SUNGAI Buloh in Selangor is known for its horticultural hub and nursery operators who have been there for 30 years are appealing to stay put. They do not want to be forced to move.
About 60 nursery operators along Jalan Sungai Buloh are worried for their business after receiving a relocation letter for them to shift to Bukit Changgang in Banting.
Despite getting a one-year reprieve in November last year, the nursery operators fear they will eventually be forced to move.
They have sent an appeal letter to the Kota Damansara candidates from various parties to retain their current location.
They have so far conveyed their objection to Pakatan Harapan candidate Muhammad Izuan Ahmad Kasim from PKR, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) candidate Sivarajan Arumugam.
Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh has a mix of factories and housing areas. — MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star.
They also plan to meet Perikatan Nasional candidate Mohd Radzlan Jalaludin from Bersatu over the matter.
Kuala Lumpur Landscaping and Nursery Operators Association advisor and past president Sunny Low questioned the necessity of the relocation.
“The relocation initially was to make way for the construction of the Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (DASH) and road-widening works for the Kwasa Damansara development.
Muhammad Izuan says his experience as MBSA councillor will be valuable to the electorate.
“But DASH and the road work in front of the nursery have been completed and the nurseries here are not affected.
“We also learnt that there are four huge pipes underneath the nursery land, which makes it unsuitable for development.
“So why not let us stay on?” he said.
The stretch of affected nurseries is also known as Selangor Green Lane.
Mohd Radzlan says he will look into the flooding problem in Kampung Melayu Subang.
Low said the basic infrastructure in Bukit Changgang was not ready yet and having the nursery operators shift some 50km away would greatly affect their business.
“Sungai Buloh is known for its nurseries and we want to keep it that way,” he added.
Sivarajan, who met with the operators’ representative last week, said he would push the state government to retain their business in Sungai Buloh if given the mandate by voters.
“They have been running the nurseries for three decades, it is their sweat and blood.
“If this relocation happens, 200 workers will be affected,” he noted.
Sivarajan is vying for the Kota Damansara seat in a three-cornered fight against Muhammad Izuan and Mohd Radzlan.
The relocation of the nurseries was one of the major issues during the 15th General Election last year.
Kota Damansara is a Malay-majority semi-urban constituency with high-end properties as well as villages.
Sivarajan says 200 nursery workers will be affected by the relocation.
Important issues that have been highlighted by residents are specific to their respective locality.
For example, at Tropicana Indah, residents had filed a judicial review to quash conditional planning approval by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) for the construction of a two-storey clubhouse on an open space, now used as a golf course.
The project will facilitate the relocation of the Seri Selangor Golf Club (KGSS) clubhouse, which is currently located on Persiaran Damansara Indah.
Tropicana Indah residents are against the proposed relocation, saying that it would contribute to heavier traffic and take away valuable green space in the area.
At Sungai Buloh New Village, some of the major issues are the illegal factories as well as much-needed infrastructure improvements including drainage system and access roads.
Hoo says it is high time the factories in Sungai Buloh New Village are legalised.
Village chief Hoo Sook Wan said all these problems were interconnected.
“We have about 80% of industrial factories in the new village while residential only makes up 20%.
“There is a need to legalise these factories as those that have not been legalised are taking up road reserves in the area.
“This prohibits the local council from upgrading the road.
“Take the village’s main access Jalan Welfare for example, some of the factory premises are built on the road reserve which makes it difficult for the road to be widened.
“As long as these factories are not legalised, the infrastructure upgrades cannot be done,” she said.
In the state election, Hoo hopes that the new assemblyman will highlight the need for a road to connect the new village to Subang Bestari.
“Subang Bestari is behind our village and to get there, we have to take a detour via Jalan Sungai Buloh.
“The new access would be convenient for the people here,” she said.
Meanwhile, in Kampung Baru Subang, issues there include flash floods, traffic jam and uncollected rubbish.
During their campaign trail, Muhammad Izuan and Mohd Radzlan greeted traders in the market and pledged to solve traffic problems in the area.
“The traffic congestion includes the bottleneck at Persiaran Atmosfera.
“If given the chance to serve the electorate here, I will raise the matter at state level.
“Being a former Shah Alam City councillor gives me an advantage as I know how local authorities work,” said Muhammad Izuan.
Mohd Radzlan said he would look into the flood issue that had been occurring in the village during downpours for the past 20 years.
“Drastic measures are needed to solve the problem.
“The drainage system here also needs to be relooked at,” he said.
The constituency currently has about 90,000 voters.
In 2018, Shatiri Mansor (Pakatan-PKR) won with a majority of 15,703 against Hajah Halimaton Saadiah (Barisan-Umno), Siti Rohaya Ahad (PAS), and Sivarajan (PSM).
Shatiri was dropped this time to make way for Muhammad Izuan, who is Selangor PKR youth chief.
