View Full Version : KLCityscape:Hi-Rises back in fashion!?
Berjaya Times Square is a mammoth RM1.9bn, 6.8 million square feet commercial development which includes retail, leisure and entertainment, hotel and service suites. It will also be flanked by two 47-storey towers topped by a helipad. Touted to be Asia's largest inner-city shopping-cum-leisure mall. It comprises 2,000,000 sq ft of retail space, 800 dual frontage Atrium shops, 12 anchor tenants, an indoor theme park complete with Asia's longest indoor roller coaster, Asia's largest indoor water theme park, an extreme sports arena (skateboarding, rock climbing), a 56-lane bowling alley, 50 cafes, bistros and restaurants and 8 cinemas (MGMUA). This would also be one of the largest buildings in the world, situated on a 12.7 acre (5.08 ha) site, housing six complementary buildings in a single structure with a built-up area of 7.5 mn sq ft. Soaring 203m/666ft above the city, Berjaya Times Square is located on Jalan Imbi in the heart of KL's shopping district (Bukit Bintang).
Berjaya Times Square KL (http://www.timessquarekl.com)
Great project. Bangkok will also have a similar super project like this called "Siam Paragon."
Wow! I think it's extremely large - you can see how big it is in their construction page.
Does the Siam Paragon have the tower on top of the shopping mall? I don't think so... But the Siam Paragon looks more fantanstic in terms of its design and variety of space usage.
Siam Paragon will surely be great with it's fountains and gardens and not forgetting it's great architecture just like Suria KLCC has... having Great Malls will really boost the economy and tourism sector...
(The Star 29/8/2003)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s capital city is set to make a national as well as a world record tomorrow by being the largest-lit city at any one time.
At the stroke of 7pm, some 100 buildings in the city will be lighted up simultaneously, ahead of the countdown event that will be held at the Dataran Merdeka here for the National Day celebrations.
Tourism Malaysia said National Day eve this year promises to be a spectacular affair with events scheduled from 5pm to midnight when the nation enters its 46th year of independence.
The bid by Kuala Lumpur City Hall to enter the Malaysia Book of Records and the Guinness Book of World Records will be among the record-breaking attempts that will make it an exciting event.
About 30 minutes before the city lights up, 18-year-old Jayabarathi Letchemanah, daughter of ’Mighty Man’ R. Letchemanah, will attempt to pull 4.8 tonnes of TD2000 vintage cars with her hair along Jalan Raja, opposite the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
Her feat would enter the national record book as the “Female Pulling the Heaviest Weight.”
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his deputy Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and their wives are expected to arrive at Dataran Merdeka at 10.45pm, before the start of a record-breaking harmonica concert.
The 20-minute show by 460 harmonica players is an attempt to enter the Malaysia Book of Records as “The Most Number of Harmonica Players Performing At Any One Time.”
After the concert, Dr Mahathir will receive 100 achievers whose names have been entered in the record books, including Datuk Malik Mydin who recently became the first Malaysian to swim the English Channel and singer Siti Nurhaliza, the recording artiste with the most number of awards.
Tourism Malaysia said in a statement, the National Day countdown celebrations will also feature cultural dances as well as performances by local artistes Too Phat, Datuk Sharifah Aini, Ogy Ahmad Daud and Rem.
As in previous years, Dr Mahathir will lead the countdown and proclaim ‘Merdeka’ seven times at the stroke of midnight.
The Star 05/09/2003
KUALA LUMPUR: The Twin Towers Mooncake, standing at 6.17m in front of the Sungei Wang Plaza here is an attempt to get recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the tallest mooncake twin towers in the world.
Weighing 3,083kg and costing RM60,000, the mooncake has already been acknowledged by the Malaysia Book of Records (MBR) as the tallest of its kind in the country.
The towers which are made up of 128 layers of mooncake, with each layer measuring up to 12.7cm in height and 60.9cm in diameter, are made up of eight types of flavours: red lotus, green tea, durian, pandan, red bean, coffee, chocolate and mixed nuts.
The towers took eight hours to make and were completed by a 50-member team led by master chef Kong Tong Wah at 4am yesterday.
MBR representative Chery Heng said that the towers stood a good chance of creating a new world record. She said the current record for the tallest mooncake was 2.1m high.
Transport Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy, who inspected the completed towers yesterday, said they were another creative effort by the Bukit Bintang MCA division, which had broken the record for the longest and largest mooncakes in the past two years.
