KL Update
Latest News About Kuala Lumpur
Articles on this page:
- Toll at PJS2 plaza abolished
- DUKE toll collection begins Monday
- KL Convention Centre lauded as 'Best in Asia'
- Kg Baru set to boom
Toll at PJS2 plaza abolished
The Star Saturday February 14, 2009 By LESTER KONG and LOH FOON FONGPETALING JAYA: Toll collection at the Kuala Lumpur-bound toll plaza at PJS2 on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) has been abolished from midnight last night. The Cabinet decided to do away with the RM1.60 toll last week, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed yesterday.
"The decision by the Cabinet was a consequence of the Works Ministry's memorandum to abolish the toll. Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, it is also the Government???s way to show love to the rakyat," he said during the announcement ceremony of the abolishment. Mohd Zin said removing the toll was also meant to soften the effects of economic uncertainties for the nearby residents who had to pay RM1.60 every time they drove towards Kuala Lumpur since April 2004. Mohd Zin did not specify the amount of compensation to be paid to concessionaire NPE Sdn Bhd.
Officials of the consessionaire could not be reached for comment. Meanwhile, a small but noisy crowd of Umno, PAS and PKR supporters turned up to support the abolishment of the toll charge, which was considered a Valentine's Day gift not only to road users heading to Kuala Lumpur but also for the 30,000 residents of nearby Taman Medan and Kampung Dato Haron.
However, PKR's Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Mohd Talha said the Government must also abolish toll on the opposite side of the highway, heading towards Subang Jaya and Kelana Jaya. "The problem is there will still be traffic congestion at peak hours on the Taman Medan and Kampung Dato Harun side (coming from Kuala Lumpur)," she said when contacted yesterday. Haniza added that road users exiting via Kampung Dato Haron would still have to pay toll to go to Kuala Lumpur since they would have to pay on the Subang Jaya-bound side first before making a U-turn. She said Taman Medan PKR would continue to fight for the other toll charges to be abolished.
Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, who heads the DAP team tasked to scrutinise toll concessionaire agreements, said that he welcomed the abolition of the toll at PJS2. The concern is whether the Government has to pay compensation and if it needs to, the amount should be scrutinised and it should be minimal, he said. Fomca secretary-general Muhammad Sha???ani Abdullah said that while the move is good, the reason for the move should be made known. It would be unfair if the concessionaire is losing money and the Government has to compensate, he said. Fomca's stand is that there should be no toll charges for roads because they are common property and the country has the funds to develop these social services, he said.
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DUKE toll collection begins Monday
The Star Saturday February 7, 2009KUALA LUMPUR: The Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway, partially opened to traffic on Jan 9, will begin toll collection at 12.01am on Monday. In a statement Saturday, Kuala Lumpur North-East Expressway Consortium said toll would be collected at the exits along the Duta Interchange route from New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) to Jalan Kuching, Jalan Semarak, Jalan Setiawangsa, Jalan Ulu Kelang to Middle Ring Road II, Karak Interchange and Batu Caves.
The rate for car is RM2, while its RM3 for double-axle lorries. For three-axle lorries, taxis and buses, the rates are RM4, RM1 and 70 sen, respectively. Other sections of the expressway are scheduled to open in April. Meanwhile, about 50 people in Petaling Jaya Selatan staged a peaceful rally at the New Pantai Expressway's (NPE) PJS2 toll plaza near Kampung Medan, demanding the NPE toll be abolished as it was burdening the people, especially nearby residents. Acting Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno chief Raja Datuk Hanipuddin Raja Datuk Nong Chik said the residents had to spend an average of RM500 monthly on the toll.
