The floods of Taman TTDI Jaya Shah Alam


The floods of Taman TTDI Jaya Shah Alam

THE FLOODS OF TAMAN TTDI JAYA SHAH ALAM
by Z. IBRAHIM

For those who moved into the neighborhood of Taman TTDI Jaya in the “planned” city of Shah Alam 15 years ago, little did they realize that it would be a non-ending nightmare of recurrent flooding.

The trust they had in the developers and all those promises that the land had been adequately raised to sustain a 100-year rain forecast obviously in retrospect was nothing more then a “con” to entice innocent house buyers to part with their hard-earned money to buy these homes. Worse affected were the shop-owners who today have to face floods almost on a monthly basis. How is this possible?

Despite all the technical explanations by the developers, DID, MBSA and the Menteri Besar himself it appears plain to anyone with common sense that the area indeed is topographically the lowest point in the entire locality and water undoubtedly whether from the area itself or drainage upstream from KL would indeed overflow and stagnate at this Taman.

After the horrific floods of last year, the State government came up with an interim plan to raise the river bunds to prevent overflowing but the floods keep coming with even greater speed.

You see, despite knowing that this place is already flood prone, the area between TTDI Jaya, Bukit Jelutong and the TUDM air force base has been stripped bare to make way for industrial development.

The entire area does not possess proper drains and even a kid will tell you the massive run off during heavy rain will of course pool at this housing estate located beneath — Taman TTDI Jaya.

But this common sense appears to have slipped through the minds of authorities who allowed this massive land clearing without a thought to parents, the infirm, children, businesses and schools who occupy this housing estate.

Is this just plain negligence, or even deliberate with a touch of sadism on the part of the MBSA? It is not possible that the MBSA who seem to know this area well would not know this simple detail.

But nothing in Malaysia surprises anyone anymore, for our institutions are clearly staffed with incompetent personnel with very much a third world mind-set.

The country as acknowledged widely is rudderless.

Whoever approved this massive land clearing for these industries without first safeguarding the lives of the people downstream must be irrational, unsound or quite possibly paid off.

Whoever it was, at most he/she would be transferred. But for the people who need to face these repeated calamities the nightmares continue.

How an elected government can ignore such incompetence to inflict such profound damage — repeatedly, to its very own people is unbelievable.

  1. #1 by HJ Angus on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 7:04 pm

    This is really disgraceful.
    The basic problem is we cannot sue the authorities as decided in the Highlands Tower case.

    http://malaysiawatch.blogspot.com/2006/05/price-of-overdevelopment.html

    I think the laws need to be amended so that any development of more than 5 acres will need a EIA in a developed zone like the cities.

  2. #2 by sammyvellu on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 8:08 pm

    There is a great deal of denial that Selangor (and Malaysia) is extremely corrupt. Taman TiTi di air tells us the unwanted truth which Pak lah and Dr M defends most ungracefully.

    The approval for development in Selangor not only contibuted to UMNO’s buying vote kitty, but also to the many cronies, sub-cronies to buy their Mercedes, BMW’s and Lexus.

    When shit hits the fan, lets hope that there will be ample supply of lelong cars in the market for the deserving true blue Malaysians

  3. #3 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 9:29 pm

    Has anybody ever wondered why it costs so much to own a house in Malaysia?

    A semi-detached house, an hour train ride from London only costs a fraction as much as a house in KL. Needless to say the higher cost has everything to do with the collusion between property developers and government and public authorities – state government in the alienation of land, councils in charge of planning and government departments in charge of the issuance of Certificates of Fitness etc

    Buyers of real property have their interests compromised all the time by the corrupt practices involving property developers and public authorities which have been given the responsibility of ensuring that laws are complied and public interests are protected.

  4. #4 by k1980 on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 9:59 pm

    At 11.15am, returning officer Hasim Ismail announced that there was a straight fight between Lai and Liou. While the nomination procedure was about to end smoothly, a scuffle broke out outside the centre between supporters from MIC and DAP. Witnesses said two DAP supporters were assaulted with one of them suffering head injuries. The police later arrested a MIC supporter after a police report was lodged by DAP.

