Below are several photos of the visit.
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Kelana Jaya park to be gazetted?
From NST, 08/05/08
by Azira Shaharuddin
PETALING JAYA: Kelana Jaya residents' wish for their community park in SS7 here to be gazetted as a recreational area will soon materialise, if Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has his way.
At a recent meeting with residents, Nik Nazmi said he would push for the park, owned by Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), to be turned into a recreational park for residents in the area.
"I will be meeting with PKNS to ensure that they hand over the land to Petaling Jaya Municipal Council as promised by the previous state government," he said.
Nik Nazmi said in his opinion, the park should not be developed as it is the biggest recreational area for the residents there. He said he was aware of the issue as in 2005, the former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had promised to hand over the land to the then Petaling Jaya Municipal Council, following protest by residents against the proposed development of PKNS workers' quarters on the park.
"However, until today, the hand-over has yet to be finalised.
"I will make sure that the hand-over will be completed soon," he said, after the meeting with the residents.
Nik Nazmi said that after he had enquired the matter, the council confirmed that the hand-over was still pending.
The park, near the PKNS Sports Complex, has three lakes, making it an ideal recreational area for the residents in the area. Several years ago, PKNS had proposed that the park would be developed, receiving criticism from the residents. Upset with the proposal, residents staged a protest against the proposal and demanded the park be gazzetted as a recreational area.
Following the protest, Dr Mohd Khir promised that the land ownership would be transferred to the council but until today, it has yet to materialise.
Nik Nazmi said the residents did not want the park to be developed as the lakes could also act as water catchment areas for the area. "If they develop the land, the flash flood problem in the area will worsen," he said.
He said in the meeting, the residents had also voiced out their concerns on flash flood problem in the area.
"The council had informed me that steps are being taken to curb the problem," he said, adding that he was told that several monsoon drains in Petaling Jaya and Sungai would be widened. The residents had also submitted a memorandum to Nik Nazmi, highlighting other issues for the latter to look into. "I cannot promise that I could solve all the problems. However, I will give my best," he said.
Taman Kelana Indah Residents' Association vice-president Musa Mohamad said the residents had been fighting for the park to be gazetted as a recreational area for the past six years.
"We hope that our state assemblyman can make it happen," said Musa, who is also a member of Friends of Kelana Jaya Park.
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World Wetlands Day
26 February 2006
This year World Wetlands Day was celebrated at Taman Tasik Bandaran Kelana Jaya on Sunday 26 February 2006. This is the first time Wetlands International together with co-organisers i.e. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) and Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) celebrated this event together. The theme selected for this event was `Wetlands and Water - Supporting Life, Sustaining Livelihoods'.
The event was officiated by Puan Zuraidah Sainan, the director of Landscape Department of Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ). She was accompanied by the organisers, Dr. Sundari Ramakrishna, director of Wetlands International-Malaysia, Mr. Lee Lih Shyan, the Local Agenda 21 officer of MPPJ and the Ramsar officer from Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Mr. Azhar Noraini.
The other organisations that supported the event were Friends of Kelana Jaya Park, Global Environment Centre and Malaysian Angling Association. They helped to make this event a great success!
The activities held during the celebration were:
1. Wetland awareness talks
2. Primary school children drawing contest
3. Wetland poster and photograph exhibition
4. Wetland planting programme
5. Wetland treasure hunt
6. Alien fish removal programme
7. Wetland book sale
Approximately 500 people participated in the event including 52 primary school students in the drawing contest, 30 people in the wetland treasure hunt and 150 anglers in the alien fish removal programme.
The link between Wetlands, Water and Livelihoods was highlighted during the exhibition. Posters and pictures depicting the importance of wetlands for livelihood were displayed by Wetlands International and Global Environment Centre. While MPPJ exhibited on community activities developed in Kelana Jaya area and Malaysian Angling Association displayed on dangers of alien species in Malaysian waters.
For the drawing contest the primary students were required to draw based on the theme of World Wetlands Day, Wetlands and Water – Supporting Live and Sustaining Livelihood. The children were very creative and had fun drawing and colouring. The first 3 prizes of category II (Standard 4-6) was won by Serena Yong, Winson Chan and Vivian Teoh, while Ng Hann Jane, Teoh Ting Kai and Kang Tze Xin won the first 3 prizes of category I (Standard 1-3).
The anglers drew in the crowd during the fishing competition. They removed a total of 100 kg of alien fish species e.g. the Carp, Jaguar Cichlid, Plecostomus (ikan bandaraya), Tilapia and Africa Keli. After the competition, representatives from the Malaysian Angling Association released a total of 386 local indigenous fish of 7 different species which included Giant Snakehead (Toman), River Barb (Lampam Sungai), Climbing Perch (Puyu), Knifefish (Ikan Selat), River Catfish (Baung), Sultan fish (Jelawat) and Rasbora (Seluang) into the lake. This competition aimed to educate the public on the dangers of alien fish species in our waters and the damage that they invoke upon the indigenous species. At the end of the fishing competition, the Angling Association also removed more alien fish by a netting exercise.
In the wetland planting programme a total of 200 wetland plants comprising 4 different species i.e. Tube Sedge Lepironia articulata, Common Reed Phragmites karka, Spike Rush Eleocharis dulcis and Cattail Typha angustifolia were planted by the volunteers from Friends of Kelana Jaya Park, Global Environment Centre, Wetlands International and 12 college students from Institute Teknologi Utama, Kelana Jaya.
The importance of wetlands and the problems and challenges faced by the Kelana Jaya Lakes was discussed during the awareness talk. It was a good platform for all stakeholders to address water quality and other environmental issues and to decide on the best method to further improve the environmental condition of the lake area.
