Nowhere to go: One of the nurseries along Jalan Sungai Buloh which has been asked to relocate to Bukit Changgang in Kuala Langat, Selangor. – YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
Sungai Buloh nursery operators appeal for extension to December deadline to relocate from site which they made famous
THE future of Sungai Buloh nurseries in Selangor hangs in the balance as operators have been issued letters to relocate by the end of this year although the new site is not ready for occupation.
“We were given a four-month notice by the Petaling District and Land Office (PDTP) to move out by December,” said Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Landscaping and Nursery Operators Association president Lee Chee Hoong.
The site in Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat, where the Sungai Buloh nursery operators are supposed to relocate to, does not look ready. — Photos: CHAN TAK KONG
“We were supposed to move from Sungai Buloh to Bukit Changgang in Kuala Langat.
“But when we checked the new site, it was not ready for occupation.
“The notice stated that if we don’t move by the deadline, we could be fined RM500,000 or jailed not less than five years or both.”
He said all of the nursery operators along Jalan Sungai Buloh were told they needed to move to make way for construction of Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (DASH) and road-widening works for the Kwasa Damansara development.
The group of operators asked to move to Bukit Changgang are from the third phase comprising over 60 lots.
Flashback to StarMetro’s article on Dec 12, 2020.
The first phase of operators occupying over 10 lots relocated to Kampung Chempaka in Petaling Jaya while the second phase of over 10 lots were asked to move to Bukit Cherakah in Shah Alam.
Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) is the state agency managing the relocation and development of a nursery hub in Bukit Changgang.
In a document shared with StarMetro, it is stated that PKPS will clear the site and set up some basic infrastructure including electricity and water supply.
The nursery operators would have to handle matters like installation of utility meters and temporary permits for their business.
“When we visited Bukit Changgang in late October, the site was still in the process of being cleared of oil palm trees.
Some nursery operators in Sungai Buloh have put up banners announcing their move.
“There were no signs of utilities or fencing being installed.
“It is also a low-lying area which is prone to flooding, so the land needs to be raised,” said Lee.
He said the group of nursery owners subsequently went to Bangunan SUK in Shah Alam seeking a meeting with Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to appeal for the deadline to be extended.
“We met his personal assistant, who advised us to write a letter to PDTP stating that it was unreasonable to expect us to move when the new site wasn’t ready, and to forward a copy to the Mentri Besar,” said Lee, adding that they would send the letter soon.
The nursery operators are appealing for a longer time, of up to two years, to continue in Sungai Buloh while waiting for the Bukit Changgang site to be completed.
Thomas says there was a suggestion that a nursery hub be set up on land belonging to the Malaysian Rubber Board.
They said this would also give them sufficient time to give notice of their new location to their customers.
“Without any formal assurance, we are in a dilemma as to whether we can continue operating in Sungai Buloh and place fresh orders or sell our existing stock because of the looming deadline,” said Lee.
He estimated that relocating and setting up in the new place could cost between RM100,000 and RM500,000 for each operator.
Mohd Noor says operators are willing to move further to provide the 3m setback needed for road-widening works.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is barely over and we need time to recoup.
“It is unfair to treat us so badly when we were the pioneers who made Jalan Sungai Buloh a horticulture hub.”
Lee said the nursery operators were brought to Sungai Buloh in 1999 by PKPS to develop the horticulture industry in Selangor.
The network of growers, suppliers and specialists in the gardening and landscaping business occupy lots along Jalan Sungai Buloh.
The stretch, also known as Selangor Green Lane, became popular for its horticultural and landscaping products and services.
Lee says the notice stated that if the operators fail to move, they face a RM500,000 fine or jail term of not less than five years or both.
“I was informed by the Public Works Department that 3m was needed as setback for road widening along Jalan Sungai Buloh,” said nursery operator Mohd Noor Abdullah.
“If that is all they need, we are willing to move further back to accommodate that. There should be no need for us to relocate,” he said.
Lee said the vacated nursery lots became an eyesore with undergrowth and piles of rubbish.
Association member V. Thomas said nursery operators felt that they were being treated unfairly as the problem had been ongoing for years.
“The late Selangor mentri besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim even supported a suggestion that a nursery hub be included in a proposed development on land belonging to the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB).
The nursery operators were asked to relocate for road-widening works.
“The MRB land of a few hundred hectares can house some 100 nursery operators and it isn’t too far from their existing location. But that idea didn’t materialise,” he said.
When contacted, Selangor infrastructure and public amenities, agriculture modernisation and agro-based industry committee chairman Izham Hashim said the Bukit Changgang nursery hub was nearly completed and would be ready by end December for relocation.
PKPS declined to comment, and referred StarMetro to Izham’s office.
