MY previous columns on town planning focused on how the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) did not provide for legally-required green spaces when approving development for the city. Admittedly though, the loss of recreational parks isn’t so big a deal for urbanites since development brings with it the increased potential for economic growth. In fact, […]
developers
Tales from a Councillor: Residents, developers and mechanics
By KW MakPART of my work as a Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillor involves mediating disputes between resident groups and various parties. From experience, things are not always what they appear to be. There are no morals to these stories, save those that readers interpret for themselves. (Lamp by Dan Edwards; yin-yang by hisks / sxc.hu) […]
Protecting our slopes
By KW MakDamage caused by the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide of 6 Dec 2008 (Pic courtesy of Raj Kumar) BARELY two months have passed, yet the lesson of the Bukit Antarabangsa hillside disaster is nearly forgotten. Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed has declared that projects on hillsides can proceed, with only a ban on the “tip […]
The right to protest
By KW Mak(© Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams / wikipedia.org) ASSEMBLING to protest an issue is a touchy subject in Malaysia, thanks to many factors, including police heavy-handedness in breaking up peaceful demonstrations. It is also common to hear of officials dictating the impropriety of the assembly without actually providing any avenue for the aggrieved persons to air […]