“These towers not only symbolise the country’s development, but also its diverse traditions with the Lantern Festival being an important festival that brings people together as well as attracts tourists to the country,” he said.
Deputy Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said on Wednesday that the Twin Towers Mooncake was also a tribute to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“As Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir has contributed immensely to the development of the country and it was his vision to build the tallest buildings in the world – The Petronas Twin Towers.
“When tourists come to the country or when they hear the word ‘Malaysia’, the first thing that comes to their mind is our twin towers,” he said.
Today’s Lantern Festival 2003, themed “Unity Towards Nation-Building,” will start at 5pm with entertainment and will be followed by a procession at 8pm from KL Plaza to Century Hotel via Jalan Alor and end at a stage set up in front of Sungei Wang Plaza.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is expected to join the procession from the halfway point at Federal Hotel.
Tomorrow morning, the mooncake towers will be cut into about 16,000 pieces and sold for RM5 per piece, and the proceeds will go to St John Ambulance Selangor (South Central) and the Pemegang Amanah Yayasan Kebajikan SSL Haemodialysis Berdaftar.
The festival is organised by the Bukit Bintang MCA division and co-organised by the National MCA Youth Social Development Bureau.
The Star is the event's media sponsor.
The stretch of Jalan Sultan Ismail directly in front of Sungei Wang Plaza will be closed to traffic today until 6am tomorrow.
Dear Ijud,
with all due respect, but can you please tell us what the #$@%& does an article about the World's biggest cake have to do with a forum centered on mass transit and construction projects??? I mean, the focus is certainly very wide, spanning to politics and culture and who knows what else, and I wouldn't want to exclude anything a priori, but who is interested in this, sorry, NONSENSIC story? What's the point?
I guess everyone enjoyed your posts about the KL monorail and other similar things. It's nice to get such information about neighbour countries like Malaysia.
But with a post like the above one (or also "KL aims to be brightest capital", which is similar), you see that you don't get any replies, apart from mine. Because what could you possibly reply to these articles? But this sort of interaction is the idea behind a forum.
Please understand, I am not talking about censure here. I am just saying that every member should carefully think if his/her idea is really worth being made public, if others can gain anything from it, before indulging in extensive posting. (By the way, making shallow jokes about AIDS isn't exactly a valuable contribution either, Peter.)
I think it's a good time for us to reflect about the purpose of this forum at this point, one month after its start. IMO, the purpose CANNOT be to copy and paste every newspaper article and info tidbit that you come across into new forum threads, just to make a record number of posts, or whatever reason. At least not without additional comments. And especially not articles about silly records initated solely for government propaganda and boosting national pride; sorry, that's how I see it - "Transport Minister Datuk Chan Kong Choy, who inspected the completed towers yesterday,......" - a transport minister inspects a cake?! What the f..... is that?
The forum as I see it should primarily be used to:
-post your own thoughts, ideas and opinions;
-comment on things found in the media, raise questions, post polls and ask others for their opinion;
-ask other people for information they might have; and
-make insider information available to others if you are able to do so.
Again, please don't take this personally. This is not about decrying anyone. It's just a piece of advice and food for thought. I think the members of this forum are all intelligent, well-mannered people who should be able to treat each other with respect and to discuss things in a facts-based, reasonable way. Prior threads have shown that, I think. I myself am open to justified criticism as well. I also make mistakes, of course. (I also made quite a lot of posts, but I dare say they had some substance to them at least.)
Cheers.
Greetings ncr,
Thanks a million for your reply... I really likes people who give feedback about me... be it negative or positive as it really can gear myself to become a better person (I hope). :D
First, I'd like to stressed out that the sub-topic of the forum regarding Malaysia is 'News from our neighbors'. That would be any interesting NEWS and it has not been specifically focused on anything as refered on the sub-topic such as the Mass Transit or Skyscraper.
I just post this news because I see it interesting to share with everyone. It just doesn't bring any harm to anyone! Maybe you are not interested in this topic but someone else does. There are kinds of people in the planet with different interests. BTW I'm just wondering... are the Thai Gem Scam, the APEC Summit and the V-1 Immunitor relates to the mass transit and construction projects?
