New building in Kampung Baru Damansara to be operations centre

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VILLAGERS in Kampung Baru Damansara in Petaling Jaya have a reason to smile. They now have a community hall of their own.

Selangor New Village Development and Illegal Factory Task Force Committee chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah said although the new village was established about 60 years ago, the construction of the hall had been delayed due to technical issues with Syabas and Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

For the community: Villagers from Kampung Baru Damansara in Petaling Jaya finally have a community hall of their own.

“The RM34,000 contract was awarded in February, and the project was completed last month,” Ean said after witnessing the key handover ceremony.

The hall will be used as an operations centre and also to hold meetings by the village development and security committee (JKKK).

Ean Yong said the hall could also be rented out to non-governmental organisations.

The new village has a population of about 1,300.

Ean Yong also said work to extend Jalan 17A/12 to connect to Jalan 17A/10 and Jalan 17/28 had been completed.

Kampung Baru Damansara JKKK chairman Chin Keh Kong said the project was long overdue because Alam Flora trucks could not collect rubbish from certain parts of the village due to the narrow road and uncompleted stretch of Jalan 17A/12.

Ean Yong said the stretch where the road extension was carried out was a road reserve in the original masterplan for the village but was not fully completed until now.

“The road project cost RM117,000, which included clearing some rubble and constructing the road and drains,” he said.

“It took a month to complete the project, and has been open to the public for the past five months.”

Ean Yong said the funds for both the community hall and road projects came from the state government.

Meanwhile, Chin said the JKKK had helped a family in the village to apply for a grant under the state’s “Caring Government Programme” (Program Kerajaan Prihatin) to help them rebuild their home.

“The elderly couple and their son had been staying in a dilapidated shack for the past few decades.

“The JKKK helped them to apply for the funds after finding out about the programme last year,” said Chin.

Ean Yong said the programme offered allocations for the hardcore poor to build a home, and the family in Kampung Baru Damansara was the first in a new village to apply for the funds.

“In addition to family income and dependants, one of the requirements is that the family has to own the land title where their house sits,” he said.

“This particular house has three rooms and cost RM30,000 to construct.

“The construction took two months, and was completed just before Chinese New Year this year.”