Safety at PJ park improved with new walkway, CCTV
FACILITIES including the walkway and basketball court at Taman Sunwaymas in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, have been upgraded to improve safety and encourage active use among nearby residents.
The park, located along Jalan PJU1/3A near a bustling commercial area and surrounded by neighbourhoods such as Aman Suria, Kampung Cempaka, SS25 and Bukit Mayang, serves a population of around 13,000.
It is popular among senior citizens who visit the park in the mornings.
Among its regular visitors is Chan Lin Chow, 68, from SS25, who practises tai chi four to five times a week.
'Before the upgrade, the court had sand and cracks that made it slippery and dangerous.
'Now we feel safer and more confident exercising, even at 6am,' he said.
The upgrade works by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) included resurfacing and repainting the basketball court, the construction of a 218m pedestrian walkway and refurbishment of the existing gazebo.
Kampung Cempaka village chief Theresa Lim said the improvements had a direct impact on the park's elderly users.
'Most of the park's visitors are aged 60 and above.
'The smoother surfaces make it easier to exercise and have brought more people to the park, encouraging a healthier lifestyle,' she said.
MBPJ Zone 7 councillor Leong Chee Cheng said the upgrades were carried out from Feb 3 to May 26 at a cost of RM164,365, approved by the city council's Landscape Department.
'To improve security, two CCTV cameras have been installed,' he said.
Leong said the surface of the basketball court had gradually sunk over the years due to ground conditions, but has been fully repaired.
The contractor who completed the basketball court repair and upgrades handed the site back to MBPJ on June 25, and the city council has been monitoring its condition since.
The project is part of MBPJ's broader initiative to improve public parks in Zone 7 as part of Petaling Jaya's smart city goals.
'To date, 17 parks including Taman Sunwaymas have been upgraded.
'Next, we will focus on upgrading the public park in Jalan SS4C/20,' Leong added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
PJ mayor visits B40 families
Mohamad Zahri (left) and Aznan (third from left) with MBPJ representatives at the home of one of the beneficiaries. — Courtesy photo THIRTY B40 families received cash aid and household essentials from Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) under the 'PJ Prihatin' programme, in conjunction with the city's 19th anniversary. The donations were handed out by Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon, who presented three families with RM300 in cash and RM150 worth of food and supplies at their homes. With him were deputy mayor Aznan Hassan and other MPPJ representatives. Among the recipients was 62-year-old Hasimah Wahab, who is bedridden after both her legs were amputated due to complications from diabetes. Another recipient, Omar Syah Sumander Shah who lives in Section 7, is battling severe health complications, including heart and kidney disease. Pangsapuri Gugusan Cempaka resident Azhar Mohamad was the third recipient. MBPJ said in a media statement that donations to the remaining recipients would be distributed by MBPJ councillors in their respective areas. MBPJ also said that the PJ Prihatin programme was part of MBPJ's '10 Thematic Projects' which focused on community well-being and uplifting the urban poor. 'Throughout June, a total of 31 social programmes were carried out with the help of agencies, non-governmental organisations, schools, the private sector and local communities,' MBPJ added.
The Star
17-07-2025
- The Star
A guiding hand: Sabah retiree spends her mornings teaching stateless kids
KOTA KINABALU: On her morning jogs, a retiree would frequently come across children playing or loitering when they should be in school. She did not think much of it at first, thinking that they were either waiting for the afternoon school session or playing truant. After several weeks, she asked them why they were not in school. 'It was only then that I realised they were stateless and could not attend school owing to a lack of documents,' said the 68-year-old, who asked to be identified only as Leong, when met recently. In her heart, she said, she felt as if she were being nudged towards extending a helping hand. Eventually, this turned into informal learning sessions for the children, aged seven to 12. More than six years later, Leong continues to spend her mornings teaching stateless children their ABCs, counting, simple arithmetic, some Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia, and even singing. As a result, some manage to memorise the alphabet from A to Z, count from one to 10, sing simple songs, say their names in English, and respond to greetings. 'I feel that life has been unfair to these innocents. They did not ask to be born stateless or without documents. 'As a mother, it breaks my heart that they have to go through the cycle of being born, left to fend for themselves, grow into adults who basically can't read, write or count, and just have to run all the time,' Leong said. She hoped the basic lessons she imparts could be a starting point for them to develop their knowledge and find jobs. 'I have friends who know about what I do, so they give me their children's or grandchildren's used bags, stationery and books to share,' she said. Sometimes, these sessions can last up to two hours, but most of the time, they would span 30 minutes to an hour because of short attention spans, she added. "It is quite difficult to get them to focus but sometimes, when they are in the mood, they will stay for up to two hours," she said, adding that she occasionally uses candy and other treats to hold the children's attention. "Just so that they would listen and spend a little bit more effort learning,' she said. Given their families' constant movements, she said some children would stop coming after a while, but newcomers would take their place. 'I hope the community will have more sympathy for these children, and for the government to have a strong will to solve this issue because children are the future leaders of this nation,' she said. She urged the authorities to provide these children with the same opportunities as citizens, because they had potentially just as much to contribute to society as the more privileged.
The Star
16-07-2025
- The Star
Safety at PJ park improved with new walkway, CCTV
A newly built 218m walkway and repaired basketball court surface to better serve the elderly park-goers. — Courtesy photo FACILITIES including the walkway and basketball court at Taman Sunwaymas in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, have been upgraded to improve safety and encourage active use among nearby residents. The park, located along Jalan PJU1/3A near a bustling commercial area and surrounded by neighbourhoods such as Aman Suria, Kampung Cempaka, SS25 and Bukit Mayang, serves a population of around 13,000. It is popular among senior citizens who visit the park in the mornings. Among its regular visitors is Chan Lin Chow, 68, from SS25, who practises tai chi four to five times a week. 'Before the upgrade, the court had sand and cracks that made it slippery and dangerous. 'Now we feel safer and more confident exercising, even at 6am,' he said. The upgrade works by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) included resurfacing and repainting the basketball court, the construction of a 218m pedestrian walkway and refurbishment of the existing gazebo. Kampung Cempaka village chief Theresa Lim said the improvements had a direct impact on the park's elderly users. 'Most of the park's visitors are aged 60 and above. 'The smoother surfaces make it easier to exercise and have brought more people to the park, encouraging a healthier lifestyle,' she said. MBPJ Zone 7 councillor Leong Chee Cheng said the upgrades were carried out from Feb 3 to May 26 at a cost of RM164,365, approved by the city council's Landscape Department. 'To improve security, two CCTV cameras have been installed,' he said. Leong said the surface of the basketball court had gradually sunk over the years due to ground conditions, but has been fully repaired. The contractor who completed the basketball court repair and upgrades handed the site back to MBPJ on June 25, and the city council has been monitoring its condition since. The project is part of MBPJ's broader initiative to improve public parks in Zone 7 as part of Petaling Jaya's smart city goals. 'To date, 17 parks including Taman Sunwaymas have been upgraded. 'Next, we will focus on upgrading the public park in Jalan SS4C/20,' Leong added.