I'm not posting those news to just doubling or quadrupling my posts count. I just don't see any reason to fight for post count even though I have the strong spirit of 'Malaysia Boleh'! To win a Ferrari or Porsche :cool: maybe?! FYI they called upon Datuk Chan Kong Choy to inspect those moon cake towers are not because he's a Transport Minister but because he's a Chinese and he's the President of the Malaysia Chinese Accociation (MCA). It just shows that people needs to read a lot to gain more knowledge and not just to 'boom' guessing here and there!
But then again by becoming a forumers does not mean that we are forced to reply or give comments. We have the freedom... just want to read it for the sake of information or we want to give our views... it's our choice. So it doesn't mean a thread with no reply are useless and non-informational.
I hope there's no hard feelings as it's not good for the society and all of us!
Best Regards,
Ijud
cityrain
13-09-03, 09:58 AM
I'm glad Ijud is trying to contribute something interesting to the forum... but ncr does have good info on the nature of what forums should be. At this point as the forum is getting started, any interesting news is appreciated to get people started talking. While 2Bangkok.com has a lot about transport and infrastructure, it has also always included anything 'interesting' and anything not covered elsewhere (no matter what the subject)... We can keep creating sub-forums to keep subjects on track if necessary.
Thank you cityrain for your understanding and support ! For sure I do agree what ncr said about how a forum should be... Thanks again to you all !
Ijud and cityrain,
Thanks for your feedback. No, there are certainly no "hard feelings"! After all, I just wanted to point something out and make a proposal for future posts.
And let me state again that I don't intend to prevent anyone from posting anything on this forum, or 'flame' them for doing so afterwards. I agree that almost anything could possibly be of interest to others, and any topic fits into the 2bangkok forum anyway. (Though I still think this cake story is just plain childish, but that's my personal view of course!)
Maybe we can stick to the following: When posting press articles, let's not just put them there as they are, without any personal comment. That's not a good kind of forum participation, IMO. We should at least provide some introduction to external information, just as Ron does on the main page. If you don't, others might well wonder what is the significance of that article, what YOU want to say by posting this piece of information.
So for example, Ijud, you could have written, "I found the following article in the 'Star' and think it is interesting because........; it shows this and that.......", make additional comments and/or give background information, like you explained later: what is the MCA? People outside Malaysia don't have a clue about that.
Hi ncr,
It's okay ncr... it's just your point of view that the cake story is a plain childish or whatever but for Malaysians it's a history for us to break the world record.
As for your guidelines on 'How to post a news clippings in a forum'... I'll definately try to follow it next time... BTW thanks for your support and guidence... I really appreciate it! :D
Singapore Business Times: 7th October 2004
WORK on Malaysia's second-tallest building is set to resume as part of the government's drive to help revive some of the property projects halted by the regional financial crisis six years ago.
But plans for the world's longest building - a 2.4 km monster perched on stilts along the muddy Klang River - will remain on the drawing board.
Topping the list of 28 stalled projects that will be revived is Plaza Rakyat, a minister told BT.
Work on the RM1.7 billion (S$757 million) project - jointly developed by Sarawak tycoon Ting Pek Khiing's Wembley Industries and KL City Hall - ground to a halt in the late 1990s due to financing woes.
The developers originally wanted to build a 77-storey office block and retail podium with more than 6 million sq ft of space next to a dilapidated bus terminal in KL's Pudu area. Plaza Rakyat would have been Malaysia's second-tallest building after the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, the world's second-tallest building after Taipei 101.
The total floor space in the original blueprint of Plaza Rakyat is equivalent to four times the size of KLCC Suria mall next to Petronas Twin Towers. Or looked at another way, Plaza Rakyat is about six times the size of Suntec City mall in Singapore.
The government is urging developers to complete stalled projects to help improve KL's skyline.
'We are interested in helping these developers identify key problems and ensuring the projects will not be abandoned and become an eyesore,' Federal Territories Minister Isa Samad told The Star newspaper.
Five developers have agreed to convert commercial projects into residential ones and say they are confident of completing them if the authorities agree to a change of status. The developers have collectively invested RM1.2 billion in the 28 projects.
'It's up to them what they want to develop, as long as they focus on their scope and do a market study to determine viability,' Mr Isa said.
But one headline-grabbing project that won't be revived in its original form is GigaWorld, also known as KL Linear city.
