MBPJ ANJUR SEMINAR KHAS UNTUK GOLONGAN OKU

by AHGILAN on 13 Jun, 2011

Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ) akan menganjurkan seminar ‘Creating a Barrier Free City-An Action for Implementation’ khusus ke arah perancangan bandar yang menekankan kepada keperluan orang kurang upaya (OKU) pada 23 Jun ini.

Timbalan Datuk Bandar, Puasa Md Taib berkata seminar yang julung kali diadakan ini adalah sebahagian daripada usaha kerajaan negeri Selangor dalam merangka pelan tindakan bagi memastikan kebajikan golongan OKU di sekitar kawasan Petaling Jaya terpelihara.

Selain itu, menurutnya tujuan utama seminar ini diadakan untuk memupuk kesedaran bagi semua yang terlibat dalam perancangan dan pembangunan dalam bandar mengikut prinsip Rekabentuk Universal(Universal Design).

“Setiap orang berhak menikmati keindahan alam kurniaan tuhan termasuk orang kurang upaya.

“Malah, seminar ini merupakan anjuran bersama Pertubuhan Perancang Malaysia (MIP) akan diadakan di hotel PJ Hilton,” katanya kepada pemberita di ibu pejabat MBPJ, hari ini.

Hadir sama, Presiden MIP, Dr. Alias Abdullah dan persatuan NGO terlibat.

Dalam sidang media itu, ahli majlis MBPJ Zon 13, Anthony Siva Balan berkata langkah untuk mengadakan seminar ini adalah satu pelaksanaan yang positif daripada pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) memahami naluri serta perasaan golongan OKU.

Beliau yang juga mewakili golongan OKU daerah Petaling Jaya memberitahu beberapa pembentang berpengalaman dari dalam dan luar negara telah dijemput untuk berkongsi idea di seminar ini.

“Antara topik yang akan dibincangkan merangkumi masalah tempat meletak kenderaan,tempat jalan kaki dan tandas awam untuk golongan OKU.

“Selepas sesi pembentangan, para peserta akan dibahagikan kepada beberapa kumpulan dalam sesi percambahan fikiran yang bertujuan untuk merangka pelan tindakan tersebut,” katanya.

Mengulas lanjut, Anthony berkata seminar satu hari ini terbuka kepada semua orang termasuk persatuan dan organisasi bukan kerajaan (NGO) di mana orang ramai digalakkan hadir untuk memberi sokongan sosial kepada golongan OKU.

Sebarang maklumat atau pertanyaan berhubung Seminar OKU ini boleh diajukan kepada Unit Bandar Sejahtera, Nurizan Abdul Rashid di talian 03-79563544 atau Syikin, Malaysian Institute of Planner di talian 03-78770636.

Successful Charity Show

17/06/2011

Successful Charity Show

A little update on the a successful show was held in the Civic Centre Auditorium (Dewan Sivik) Petaling Jaya.

On Sunday evening, June 5, 2011 the Lembah Pantai Hindu Youth Organization, in collaboration with the ILTC held a highly successful the Unity Cultural Night 2011 at the Centre Auditorium (Dewan Sivik) Petaling Jaya , money was raised funds for ‘The ILTC Building Project’.

Nearly 600 people attended the charity show, which in addition to being hosted by the thr Kumaresan and received generous support from the greater corporate community and also other partners.

A very special thank you goes out to the many donor’s that helped make this event such a huge success all made either financial or In-Kind Donations.

We’d like to express our sincere gratitude and a heartfelt thanks to the Lembah Pantai Hindu Youth Organization, their Volunteers and all the people that participated to make this event meaningful.

Thank you to everyone that helped make this event a possibility.

This was a very good show and the audience obviously enjoyed themselves very much at the show.

We now look forward to our next show. If you would like to learn more about ILTC charity event, or how you can support The ILTC Building Project through your own charity event, please feel free to contact us at – 03-6093 6292.

You can see more pictures at below are arranged in an chronological order.

'Homeless’ disabled man to get free flat

G Vinod

| June 16, 2011

Selangor exco Iskandar Abdul Samad says that the state government will take over the low-cost flats project and promised to subsidise rental.

