DBKL has been urged to fix quickly the new community centre at Jalan 3/93a in Cheras to prevent the building from becoming a white elephant. – Photos: SAMUEL ONG/The Star
A RM40mil nine-storey community centre in Jalan 3/93a, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, has been left unused since its completion in 2021.
The brand new community centre has a five-storey carpark, a multipurpose hall, meeting rooms with projectors, library and a gym.
With some minor refurbishment and finishing touches, the centre could have been opened to the public by now.
Instead, the building is now left in a sorry state as no upkeep has been done to the building.
Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) was supposed to clean up the centre and refurbish the building by this month, but nothing much has been done.
“During a meeting with DBKL last year, I was told that refurbishment works would be completed by August this year, but when I checked, some of the workers were only laying floor tiles at the multipurpose hall.
“They should hasten the cleaning and refurbishment work so that an open tender can commence to hire a management company to run the place.
Construction materials left at the multipurpose hall.
“I brought up the matter again during a meeting with DBKL last month and I am disappointed to see no progress in getting the building ready for public use,” he told reporters at the centre.
During the site visit, StarMetro found the floor of the building thick with dust and some of the doors and the ceiling were damaged. Officers from the DBKL Valuation and Property Management Department and the Project Implementation and Building Maintenance Department were also present during the site visit.
Tan said DBKL should use the building and not let it become another white elephant in Kuala Lumpur.
“The community centre has adequate facilities for residents and it should be made available to the public or else it would be a waste of ratepayers’ money.
“However, its location might be far from ideal as it is hidden from the main road.
“DBKL should instal signage along Jalan Cheras to inform people of the building’s location.”
Kuala Lumpur Advisory Board member Carmen Leong, who is a committee member for the Housing and Development committee, said she would continue to monitor the progress of the refurbishment works.
DBKL has been urged to fix quickly the new community centre at Jalan 3/93a in Cheras to prevent the building from becoming a white elephant. — Photos: SAMUEL ONG/The Star