The mixed-use project - planned by Vincent Tan of Berjaya Group and David Chew of KL Monorail - was frozen by the government when it moved to stem the import of big-ticket items to ease pressure on the current account during the crisis years.
jpatokal
08-10-04, 11:01 PM
So that's what this monstrosity is:
http://jpatokal.iki.fi/photo/travel/Malaysia/KualaLumpur/Building_AbandonedSite.JPG
Picture taken from KL Tower a few years back, note the monorail track in the background. But six times the size of Suntec City in a city as (comparatively) small as KL is just ridiculous... how's occupancy in Berjaya Time Square these days?
And speaking of abandoned sites in KL, what's the big lunk on Jalan Ampang between the Bukit Nanas & Dang Wangi stations?
Yuppz... that's Plaza Rakyat... and it's Starline on the background not monorail... the station is operational already... I think it's to massive too... even Mid Valley Megamall has started it's second phase which will double the comercial, office and hotel space... Sunway Pyramid also started it's second phase to double it's capacity also... 1 Utama shopping centre has just launched it's second phase dubbed 1 Utama 2... Subang Parade is also having a major upgrade to extend it's capacity... at the end of this year a new shopping complex called The Curve located near 1 Utama, next to Ikano Power Center Shopping Centre and Asia's Largest Ikea will be open also...
More and more shops are opening at the Times Square but not at it's upper levels yet...
The dunk you are referring to is Grand Duta Hayatt izit?? It is one of the project that will be revived!! :D
BGroup’s IMAX theatre opens next month
By Doreen Leong
Berjaya Times Square Sdn Bhd (BTS) is opening Kuala Lumpur’s first IMAX theatre with the largest movie screen in Southeast Asia in early December. The theatre was built at a cost of RM20 million.
The DiGi IMAX Theatre will be housed in the Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur. It has a seating capacity of 555 and a 21m-high by 29m-wide screen that is capable of showing both 2D and IMAX 3D films. DiGi customers in the Klang Valley will be the first to experience the IMAX technology when they watch the 3D-premier of “Polar Express” on Dec 2.
IMAX is the world leader in large format entertainment and is recognised as the world’s best cinematic experience. The theatre uses IMAX’s 15/70 film format, which is ten times larger than the conventional 35mm film.
DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd is paying RM2 million for its sponsorhip of the IMAX theatre for two years, offering its subscribers privileges and discounted ticket prices.
DiGi Telecommunications yesterday signed the sponsorship agreement with BTS subsidiary Cosmo’s World Theme Park Sdn Bhd.
“DiGi has always been very focused on providing services that meet the lifestyle needs of our customers. Our partnership with Berjaya Times Square today allows us to be associated with IMAX to further enhance our ability to reward our loyal customers through entertainment related services,” DiGi’s head of marketing & strategy Peter Tay said at the DiGi-IMAX signing ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25.
The Edge: 10th. December 2004
Rolls-Royce is setting up a new regional office in Malaysia to meet growing demand in the rapidly expanding naval marine market in Asia, says the company.
It said the new regional manager, Arnaud Ayral, would be based at its office in Kuala Lumpur, leading a team providing product and service solutions to its naval customers across Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
"He will oversee business operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines," it said in a statement.
Nick Baker, Rolls-Royce international sales director - naval marine said: "This region represents a very strategic naval marine market for Rolls-Royce and the new office and senior appointment reflect our confidence in the growth potential of the region."
"Arnaud has successfully strengthened the company's presence in numerous countries by boosting customer service, creating structures that better support long-term growth and by exceeding operational requirements of Rolls-Royce product operators.
"His new role will focus on providing even stronger customer support and offering swift turnkey, long-term solutions for current and future customer requirements," he said.
Arnaud has previously worked in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
"This is an exciting time for Rolls-Royce, with a rapidly growing presence in Asia. We are currently supplying many of the region's navies, coastguards and operators in both the commercial and private sectors," said Arnaud.
He said the new operation offered closer proximity to Rolls-Royce's customer base and the ability to more effectively capitalise on the considerable commercial opportunities in the region.
Rolls-Royce, whose annual sales total nearly six billion pound, operates in four global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy. More than 50% of its annual sales are service revenues. It now has an order book of more than 19 billion pound.
The company now has a total of 54,000 gas turbines in service worldwide. It has energy customers in nearly 120 countries.
Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base of over 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces and more than 2,000 marine customers, including 50 navies.