    Photos from
    http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2007/04/more-pics-scuffle-fighting-machap-by.html

  5. #5 by Winston on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 10:12 pm

    En Ibrahim, Malaysians are masochistic to begin with.
    How else would anyone keep voting for a governments that unfailing impose such hardships on its people?
    Yet, it went on for the last twenty-five years, with the latest government out-doing the previous one.
    You can do yourself and the country a favour by giving your vote to the opposition, preferably the DAP.
    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a member of this party and I’m quite apolitical! It’s just that the party that doesn’t do its job must be voted out and others given a chance.
    So, why not give the DAP a chance to prove itself.
    Not only that, encourage those you know to do the same. Spread the word!
    With the BN, we are doomed. With the opposition, like the DAP, at least we have a chance.

  6. #6 by edmondyjh on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 10:28 pm

    The problem of floods happening in that area is because developer keeps feeding money to the government so that their application will be faster process disregards of step of rules to follow…so that is how it explains the floods..Where there is demand $$, there is supply $$$….

  7. #7 by Godamn Singh on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 - 11:49 pm

    “’m not a member of this party and I’m quite apolitical! It’s just that the party that doesn’t do its job must be voted out and others given a chance.

    So, why not give the DAP a chance to prove itself.” Winston

    The political party that ‘does not do its job right’ loses its legitimacy and legitimate right to run the government. Period.

    It is time the people of Malaysia stand up for themselves and re-take the government from thieves.

  8. #8 by izrafeil on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 5:10 am

    my 2 cents worth…. there is absolute absence of strategic planning, no real motivation to save the forest, each department working in isolation, add this with corruption they become no more little napoleans. The result is haphazard and dangerous development.

    BTW what happen to our promised RM5bn a year infrastructure development arising from higher petrol prices a year ago/?

    Compare this to our lovely albeit a bit kiasu Singapore, how they managed to save the little rainforest they have, nice residential developments with superb transportation system

  9. #9 by DarkHorse on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 5:20 am

    They raped and plunder. No, not their wives or their girlfriends whom they treat worse than the environment.

    While the rest of the world is taking steps to protect the environment, our so-called leaders see the environment as a money spinner, to do as they please – and line their pockets in the process.

    My 2 1/2 cents.

  10. #10 by Bigjoe on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 6:12 am

    You want to talk about official ineptness?

    Anyone read this letter from Malaysiakini about the REAL story behind Tourism Minister recent attack on bloggers?

    http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/65423

    If it cost them their power, they don’t hessitate to attack their critic regardless of merit and common sense…

  11. #11 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 9:30 am

    How can you expect an ex-Indonesian Chief Minister of Malaysia’s most developed state to bother so much about transforming the state into a world-class State?

    Toyo’s benchmark for Selangor seems to be Acheh or ….(where is his ancestral roots?).

    It’d be shocking and disgraceful if we were to check the details of how Selangor squandered it’s annual budget!!! Toyo has nothing to show but it’s wastefulness. Imagine, someone interviewed on TV3 said it would cost hundreds of millions to redress the TTDI flood problem. We have already spent multi-millions to line the pockets of officials…but the pockets keep getting bigger and bigger and the bulge is way so big, some day it’s going to burst UMNO’s balls!

    It’s a damning shame to see state facilities in disrepair and neglect despite the hundreds of millions spent on its annual budget. Don’t challenge me – just visit the state museum, a supposed pride of the state’s history. It’s no better than a school’s history project in some kampung school! I am serious. Visit it and see for yourself.
    Want to know how many visitors in a day (weekday) – 10 or thereabouts. Not a single foreigner. You want to know the annual budget for this museum? ASk Toyo!

    Who is the museum director – is he a racist? Indian contribution -zero save for Santok Singh’s picture for football. Chinese’ pride of place – Wong Chong Wah – also football. And to think that the population of Malays to Indians and Chinese is about 50:50 in Selangor for the last 100 years!!! How come only MAlay history in this museum???? Hey, MCA/Gerakan/PPP – you also blind trinity – BOTH EYES CLOSED!!

    The architecture of exhibits display shelves – mostly plywood planks used for building kampung stilt houses. Wonder what was the refurbishment budget??? Hey, DAP state assemblymen, please visit this museum and bring it up in the state assembly.
    Do you want a longer list of state infrastructure in dilapidated condition and disrepair. Visit Selangor Year 2007 and see for yourself.

    SEE FOR YOURSELF. VISIT SELANGOR YEAR 2007.