"They have to pay RM1.60, even though their houses are located just 200m from the toll plaza. The toll charge is probably the highest in the Klang Valley," he told reporters on Saturday. The 19.5km expressway costing RM1.2 billion was opened to traffic on April 30, 2004, and is managed by New Pantai Express Way Sdn Bhd. - Bernama
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KL Convention Centre lauded as 'Best in Asia'
Travel Blackboard Wednesday, 4 February 2009The CEI Industry Awards have recognized the excellence of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, granting the three-year old venue 'Asia's Best Convention and Exhibition Centre.'
The centre was also the recipient of joint-third place for the category, 'Asia's Best MICE Sales Team'. The awards are voted by the readers of CEI Asia Pacific, in an industry survey which is undertaken annually. "This recognition by the astute readers of CEI Asia Pacific further exemplifies the Centre's commitment to providing an excellent experience for every guest and to not only meet but exceed our clients' objectives and requirements," said GM of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Peter Brokenshire.
"The 'Best MICE Sales Team' award is an acknowledgement of the passion, commitment and dedication of the Centre's Sales and Marketing team," he continued. "Affectionately hailed as 'the engine' of the Centre, the team has worked long and hard to secure more than 1,800 events since our opening in June 2005 to December 2008, contributing more than RM 1.8 billion to the city."
Brokenshire concluded, "With the continued support of the Centre's experienced team, we endeavour to promote the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in the global conventions and exhibitions arena."
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Kg Baru set to boom
The Star Sunday February 1, 2009 By BAVANI MPETALING JAYA: One day in 1954, a woman in labour pain was sent - in a trishaw - with her husband from Hale Road, in Kampung Baru, to the General Hospital in Kuala Lumpur where she gave birth to a boy. The boy is now at the helm of the Federal Territories Ministry, overseeing the growth of the capital city along with Putrajaya and Labuan.
This month marks Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique's fourth year as Federal Territories Minister. As he celebrates FT Day with the people and looks forward to yet another year of progress, he is happy to reveal that the plan to rebuild the Kampung Baru weekend market will take off. A ground-breaking ceremony will be held next month and RM100mil has been set aside for the 50-year-old market. Zulhasnan said it was "a gesture of goodwill" to the residents that the Government was fully committed to the healthy development of Kampung Baru, which sits right in the centre of Kuala Lumpur.
The thorny issues surrounding the development of the 153ha Kampung Baru have been well documented. But for Zulhasnan, it is the determination to see the rustic Malay enclave developed into a world-class township - not only for personal sentiments but for the overall development of Kuala Lumpur as a federal territory. "The development of Kampung Baru has been in the making since the 1980s. The major setback is the problem of fragmented land lots and multiple ownerships and the fact that many of the landowners have passed on," he said.
As an assurance to Kampung Baru residents, Zulhasnan reiterates that the Government has proposed to set up the Kampung Baru Development Corporation under the purview of City Hall (DBKL). This would facilitate the development of the village after the Draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2020 (DKLCP2020) has been gazetted under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (2006-2010) to upgrade the infrastructure in Kampung Baru and develop DBKL-owned land there. "Kampung Baru has to be developed by the Government. The landowners will have options to develop their land and they can choose the formula that benefits them - but there must be a right formula for that," he added.
Zulhasnan will be the first to acknowledge that vibrant Kuala Lumpur is not without its share of problems. Besides the main issues of migration, traffic congestion and squatter problems, another social phenomenon prevalent in the city is the mushrooming of illegal hawkers. If left unchecked, it can lead to other problems and tarnish the image of Kuala Lumpur. On this, Zulhasnan said that the ministry has proposed the setting up of the Federal Territories Hawkers and Small Traders Council with a funding of RM1bil to uplift the hawker industry and safeguard the welfare of hawkers.
"It has become a practice, especially during the economic slowdown when people lose jobs or need to supplement their income, for them to see hawking as a preferred way out," he said. "A proper and systematic approach is needed to uplift the image of hawkers in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan. Hawkers form an important part of the nation's economy. The ministry and DBKL have identified 18,000 business lots to relocate hawkers operating on road shoulders and pedestrian walkways," he said.
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