It employs about 35,000 people, of which 21,000 are in the UK. About 45% of its employees are based outside the UK, including 5,000 in continental Europe and 8,000 in North America. More on Rolls-Royce, visit www.rolls-royce.com
mrtfreak
05-02-05, 03:12 PM
i caught the polar express 3D at the imax. wasn't extraordinary or anything. mostly, i go to times square to oogle at the roller coaster and comment how i'd throw up on it. :p
The Star: 12th Dec 2005
Drive-through toll collection by 2008
BY CHRISTINA KOH
SUNGAI SIPUT: Motorists will be able to travel on expressways without having to stop to pay toll, when the gantry toll collection system is implemented.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said that under the system, used in countries like France and Australia, the start and end of the journey would be electronically recorded when a motorist passed under a gantry. “Payment would automatically be deducted through a prepaid card kept in the vehicle,” he added.
The system will be introduced in the Klang Valley first and motorists can look forward to uninterrupted travel by 2008. In other parts of the country, it would be introduced in stages.
“Several highway concessionaires in the Klang Valley expressed support when I broached the idea recently,” he said.
The concessionaires and the Malaysian Highway Authority are expected to discuss the system next week.
Samy Vellu said the gantry toll collection system would solve the problem of traffic congestion at the tolls, especially during weekends.
“For instance, it would be possible to travel from Bukit Kayu Hitam to Johor Baru without ever needing to stop.
“You only need to pay at Johor Baru,” he told reporters after giving away 250 Christmas hampers to the poor here yesterday.
Samy Vellu said the Government would first have to amend existing laws and propose new ones for Parliament to approve the collecting of toll through the gantry system.
He also noted that the highways would, in future, have cameras and equipment to monitor motorists who broke the law.
“By the time you reach Kuala Lumpur from Ipoh, for instance, we would be able to tell how many laws you’ve broken.
“With these cameras, an offender could have his face and car number plate photographed.
“This would reduce accidents.”
Why not just call it a People's Highway?! Pretentious megalomania!:cool: :
KL-Putrajaya 'Protocol Highway' opens in January
BERNAMA
KUALA LUMPUR, THURSDAY
The Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Highway, the main route for VIPs and dignitaries plying between the federal and administrative capitals, will open in January.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the 26km highway, also known as “protocol highway” will provide yet another alternative to road users from here to the Putrajaya federal administrative centre and back.
The highway will also help ease congestion, especially on the North-South Expressway to Seremban, near the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Sungai Besi, said the MIC president to reporters after appearing on TV3’s “Malaysia Hari Ini” programme in conjunction with Deepavali today.
The minister said toll rates for the new highway have not been decided yet as it has to be discussed in the cabinet first.
“I may announce the rates in the next few days,” he said.
The RM1.4 billion highway from Kampung Pandan roundabout to Putrajaya, whose construction started on Dec 6, 2004, is slated for completion on Dec 5.
...........
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/NewsBreak/20071108130234/Article/index_html
Rainwater harvesting a new requirement for housing projects
BERNAMA
PETALING JAYA, FRI:
The government plans to require future housing schemes to be equipped with rainwater harvesting system, which can substantially reduce the use of treated water.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said today the government was looking at the existing by-laws and studying the means to implement the requirement.
Rainwater could be used to water plants, wash cars and for flushing toilets, which would tremendously reduce the dependence on treated water, he said when launching the “My Park” corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme at Taman Perbandaran Kelana Jaya here.
“We have discussed with professional bodies. We are going to sit down and talk again on how and when to do it. This matter cannot be too drastic, not immediately, as we need to give enough time for everyone, especially the developers,” he said.
He said that although some amount of cost would be involved in the installation of the system the returns would be greater as, in the long run, the people would be conserving water.
“Water is valuable. Don’t take it for granted although the water bill is still low now,” he said.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/NewsBreak/20071123160948/Article/index_html
And perhaps yet another means to keep an eye on the population, to prevent them getting any strange notions of freedom!:;)
PETALING JAYA: An end to congestion caused by toll booths? Yes, says Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.
Samy Vellu said the government planned to do away with toll booths by the end of next year. However, toll will still be collected.
Toll booths will be replaced by the Multi Lane Free Flow Gantry System. Implementation of the gantry system will begin next March.
Samy Vellu said at a press conference: "The system will help alleviate traffic congestion as it will replace toll booths, which are the main cause of traffic jams in the Klang Valley."
Under the system, toll charges will be deducted electronically as special tag-bearing vehicles pass gantry bars mounted with sensors at strategic points along the toll highways.
Each motorist would have to subscribe to a device which will relay information to a Central Clearing House (CCH) which in turn will remit the toll charges to the various highway concessionaires based on the toll rates.
