Following the government’s proposal to degazette Taman Tasik Intan Baiduri in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, concerned residents are raising questions about the long-promised Batu City Park, which was announced over two years ago by former Federal Territories minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa.
Annuar had unveiled plans for a vast 231.48-hectare city park featuring seven lakes and ponds, aimed at transforming the area near Batu Metropolitan Park into a green haven for city dwellers. However, residents are now anxious about the project’s status, given the recent developments around Taman Tasik Intan Baiduri.
Residents’ Growing Concerns
Salleh Borhan, a resident of the Intan Baiduri Peopleโs Housing Project (PPR), recalled participating in the park’s launch event, where tecoma trees were planted as part of the government’s initiative to plant 100 million trees nationwide. “We were told that this was the beginning of a grand project that would turn our area into a city park with seven lakes,” he said. “But now, there’s talk of housing projects instead, and we haven’t seen any progress on the park.”
Norhaizam Abdul Majid, chairman of Intan Baiduri PPR Block B, echoed Salleh’s concerns, questioning why the project seems to have stalled. “We were excited about the park, but there has been no sign of infrastructure development, and now we fear it might not happen at all,” he added.
The Promised City Park
The Batu City Park project, also known as Projek 7 Tasik (Seven Lakes Project), was part of a larger government initiative to create a green corridor at the northern end of Kuala Lumpur. The project was set to include pedestrian walkways, jogging tracks, and bicycle lanes spanning 62.5 km, connecting Sentul, Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur city centre, and Taman Eko Rimba, Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve.
The park was designed to be built around seven flood retention ponds, including Taman Metropolitan Kepong, Batu water retention pond, and Intan Baiduri, among others. A key feature was to be the extensive planting of Tabebuia rosea trees, also known as tecoma, whose blossoms are often compared to Japan’s cherry blossoms.
The project, expected to take about five years and cost RM10 million, was to be funded by the Albukhary Foundation as part of its corporate social responsibility program. The first phase involved tree planting, while the second phase was to focus on infrastructure development by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Lack of Progress and Official Response
Despite the initial enthusiasm, residents have seen little to no progress on the Batu City Park. Attempts to obtain updates from DBKL have been unsuccessful, leaving the community in the dark about the project’s future.
The project is included in the draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan (KLLP2040), but with no visible development and ongoing concerns about the degazettement of Taman Tasik Intan Baiduri, residents are growing increasingly concerned about the park’s fate.
Conclusion
As the debate over the future of Taman Tasik Intan Baiduri continues, residents of Kepong and the surrounding areas are urging the government to clarify the status of the Batu City Park project. The park, once touted as a key green initiative, now hangs in the balance, with the community eagerly awaiting answers about its future.
