PETALING JAYA: A Briefing hosted by the Petaling Jaya City Council here yesterday on the development of Universiti Malaya's health metropolis in Section 12 was fiery with residents turning up in full force to voice their objections.

More than 200 residents from Section 12 and satellite neighbourhoods linked by Jalan Universiti, such as Section 5, Section 6, Section 7, Section 10 and Section 11 attended the briefing.

They were so vocal that when Universiti Malaya Vice-Chancellor Tan Sri Dr Ghauth Jasmon spoke, his voice was drowned out by residents' protests.

Residents complained that Jalan Universiti was already beset with traffic and illegal parking problems, and could not support another large-scale development.

Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas, who walked out with 100 residents half an hour into the session, said residents did not want to live beside a hospital.

Councillor Lee Suet Sen, the de-facto chairman of the session, had to urge residents to calm down.

Puchong member of parliament Gobind Singh Deo, also a resident, said the zoning of the neighbourhood as a low density residential zone under RTPJ 1 has to be followed, as provided by the law.

Section 12 resident David Teo called on UM to relocate the project, adding that it could build the facility within its campus by demolishing a number of hostel blocks.

N. Ganesh, 48, claimed UM was practising double standards after his suggestion to use the campus' green lung of 81ha as an alternative to Section 12's 5ha parcel of land was rejected by Ghauth.

Ghauth was only allowed to reply to a few questions from residents. UM Holdings Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk David Chua took over after cooler heads prevailed, one and a half hours into the session.

Chua said the metropolis proposed at the site would be 12 storeys high, and would include two towers, a hotel for patients' relatives and visiting doctors as well as basement parking.

He dismissed claims of commercialisation, adding that the shopping arcade would only house pharmacies, florists and food and beverage outlets.

Asked about the traffic congestion, Chua said that the project was within the economic transformation plan and the government has given its commitment to building MRT stations around the hub and on campus.

The university is also planning to build an additional 3,700 parking lots in University Malaya Medical Centre and the metropolis to ease the congestion.

Chua also did not rule out development of UM's massive residential land bank in Section 16.

Ghauth said the university also planned to build apartments to house workers on a parcel opposite Eastin Hotel, here.

He added that the metropolis was more or less an extension of their specialist wing, meant for their doctors to practise on a private basis.

"This is an issue of talent retention. We do not want our doctors to leave to the private sector.

"We can't compete with private hospitals, which can offer specialists between RM50,000 and RM100,000 a month. But we can give them a platform to earn a little extra."

source:MJNnews