PETALING JAYA: A disabled man whose longhouse unit at PJS1 was demolished by developer Peter Brickworks Sdn Bhd will receive a flat unit at the nearby low-cost housing area at no cost.

Selangor exco Iskandar Abdul Samad made this promise to 56-year-old V Mahalingam and his wife S Tamilchelvi, who is partially blind, when he visited them at their makeshift tent erected at the site where their home once stood.

On June 3, two longhouse residents at PJS1, Mahalingam and A Pushparani had their homes demolished by the developer after obtaining a court order in May.

This came despite the developer’s assurance a week earlier that it would not evict the residents from the longhouses pending negotiations.

Angered by the developer’s action, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim instructed state secretary Khusrin Munawi to acquire three plots of land belonging to Peter Brickworks in the same week.

In a meeting with residents today, Iskandar also said that Mahalingam would receive a unit at the ground floor of the building for his convenience.

“The flats will be ready within a week pending some cleaning up work,” said Iskandar who was flanked by fellow exco Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.

Also present at the meeting were Petaling Jaya City Hall (MBPJ) councillor Latheefa Koya, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) treasurer A Sivarajan and residents action committee chairman M Sugumaran.

Rental will be subsidised As for Pushparani and the remaining 276 buyers affected by the low-cost flat project delay, the state government agreed to subsidise RM500 monthly in rental for the next three years pending completion of the flats.

The 276 buyers, who were formerly residents of Kampung Petaling Tin, Kampung Pinang and Kampung Muniandy, were moved from their squatter areas in 2003 after being promised low-cost flats.

While 27 families were moved to the longhouses at PJS1, the rest were moved to the low-cost flats at Lembah Subang and other areas as a transit point.

The residents, however, felt shortchanged when Peter Brickworks failed to build their low-cost flats which was slated near Taman Kanagapuram, citing an injunction obtained by the residents there.

During a press conference later, Iskandar said that the state government would take over the project to build the low-cost flats for the residents.

He also said that the flats would be built at the site where the remaining longhouses still stood, a land that currently belongs to the Education Ministry.

“The state government will acquire the land as the school project is stalled. Once we get the land, we will start building the flats there,” he added.

Iskandar said that the project would not affect the longhouses as the residents could continue living in their homes until the flats are completed.

“Once the building of the flats is completed, the longhouse residents and the remaining buyers can move in,” he added.

In case the Education Ministry planned to resume the school project, Iskandar said the state government would recommend to the federal government to build the school on the land previously slated for the stalled low-cost flats project.

“We hope that the residents there will not object to a school being built as it will benefit the community,” he said.

Homes demolished based on court order

K Pragalath

| June 4, 2011

Developer Peter Brickworks gave Selangor councillor Iskandar Samad the snub, when they went ahead and demolished the homes of PJS1 residents.

PETALING JAYA: PJS1 longhouse residents, who’ve been at odds with developer Peter Brickworks, discovered that a ‘no demolition’ commitment given to them by Selangor state executive councillor Iskandar Samad was meaningless in the face of a court decision.

Yesterday pleas for a reprieve on humanitarian grounds fell on deaf ears as the residents alongwith PJ Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian watched in dismay as their homes were demolished by authorities waving a court order.

“We will vacate on Saturday and Sunday. You can demolish on Monday,” pleaded Hee, on behalf of the residents but court bailiff Nurul Asma Hairi refused to budge.

She said the demolishment was based on a court decision and could not be deferred.

“I am only following instructions. I have to obey court order,” she told the residents upon arrival at the site.

She was accompanied by police officers and developer’s, Peter Brickworks, representative.

An agitated PJS1 resident committee chairman, S Sugumaran confronted Nurul Asma saying: “We agree to move out. Your actions are inhumane and violates human rights.”

In response Nurul Asma called her superior, a court official, who then asked the residents if they were willing to foot the cost of proceedings if he delayed the demolition.

The court official, who declined to be named, argued that lawyers for Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) had failed to obtain a third party intervention to stop the demolition.

‘Developers agreed’

Sugumaran however said that the developers had ‘orally’ agreed to postpone the demolishment.

“Developer Peter Brickwall agreed orally not to demolish at the meeting with state exco Iskandar Samad last night,” he said.

Also present at the site was Suhakam chief commissioner Shaani Abdullah.

