28-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Perdana ParkCity defends tower near school, says all approvals secured
KUALA LUMPUR: Perdana ParkCity Group, the developer of the 46-storey ParkCity Tower in Desa ParkCity, has defended the project amid growing public opposition, stating that it has secured all required regulatory approvals and permits for both the project's approval and current construction phase.
In a statement to Business Times, the company acknowledged concerns raised by some parents of students at the neighbouring private The International School @ ParkCity (ISP) but stressed that the project is fully compliant with existing laws.
"We refer to recent online media articles concerning the ParkCity Tower development in Desa ParkCity. We note that some parents from The International School @ ParkCity (ISP) have raised concerns regarding the project.
"ParkCity remains fully committed to carrying out this project responsibly and with minimal disruption to the school and the community at large," the company said.
The project, situated close to the ISP primary campus, is scheduled to begin construction this year with completion targeted for 2029.
However, a growing number of parents are pushing back. A parent-led coalition, Parents For Safer Schools, is voicing strong objections, claiming the tower is being built just eight metres from the ISP campus. The group has launched a petition — which has garnered over 1,400 signatures — and is considering legal action to halt and reassess the project.
The petition outlines concerns regarding student safety, classroom disruption, privacy intrusion, and increased traffic congestion. It also criticises the lack of prior consultation.
"While the community recognises the desire for further commercial development, we are shocked at the proposed location because no consultation nor forewarning was provided to the affected parties. It was our impression that the tower would be on the periphery of the township as shown and replicated in the sales showroom.
"The location of the high-rise office poses significant risks to the health, safety and security of our children from the start of construction in 2025 until its completion in 2029 and thereafter. Additionally, it threatens to permanently alter our daily lives as residents in Desa ParkCity with an overwhelming increase in traffic and congestion," the petition read.
The petition urges Perdana ParkCity — led by CEO Datuk Joseph Lau and chairman Datuk Seri Yaw Chee Siew, both of whom sit on ISP's Board of Governors — to suspend the project and begin transparent discussions with parents, educators, and the community.
Among the coalition's key demands are the relocation of the project to a more suitable site and the establishment of a permanent 30-metre green buffer zone between the school and any future developments.
One parent, identified only as Lee, told FMT that earlier appeals to the developer were ignored. She claimed that the project had initially been slated for a different site but was quietly shifted to a vacant plot adjacent to the school. Parents were only informed during a meeting in January, prompting immediate concern.
In response, ParkCity said it is actively working with ISP to ensure student safety, listing several mitigation measures. These include relocating playgrounds, adding covered walkways and indoor air-conditioned spaces, and creating a dedicated access route for construction vehicles to reduce congestion.
"All the above comprehensive pre-emptive measures have been shared with all the parents of ISP students in February and March 2025," the company said.
The Desa ParkCity township was launched in 2002 by Perdana ParkCity, a subsidiary of the Sarawak-based Samling Strategic Group. The township was developed on the site of a former quarry, transformed into a 473-acre master-planned community emphasizing sustainability, walkability, and green living.
