Mohamad Zahri (right) holding up MBPJ’s Budget 2025 speech at the city council’s headquarters.
Petaling Jaya International Folklore Festival has been scrapped in favour of community-based projects.
The yearly event used to cost Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) about RM2mil to organise.
Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the money would be channelled to community projects such as improving roads, drains and public parks.
“Many councillors have raised issues such as drains and hillslopes time and again.
“We have to be mindful of the local government’s basic function, which is to attend to the public’s needs,” he said at MBPJ’s Budget 2025 meeting at its headquarters yesterday.
Mohamad Zahri said when he met residents during a townhall session, they wanted issues such as potholes attended to fast.
“They said, how can we claim to be a happy city if there are potholes on our roads.
“However, they did not complain over the rise in assessment tax. They just want good service,” he said.
MBPJ’s Budget 2025, themed “Happy Community Core of Sustainable Petaling Jaya”, forecasts a deficit of RM50.85mil.
For 2025, the city council estimates revenue of RM418.293mil, operating costs of RM382.215mil and development expenditure of RM86.928mil.
After being held for almost a decade, Petaling Jaya International Folklore Festival will be scrapped. — Filepic
“The city council did not include RM17mil, which is the estimated amount from the rise in assessment tax, as the matter is at state government level,” said Mohamad Zahri.
As part of the budget, MBPJ announced plans to set up of 10 toy libraries in low-income areas such as PPR Kota Damansara, Flat Desa Mentari, Flat Medan Jaya, Flat Medan Indah, Flat Taman Desaria and Apartment Pelangi Utama.
It allocated RM900,000 to upgrade Urban Park 1 at Jalan PJU 10/1 in Damansara Damai.
Some RM200,000 was set aside to upgrade aerators at lakes in public parks for better water quality.
To support a green environment, PJ Eco Recycling Plaza will be given RM100,000.
MBPJ hopes about 56,000 units in landed housing areas will take part in its door-to-door recycling next year.
“We have to do something about the high cost of waste disposal,” said Mohamad Zahri.
