Residents up in arms over plans to turn nursery spot into vehicle graveyard
A wave of deep concern has swept through the Bandar Utama BU11 neighborhood following reports that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) intends to convert a local community green lung into a transit depot for abandoned vehicles.
The issue has ignited urgent mobilization from Bomba Komuniti Bandar Utama and concerned residents, who are demanding immediate intervention and transparency from their elected representatives.
The proposed project has similarly sparked deep concerns among neighboring residents in Mutiara Tropicana, whose homes sit directly adjacent to the affected site.
A History of Demolition, Debris, and Neglect
According to affected residents, this latest controversy follows a long, exhausting saga for the community. The site previously housed 40 active nurseries that had been operating for nearly 20 years.
However, the entire area was demolished in December 2025 and subsequently left abandoned.
For five to six months, the site sat covered in shattered debris and filled with waterlogged pools, turning the vacant plot into a severe health and safety hazard. Residents point out that leaving a massive, demolished site completely neglected for half a year—directly adjacent to residential neighborhoods—is highly irresponsible of the authorities.
It was only on May 22, 2026, that clearing work finally began, but by then, the damage had already been done, as local dengue cases had already spiked significantly—a timeline residents firmly attribute to this prolonged municipal neglect.
The Core Issue: Green Lung vs. Vehicle Dump
Following those months of neglect, two separate MBPJ-appointed contractors spent significant time and effort over the past few weeks clearing and maintaining the area.
The sudden revelation that this freshly preserved green space might now be transformed into a vehicle dump has left both communities blindsided.
Residents argue that turning a neighborhood green lung into a storage yard for abandoned cars entirely undoes the hard work recently spent by these two contractors to remediate and preserve the area’s natural environment.
A Ticking Time Bomb for Public Health
Suburban neighborhoods on both sides of the site boundary are raising a massive red flag over the impending public health risks.
Having already survived a spike in dengue cases from the initial post-demolition waterlogged pools, residents are terrified of history repeating itself on a larger scale.
During a community teh tarik session held on June 17, 2026, members of Bomba Komuniti and local residents highlighted a worrying health metric: a total of 39 dengue cases have been reported near this hotspot since November 2025, comprising 25 cases on the Tropicana side and 14 cases within BU11.
Abandoned vehicles are notorious for trapping rainwater in rusted frames, broken light fixtures, and old tires.
Residents fear that establishing a transit depot directly adjacent to residential zones will not only serve as a visual eyesore and devalue local property, but will create a permanent, sprawling breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes.
With Selangor consistently battling high dengue numbers, the combined communities warn that this project will drastically invite a return of these severe public health risks for BU11, Mutiara Tropicana, and surrounding high-density developments like the Damai Apartments.
Dual Hazards: Technical Fire Risks Under High-Voltage Lines
Beyond the immediate biological threat of a dengue outbreak, the proposed depot introduces severe infrastructure safety hazards.
Amplifying the concerns raised during the physical teh tarik meeting, the Deputy Chairman of the Bandar Utama Residents’ Association (BURA), Ir. BL Tan, an electrical engineer, weighed in via the community’s WhatsApp group to raise critical technical alarms.
The proposed depot sits directly beneath a Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) high-voltage pylon and transmission line grid. Ir. BL Tan pointed out that placing a high-density vehicle storage yard in this specific corridor creates an unsafe environment, particularly concerning the vulnerability of overhead transmission infrastructure to lightning strikes.
Furthermore, he warned of the modern hazards associated with towing and storing abandoned Electric Vehicles (EVs). Should compromised or abandoned EV cars be placed at the depot in the future, the risk of thermal runaway and intense chemical fires directly underneath critical power infrastructure represents a catastrophic safety blind spot that has not been publicly addressed by municipal planners.
Community Mobilization and the Call for Transparency
In response to the compounding health and safety concerns, Bomba Komuniti Bandar Utama and concerned residents have issued an urgent demand to YB Jamaliah Jamaluddin, the ADUN for Bandar Utama and Selangor State Executive Councillor, requesting an immediate, transparent public town-hall meeting.
The combined community stands united in demanding answers. To ensure total transparency and neutrality, residents have compiled below a formal list of questions that they require their local councillor, ADUN, and Member of Parliament (MP) to answer before any development moves forward:
A. The City Council’s (MBPJ) PerspectiveJustification:
What is MBPJ’s specific administrative and logistical justification for choosing this residential green lung site?
Where are they currently storing Petaling Jaya’s abandoned vehicles, and why do they require a new transit depot here?
Project Status:
Is this a finalized project backed by an official development order, or is it currently just a proposal under consideration?
Mitigation Protocols:
Does MBPJ possess a certified plan to prevent mosquito breeding and fire hazards?
Will there be fully roofed structures, regular chemical fogging, and strict protocols to drain fluids and remove EV batteries before vehicles are admitted to the lot?
B. The Elected Representatives’ Official ResponsePublic Consultation:
Why has there been zero public consultation with the surrounding residents of BU11 and Mutiara Tropicana regarding this proposal?
Official Stand:
Has YB Jamaliah Jamaluddin’s office or the MP’s office reviewed this specific municipal plan, and what is their official stance on placing a vehicle dump next to residential homes?
C. Factual Data Verification Dengue Tracking:
How do the 39 localized dengue cases tracked by the community correlate with official data on the iDengue portal or the local district health office (Pejabat Kesihatan Daerah)?
The Nursery Demolition:
What was the exact legal catalyst behind the demolition of the 40 nurseries in December 2025?
Were they operating without permits on government reserve land, or were long-standing temporary occupation licenses (TOL) legally terminated?
Land Zoning Status:
What is the official zoning of this land on the MBPJ Local Plan (RTPJ)? Is it officially gazetted as a “green lung,” or is it utility/infrastructure reserve land that residents have historically maintained as an informal green space?
Status of Engagement and Holding Representatives to Their Word
Residents have voiced their grievances, and the affected neighborhood are still awaiting definitive, urgent clarification from the ADUN’s office.
The community highlights that during the recent Wesak Day observations, YB Jamaliah publicly conveyed that her office will always be there for everyone.
She assured constituents that her team stands ready to process feedback, solve pressing community issues, and engage directly with the Selangor State Government on behalf of the people.
Bandar Utama residents are now calling on her office to honor that pledge by stepping in immediately to organize a formal town hall, bringing municipal accountability to the forefront before any unilateral development decisions are finalized. – June 19, 2026
Jimmy Tan is a veteran community journalist and activist