The CCH would also manage a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) system to monitor road safety and inform the police of errant drivers with a high level of accuracy, he added.
He said the gantry system was expected to be fully operational by the end of next year in the Klang Valley.
..........
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/National/2098813/Article/index_html
2007/12/07
Special highway lane for heavy vehicles proposed
SHAH ALAM: Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu wants a designated special lane for heavy vehicles such as lorries along the North-South Expressway.
He said he intended to propose this once work to extend the highway to three lanes is completed.
“The third lane is being built from Seremban to Ayer Keroh and from Rawang to Slim River,” he said after the ground-breaking for the Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway at Section 24 here yesterday.
He said heavy vehicles should only use the designated lane which could also be used by other vehicles. The move was to reduce problems like road-hogging caused by heavy vehicles on fast lanes.
Work on the new three-lane Kemuning-Shah Alam Expressway had begun and the RM850 million dual carriageway highway is expected to be completed in August 2009.
It will be a high-speed link connecting the Kesas Highway and the Federal Highway and will reduce traffic congestion between Kota Kemuning and Shah Alam, as it provides an alternative route for road users.
“Since many development projects are taking place in the Shah Alam area, the number of car users will double and we need to manage traffic properly,” he said.
The concessionaire, Projek Lintasan Shah Alam Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), will manage two toll plazas on the highway.
Prolintas chairman Tan Sri Datuk Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said with Shah Alam’s tremendous development, the highway would provide additional capacity to cater for high traffic volume.
...........
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20071207081003/Article/index_html
Expressway boasts good links
http://www.nst.com.my/Monday/National/2116548/insidepix1
[Map: NST]
KUALA LUMPUR: It has been two years since its completion but many motorists are still shying away from the Guthrie Corridor Expressway.
The company running the expressway believes the reason behind this is simple -- many are unaware that the expressway is connected to major road networks.
As a result, motorists from Shah Alam to Rawang and vice versa are using other routes, which are longer and more congested.
"It's a 15-minute drive from Shah Alam to Rawang but many are bypassing the expressway because they are not aware of its accessibility," said Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd group chief executive officer Zainudin A. Kadir.
The company, fully owned by Permodalan Nasional Berhad, took over the open-toll system expressway from Guthrie Corridor Expressway Sdn Bhd five months ago.
Users of the 25km expressway pay a RM1.40 toll at three places -- Jelutong, Elmina and Lagong.
Briefing reporters recently, Zainudin said the company had started a promotion to educate motorists on the benefits of the GCE.
He said motorists heading south or those going to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang from the north could also use the GCE.
"They will find their journey quicker and congestion-free."
About 50,000 vehicles use the expressway daily and the company is aiming for 60,000 in two years.
The three-lane expressway costs RM862 million, with nine interchanges, three of them in the Jelutong area, Bukit Subang, Elmina, Paya Jaras, Kuang, Lagong and Rawang.
It has dedicated motorcycle lanes and connects with the North Klang Valley Expressway in Subang and the North-South Expressway in Rawang.
Zainudin said toll charges at the GSE would remain at RM1.40 till 2011.
"There will be no increase although the government has allowed some concessionaires to impose new toll charges next year."
Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd is also the developer of the Ampang-KL Elevated Highway and the Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway, which will be ready in 2009.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/2116548/Article/index_html
December 24, 2007 21:19 PM
Kuwait Finance Says It Has No Plans To Build Malaysia's Tallest Building
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Investment bank, Kuwait Finance House today denied reports that it is involved in the establishment of Malaysia's proposed tallest building.
In a statement here today, the investment bank said it was also not aware of the project.
It was responding to local media reports last month that it would jointly develop a building with a local bank, that would overtake the Petronas Twin Towers which is currently the tallest in the country.
The bank was earlier reported saying that the joint-venture with the property arm of the local bank had been approved and work would begin next year.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Why not the "tallest in the World"? :rolleyes:
January 31, 2008 00:30 AM
Merdeka Stadium Restoration To Be Ready Middle Of Next Year
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- The Merdeka Stadium will have its original look when it was built more than 50 years ago when restoration work on the stadium is fully completed in the middle of next year.
To date, 70 per cent of the overall restoration process had been completed, said Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, the chairman of the Merdeka Heritage Trust Foundation, which is responsible for managing the stadium.