“We have received reports of threats against the residents. The developer has a social responsibility to provide homes for the people,” he said.

Echoing Shaani’s views, Hee also said that “Pekida gangsters were also involved with the police.”

A disappointed Sugumaran later told FMT that he hoped that the Selangor government would take necessary action and keep up their word.

“Iskandar promised that the demolition will not happen. He promised to take action.

“He sent an SMS stating that the state would seize three plots of the developers land on Monday, ” he said.

The residents would also be meeting the state government officials on Monday.

"I want my flat or I’ll stay here till I die’

G Vinod

| June 6, 2011

The two longhouse residents who had their homes demolished vow to stay near the rubble until developer delivers on pledge

VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: The two residents of PJS 1 longhouses, whose homes were demolished last Friday, vowed to stay put at the site until a promise made to them by the developer is honoured.

V Mahalingam, a 56-year-old disabled man and A Pushparani are living in a makeshift tent where their homes once stood pledged to stay put until Peter Brickworks provides them the low cost flat it promised eight years ago.

“I want my flat. If not I will stay here until I die,” said Mahalingam, a 56-year old disabled. “Life as a disabled is hard enough and Peter Brickworks has made it worse for me. They must answer for the misery I’m going through.”

After nearly a week-long tussle with the residents, Petaling Jaya City Hall (MBPJ) and the state government, Peter Brickworks ignored numerous pleas and demolished their homes on June 3.

Mahalingam and Pushparani received eviction orders from the developer on May 23 and given a seven-day deadline to make way for a condominium project.

The eviction was postponed after MBPJ issued a stop-work order against Peter Brickworks in an attempt to compel the developer to find an amicable solution with the residents.

Mahalingam said today that the MBPJ had offered him a low cost flat at Lembah Subang on June 1 but he rejected the offer because it was a temporary solution to his predicament.

“Lembah Subang is too far away. I receive medications from a nearby medical facility. How am I to travel all the way from there to PJS 1 if I take up the unit there?”asked Mahalingam.

As both he and his wife S Tamilchelvi were not working, Mahalingam said he relied a lot on assistance from friends and well-wishers who live near PJS 1. Tamilchelvi, 53, is partially blind.

“I also receive monthly provisions from a nearby spiritual organisation. Who will help me in Lembah Subang?” asked Mahalingam, who gets a monthly RM110 from the Welfare Department.

Mahalingam said he had no other place to go. “We have a son but we lost contact after he got married four years ago,” said Mahalingam who was reluctant to delve into the matter.

Pushparani, 44, lamented that the developer went ahead with the demolition despite promising not to at a meeting with Selangor state exco Iskandar Abdul Samad on June 2.

“We can only hope that the state government will help us now,” said a teary Pushparani.

‘We fear for our safety’

Pushparani, who ekes out living ferrying children to school by a mini van to make ends meet said she had to send her six children to stay with friends.

“My husband V Balakrishnan and I now camp out in the makeshift tent or in our van,” said Pushparani.

She added that she also feared for her safety as several unidentified men were lurking around the area where their homes once stood.

“I hold Peter Brickworks responsible should anything untoward happen to us,” said Pushparani.

Residents action committee chairman, M Sugumaran, said he received a text message from Iskandar this morning saying the state government would seize the land from Peter Brickworks.

During a walkabout this morning, FMT team saw two individuals taking pictures of the makeshift tent of the two families and the FMT journalists.

Sugumaran said that one of them was the general manager of Peter Brickworks while the other was the project manager of the condominium project.

Sugumaran urged the state government to speedily provide alternative housing for the residents, especially for Mahalingam.

“I also hope the state assemblyman (Haniza Talha) and the MP for Petaling Jaya Selatan Hee Loy Sean will continue with their effort to assist the residents,” said Sugumaran.

In a latest development, Sugumaran said several men started baricading the area with wire fencing around the demolished area at about 2pm.

Meanwhile, Iskandar, who is in charge of the state housing portfolio, said that the state would acquire the three plots of land at the site because of Peter Brickworks’ defiance.

“The mentri besar (Abdul Khalid Ibrahim) had instructed state secretary Khusrin Munawi to acquire the plots under state laws on Friday,” said Iskandar.

However, Iskandar could not confirm whether the notice has been issued to the developer.

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