    Then Vote for DAP/PKR in Selangor to bring about changes and inprovements which are the pride of the state – infrastructure and all.

  12. #12 by negarawan on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 10:02 am

    The root cause for problems in Malaysia is BN and its cronies put a bunch of idiots in charge, and spoil them further with NEP to the extent that they have no incentive to work hard. Look at what Azalina told Singapore to not compete with Malaysia for F1. That’s the typical mentality resulting from years of NEP – no need to work hard to compete and earn an honest living because BN will feed us from cradle to grave. BN is making Malaysia a laughing stock of the world.

  13. #13 by madmix on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 10:28 am

    Ugrrade 2 says: A semi-detached house, an hour train ride from London only costs a fraction as much as a house in KL.

    Kindly introduce me to an estate agent in London who can offer such properties. I would like to purchase a few units.

  14. #14 by yellowkingdom on Thursday, 5 April 2007 - 11:07 pm

    Off this topic, Datuk Azalina said the republic (S’pore) should not challenge Malaysia as it had the best F1 circuit in the region. “It is also the hottest race,posing the biggest challenge to the drivers.” On whether she was worried…., she said, “I have no concern and I pity Singapore.”
    I find that our air-head Youth and Sports Minister an utter disgrace, embarassing and contradiciting herself with her flip-flop reaction to the issue. I heard over the popular radio station 95 FM’s DJs slamming her for her arrogance and that Singapore will rise to her challenge to upstage M’sia’s F1. If there was a shred of truth in her words, she would not have commented negatively on S’pore’s bid and instead encourage it. Such tactless diplomacy (oxymoron) ! But like what (negarawan) said, “The root cause for problems in Malaysia is BN and its cronies put a bunch of idiots in charge, and spoil them further with NEP to the extent that they have no incentive to work hard.” So much for mutual co-operation and invitation to invest in Iskandar Development Region (IDR) and Visit Malaysia 2007!

  15. #15 by Maddresearch on Friday, 6 April 2007 - 10:01 am

    Congratulations to Selangor in which has set a very high standard criteria of a developed state in Malaysia Boleh records.

    In Malaysia, one of the criteria to become a developed state must have a flash flood esp in the state capital of Shah Alam where TTDI is located and it has flooded five times since Selangor declared itself a (first) developed state.

    Hmm….I am wondering which is the second state to call itself a developed state and its criteria will be…….

  16. #16 by Maddresearch on Friday, 6 April 2007 - 10:32 am

    When my friends visited me from overseas, who was travelling with me to downtown city centre of Kuala Lumpur.

    We drove through the condominium blocks in lembah subang next to depot of LRT in Kelana Jaya where cars are parking everywhere day and night, even in the middle of the main road.

    I told him, “am sorry for the poor town planning”? With his reply, l have to rephrase my answer next time to any visitor who will ask me the same question. He told me, ” it looks let no town planning at all and where is the police and town council enforcement officers? The condominium dwellers, basically didnt care and endanger to the other road users esp at night with their inconsiderate parking!

    The condominium residents parked at the both sides of the single lane until bas services are disrupted!!!??? (example Putera and puteri in Kelana Jaya) The bus driver said “Gou tak boleh masuk, apa macam nak service penumpang!!

    Some cars are left there to rot in the same vicinity for ages (Good example would be Perdana Court in Subang Jaya).

    Nowdays it becomes part and partial of our beautiful scenery if you are passing by any condominiums in residential areas.

    No one understands how can town council approved such buildings without taking into consideration of traffics flow and parking facilities esp we have 2.3 cars per household.

    For example: small tunnel next crimson condominium blocks and nearby development!!!

    Solutions:

    1. To allow to park on one side of the single lane instead of both and of course none would be the best

    2. Put up no parking sign from 9.00 to 5.00pm near condominium areas

    3. Do not approve (in future) condominium without two or more car parks per unit and open space car park for future development

    I know very well, after writing and writing no action will be taken to solve all ese problem but what to do!!!, We all are Malaysian and Malaysia Boleh ma.. and in Malaysia Apa Pun Boleh ma..

  17. #17 by Godamn Singh on Monday, 9 April 2007 - 1:54 am

    So far floods in Malaysia are not of biblical proportions. So nothing to worry.

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