"We have decided to complete the restoration work so that the stadium will have almost 100 per cent of its original look when it was completed in 1957," he told reporters after launching the book "Malaya: 500 Early Postcards" at the Malaysia Heritage Trust, here Wednesday.
Ahmad Sarji, who is also the president of the Malaysia Heritage Trust, called on members of the public to donate whatever they could to the Malaysia Heritage Trust which was set up by Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).
The construction of the Merdeka Stadium, which was mooted by the first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, was completed in August 1957 at a cost of RM2.3 million, and was used for the declaration of the country's independence on Aug 31, 1957.
-- BERNAMA
Non-specific link:
http://www.bernama.com.my/
Work on new highway to begin
By : M.K. Megan
KUALA LUMPUR: The construction of the much-awaited South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) from Pulau Indah to Nilai will start in a few weeks.
Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said an agreement with the bankers and the contractors was scheduled in two weeks.
"The finer details of the loan from the bank and the amount the company has to fork out will be discussed and an agreement will be signed in two weeks," he said.
In July last year, it was announced that a RM1.1 billion contract had been awarded to build the SKVE.
The expressway will also connect the Damansara Puchong Highway (LDP) interchange to Pulau Indah.
Samy Vellu, however, declined to name the company hired to do the job and the amount involved in the construction of the expressway.
The expressway would stretch for 40km from Pulau Indah and pass through Pulau Carey and Cyberjaya.
It was also reported that the contracted period to complete construction of the expressway is 42 months.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/2150732/Article/index_html
Perhaps short for 'Dug Under My Backyard'.
That Said ..... I have a great deal of sympathy with people who find it almost impossible to get their own cars out of the garage/carport because shortcutting non-local motorists are too damn lazy and arrogant to drive at a sensible speed, and with respect for other roadusers, in a built-up area. It happens here all the time. (It is so much of a racetrack, that you have to wait for hours-on-end to walk across your own street - which is not supposed to be a primary route - to a shop that's only a spitting distance away from hime.):
Friday May 9, 2008
Residents want tunnel closed
By TAN KARR WEI
A TUNNEL built to provide a shortcut in Ara Damansara is being blamed for causing traffic nightmares to Taman Megah Mas residents.
The residents want the tunnel closed as they said it was causing them great inconvenience.
According to Taman Megah Mas pro tem committee treasurer Marvin Chan, 27, the tunnel was initially built to accommodate the construction of the Kelana Jaya LRT depot.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/5/9/central/m_04megah2.jpg
[All Photos: The Star - Busy road: There is a high volume of traffic coming in and out of the tunnel everyday.]
“It was closed for awhile but the road reopened around 2001 when people started to move into Ara Damansara,” Chan said.
The road served as a toll-free alternative between Ara Damansara and the LDP.
“Cars would block the whole road, causing a jam all the way onto the LDP. It gets worse if it rains because the tunnel would be flooded and cars would get stuck,” Chan said.
http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/5/9/central/m_04megah1.jpg
[Frustrated: Residents complain that it is very difficult for them to get out of their houses because motorists just won’t give way.]
He said the high volume of traffic would be a danger to children and senior citizens in the area.
Chan said several cars were broken into and the tunnel was an easy getaway for the thieves.
Joseph Goh, 32, said it was difficult to drive out of his house because motorists simply would not give way.
“Even when I'm inching out slowly, drivers would sound their horns,” he said.
According to Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) public relations officer Zainun Zakaria, the tunnel would remain open for the time being.
“We will also open the other connecting road in front of the FAS (Selangor Football Association) field and study the traffic situation before taking further action,” she said.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/5/9/central/21193092&sec=central
See also thread on KL's SMART Tunnel:
http://www.angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/forum/showthread.php?t=2387
3,500 Wi-Fi 'hot spots' for KL
By Roziana Hamsawi
Published: 2008/05/13
THERE will be 3,500 hot spots for wireless Internet access in Kuala Lumpur by the end of 2009, Federal Territory Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique said yesterday.
This will be made possible under the Wireless@KL project, a RM60 million project to be funded by the government and a private company.
Internet access will be free for two years from the day the user registers. From then on, users must pay for the service.
The minister said this to reporters after the launch of the project in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. This year, it promises 1,500 Internet access points around the city.
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Tuesday/Nation/onlain.xml/Article/
Thursday May 22, 2008
Copies of KL Plan selling well
By CHRISTINA LOW
HARDLY a week after the launching of the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020, copies of the plan are fast disappearing as residents and developers queue up to buy them.
