnan and Cheah hope for a total abolishment so that there would be less congestion.

Lim Lay Geok, a 47-year-old pasar malam hawker who has taken part in the “Tak Nak Tol” (We do not want toll) campaigns, opted to get off work and rushed to witness the abolishment of toll rates at midnight.

“Because of my work, I use the highway three to four times a week. The moment I received the news alert via SMS, I quickly told other hawkers and we rejoiced,” she said, adding that it would have been better if it was a 100% abolishment.

At the 9th mile plaza, the celebration was somewhat politicised as BN supporters gathered at the toll plaza towards Kuala Lumpur while Pakatan Rakyat supporters gathered on the opposite side.

Both sides waved flags and chanted slogans like “Hidup BN” and “Hidup Rakyat”.

Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said he wants to know how much the Government would be compensating the concessionaire when the term ended.

Kajang municipal councillors Eddie Ng, Steven Chan and Razaly Hassan were also present.

Ng said some thought it was impossible to abolish toll when the “Tak Nak Tol” campaign began last year but were proved otherwise.

A campaign was carried out to collect signatures to abolish the toll rate.

Land for Chinese school (in Sg Long)

With toll abolished and such generousity, the General Election must be around the corner. It's funny to see that Sg Long is 80% Chinese but the hall is full of Malays only (see second photo). Not to be poltical here nor racial but just the irony of things. Will the residents in this area be so happy that they will vote for BN? It will be left to be seen.

Until the next time, cheers.

The Star, Saturday March 3, 2012

Land for Chinese school

Residents of Bandar Sungai Long have long asked for a Chinese school. And they have got it!

The allocation of a 2.4ha piece of land for the construction of SJK(C) Bandar Sungai Long is welcomed by the people in the area.

Hulu Langat MCA chairman Jeffrey Lee Ban Seng said having a Chinese primary school in Bandar Sungai Long would ease the burden of many parents.

“The population of Bandar Sungai Long, Bandar Mahkota Cheras and Taman Rakan is about 110,000, and almost 80% of them are Chinese.

Popular PM: Residents of Bandar Sungai Long welcoming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the ground-breaking ceremony of SJKC Bandar Sungai Long.

 

“Every day, at least 3,000 children from these areas have to study at the Chinese schools in Cheras Batu 9, Batu 11 and Batu 14,” he said.

“That contributes to serious traffic congestion we have to endure daily and having a Chinese school in Bandar Sungai Long will ease the pain,” he added.

Lee and the school board hoped that the school could start operations next year.

“We have only eight months to go but we are confident that it will happen if everything goes on smoothly,” he said.

Overjoyed: The crowd cheering after Najib’s announcement of the abolishment of toll charges.

 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak presented a RM4.5mil cheque to the school board for the construction of the building when he launched the ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday.

Lee said the school board needed the land for expansion as the area was fast developing, with population always on the rise.

“We were granted the licence for the Chinese school sometime ago but we could not find the land and no one donated. We are grateful that the government granted us this piece of land.

“Earlier, the school board were given only half the area but were later granted the full plot measuring 2.4ha after we appealed,” he added.

He said the plot cost at least RM20mil according to the market rate. In addition to that, another plot of land measuring 2.42ha has been allocated for the construction of a Chinese primary school in Kajang.

The Star, Friday March 2, 2012

Thousands celebrate as Cheras-Kajang highway charges are halved

KUALA LUMPUR: Hundreds of thousands of motorists plying the Cheras-Kajang Highway have cause to celebrate with the announcement that their daily toll charges will be cut by half.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the RM1 charge for the 9th Mile toll plaza towards Kuala Lumpur and the 90 sen charge at the 11th Mile plaza towards Kajang along the Grand Saga Highway had been abolished.

His announcement was met with thunderous applause by thousands gathered at the ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed SRJK Cina Bandar Sungai Long yesterday. The abolition took effect from midnight.

“The Government has succeeded in reducing the burden of road users by 50%, with the cutting of the usual RM3.80 toll charges to RM1.90 for both ways,” Najib said, adding that the efforts in reducing toll charges had long been championed by Umno, MCA and other Barisan Nasional members.

Cheaper drive: Residents celebrating in front of the Batu 9 toll plaza at midnight this morning following the reduction of toll charges at the Cheras-Kajang Highway.

 

Barisan, added Najib, had been championing the cause since 2009, which was brought up again last year by Barisan's Hulu Langat parliamentary constituency coordinator Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz during a breaking of fast event in Sungai Long.

“In his speech, he (Johan) talked about the 9th mile and 11th mile toll,” said Najib, adding that meetings were subsequently held with both the Works Ministry and its minister to look into ways to reduce the burden of highway users.

Over the past decade, two tolls in Cheras have been abolished, the first of which was the Jalan Cheras toll plaza.

Motorists paid 50 sen each time they used it on their way to Cheras from Kuala Lumpur and vice versa before the toll plaza was closed in September 2003.

Last May, drivers were also pleasantly surprised when they no longer had to pay to pass through the East-West Link Expressway, which connects Cheras to Petaling Jaya.

The collection was abolished seven years before the concession period for the expressway was due to end on May 31, 2018.

Najib also said the 2.4ha piece of land for the SRJK (C) had initially been set aside for a national school but this was handed over to the Chinese school as it was difficult to find another piece of land in the area.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin, who is also the Education Minister, then decided to set aside this land for the Chinese school, he said.

Chiding those quarters who only “made noise” but did not grant the school the land it needed, Najib described their antics as merely “sandiwara” (drama).

“There's no need to play politics as education should not be made a political tool to be toyed with,” said Najib, who also handed over a RM4.5mil cheque to the school board for the construction of the building

The Star, Thursday March 1, 2012

It’s not the serial splasher

KAJANG: The serial corrosive liquid splasher is not the culprit in the case of a woman in her 20s who was attacked.

Sources said Saturday’s attack was personal in nature and ruled out the possibility that the corrosive liquid splasher who terrorised Klang Valley last year was responsible.

Kajang OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rashid Wahab said laboratory results revealed the liquid was not acid but a floor cleaning liquid with corrosive properties that could still cause a burning sensation.

“The woman only suffered skin inflammation and the effects are not permanent,” he said.

He said a CCTV nearby a beauty parlour where the woman works in Balakong was out of range.
She was unable to identify the suspect as she was attacked from behind.

In an unrelated case, police believe the liquified petroleum gas (LPG) plant in Semenyih which caught fire and set off 2,000 gas cylinders on Tuesday night was running an illegal racket.

Sources said the plant had been operating without a licence for six weeks and was involved in transferring LPG from domestic-use gas tanks to industrial gas tanks.

“There is a possibility the plant operators were selling government-subsidised LPG to industries and factories,” the sources said, adding that the owner had since gone into hiding.

The area has been cordoned off with a policeman on guard because several gas tanks are still leaking and pose a risk of exploding.

The fire also destroyed two LPG tankers, a car and motorcycle.