According to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) master plan department town planner Zamri Mohd Saharin, close to 3,000 visitors have dropped in at the DBKL office to view the plan, with many buying copies of the plan.
The two-volume master plan set is priced at RM150 for the English version and RM120 for the Bahasa Malaysia version. Another volume on the Kampung Baru Plan is only available in Bahasa Malaysia and is priced at RM50 per copy.
Officers at the sales counter said more than 600 sets of the master plan had been sold so far, mostly the English version.
Zamri said that most of the visitors were keen to know the future development of their residential area and also wanted to check on the city’s land bank.
He said the response to the draft plan was encouraging although it was still fairly low at present.
“We expect to see an increase in response and reaction after about three weeks when the people had studied the plan thoroughly,” Zamri said.
For details on the exhibition areas and information on the draft plans, visit:
http://klcityplan2020.dbkl.gov.my/index.html
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/5/22/central/21311178&sec=central
Wednesday May 28, 2008
KL reaches for the skies, approval granted for several new superstructures
Stories by YIP YOKE TENG
The skyline of Kuala Lumpur is to set change dramatically and significantly in the near future.
Several superstructures of over 50-storeys high will soon join the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower to dwarf other high-rise buildings in the city centre.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) town planning director Mahadi Che Ngah has confirmed that the DBKL had approved several superstructures comprising office blocks, hotels and serviced apartments.
According to Mahadi, a skyscraper soaring to about 60 storeys has been approved as an extension to the Petronas Twin Towers. It will be located next to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
The pricey plot near Suria KLCC will also be the site for the Four Seasons Centre Kuala Lumpur, with its tallest building standing at 70 storeys.
It is touted to be a mixed development comprising a Four Seasons hotel, serviced apartments, luxury condominiums and retail outlets.
KL Sentral is also expected to have a structure towering at about 60 storeys.
Another skyscraper to loom over Stadium Merdeka at about 40-storeys tall has also been approved in principle. It is learnt that this will be part of a privatisation project by the government.
Mahadi said two other projects with 30-storey structures were waiting for their development orders.
On talks that a 100-storey skyscraper would be erected near the Matrade centre, bordering Jalan Kuching and Jalan Duta, Mahadi said it was merely an enquiry.
He said no plan or application had been submitted on the so-called project and it was too early to say that Kuala Lumpur would have another building taller than the Twin Towers.
“High-rise projects in Kuala Lumpur have to abide by height guidelines.
“They cannot just follow the fancy of the landowners. These developers have been well informed of the policies in the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020, draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 and other planning regulations,” he said.
“The height of the buildings is related to land value, the more expensive the land, the higher the buildings but we still need to look into other aspects like road systems and public transport,” Mahadi said.
According to Mahadi, commercial zones are categorised as city centre, district centre and neighbourhood centre, to control development intensity.
The city centre commercial zone has the highest range of permissible plot ratio of up to 1:10. Plot ratio refers to the ratio of land area and floor area.
Superstructures can only be allowed in the city centre commercial zone, which is largely around the KLCC area, as well as other areas designated for the purpose such as KL Sentral and Mid Valley.
“This means that if a developer wants to erect a very tall building in an area outside the city centre commercial zone, it has to make sure there is a large span of green in the surroundings,” Mahadi said.
He advised the public to study the draft KL City Plan 2020 carefully to check on the development intensity proposed for the different areas.
“Some plans have been committed decades ago and the DBKL will have to follow up on these commitments.
“If land owners and residents think that these plans are no longer feasible, or they will suffer losses if the plans proceed, now is the time for them to register their objections,” he said.
The Draft KL City Plan objective is to turn Kuala Lumpur into a world-class city by 2020.
The plan states that “to achieve the vision for a world-class city by 2020, Kuala Lumpur needs an optimum population that supports the city’s role as a leading centre of the new economy”.
Kuala Lumpur is positioned to have a population of 2.2 million, up from the 1.5 million now by 2020, with a population density of 13,805 people per sq km in the city centre, similar to the population density of the busiest areas in Tokyo.
According to town planners interviewed by StarMetro, this demography is inconsistent with the National Physical Plan that advocates sustainable living in the city.
In fact, the physical plan’s objective is to slightly decrease the gross urban density of 29 people per hectare (2,900 people per sq km) to 25 per hectare.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/5/28/central/21353804&sec=central
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