Bukit Kiara Truly Asia…
Tricky: Some parts of the fence are located on steep slopes which might be difficult to access in case of repair and maintenance work
By Vijenthi Nair, vijenthi@thestar.com.my
Photos by Brian Moh and Henry Goh
The waiting game for Bukit Kiara to be gazetted as a green lung continues.
Although it has been more than three months since a stop-work order was issued to all development work in Bukit Kiara, there has been no news on its green lung status — a cause that Bukit Kiara stakeholders have been fighting for a long time.
There was a public outcry on the damage caused by the construction of a perimeter fencing undertaken by the National Landcape Depart-ment (JLN). The fence was part of a project to demarcate the park.
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung had suggested at a public discussion in Bangunan Bakti on July 31 that Bukit Kiara would be gazetted in phases as part of the land had been leased.
This was to instil confidence among the public that Bukit Kiara would remain a green lung, after the erection of the perimeter fencing had caused rumours of future developments.
Not a viable option: The fence has been damaged by a fallen tree while many trees are also growing very close to the fence
During the session, Chor had also promised to work closely with Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) and other NGOs to repair the damage done by the construction of the perimeter fencing.
Recently, StarMetro revisited Bukit Kiara and found the 3.5m-high fence along a 4.7km stretch was about 80% completed before the project was brought to a halt on July 31.
However, the fence had shown some damage caused by a fallen tree. Other unsightly views included large tree trunks blocking a water outlet and a tarpauline covering a slope with signs of soil erosion.
When contacted, FoBK chairman Liew KhooiCheng said they have been pushing for JLN to remove the fence and the damage was proof that the fence was prone to damage and not a permanent solution to demarcate the park or deter illegal rubber tapping and settlers.
JLN will also have problems maintaining the fence. Some parts of the fence are erected on steep slopes which are prone to erosion due to soil loosen during construction work. New trees have started growing close to the fence.
How will JLN monitor and maintain the fence since the surrounding is unpredictable?” he questioned.
Liew said JLN had called for a meeting on Oct 19 to explain the need for the fence in the presence of organisations that have endorsed the project such as the police, Immigration Department, Land Office and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
However, FoBK remained insistent that the fence needed to be removed as soon as possible for animal mobility and to preserve the forest in its most natural state.
Last week, FoBK sent a letter to JLN reaffirming its stand on the removal of the fence and proposed eco-related precautions.
We also objected to their proposal of clearing part of the park to accommodate 200 parking bays,” he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor Malaysia Nature Society chairman Henry Goh said the additional parking bays would not solve the parking problem permanently and that it was unnecessary to build it at the expense of some beautiful trails.
Park-goers will have to find parking space elsewhere.
The authorities should instead look at increasing enforcement and consistent monitoring in Bukit Kiara and its vicinity as a long-term solution to their problems.
There was no need to invest millions of Ringgit to secure the area only for it to be effective for a short period he said.
Goh added that JLN appointed contractors were currently installing gabion walls (retaining walls made of stone-filled cages tied together with wire) at certain areas as a precautionary measure to prevent erosion.
We appreciate JLN’s efforts to preserve Bukit Kiara but we are still anticipating the hill to be gazetted, he concluded.
JLN could not be reached for comments.
(via traks-malaysia)
“With permission: Any proposed development next to the Bukit Kiara park will be done with the consent of its stakeholders”
Berjaya Corporation Bhd’s (BCB) proposed Eco Village development next to the Bukit Kiara park, will still need stakeholders’ approval before any work commences.
Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib said this in a meeting with Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Bukit Damansara residents’ associations on Wednesday.
He added that City Hall would inform the stakeholders and engage with them of any proposed development plans put forward by BCB.
Phesal also said that it is crucial that a development plan is agreed upon by all parties, so that City Hall can proceed with the gazettement of the KL Draft City Plan 2020.
Currently, the Bukit Kiara park is not gazetted as a green lung. We hope to reach a decision soon on what development is to take place in the area, so that we will be able to gazette the draft plan next year,” he said.
As for leasing out the land to BCB, Phesal said nothing could be done now because the court had given a judgment in BCB’s favour.
“In 1994, an agreement was reached between City Hall and BCB to lease out 25ha of land around the park. They have been paying the premium and land tax since.
“We took the matter to court to cancel the agreement, but we had lost the case. Now, we have no choice but to sign the 70-year lease,” he said.
Phesal said City Hall had managed to get BCB to give back 4.8ha of land, which will be included as part of the Bukit Kiara park.
“I was supposed to sign the lease a month ago, but had delayed the process to discuss for more open space. BCB will be developing 6ha as landscape and the remaining 5.6ha will be the built-up area” he said.
Phesal also suggested that BCB include more green development as part of its project.
BCB executive director Zurainah Musa who was present at the meeting said the proposed development will not encroach on the Bukit Kiara park.
She said BCB had proposed to build an eco hospital with 150 beds, 162 units of serviced residences and a multipurpose hall with 400 parking bays and an international school.
“The mayor had suggested that we go for more green development. All the development we proposed will not be more than four storeys high. As a responsible developer, we aim to keep the area green,” she said.
Zurainah also said that BCB will work together with all stakeholders to reach an amicable decision on the development plans.
“We are also looking at more green development, that is why we have taken the mayor’s suggestions to have a low density project in the area,” she said.
TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Mohd Hatim Abdullah said they had agreed for City Hall to sign the lease.
“We understand that City Hall has no choice but to sign the lease as ruled by the court. We have also accepted the fact that BCB needs to develop the area as they have been paying the premium and land tax.
“We hope that City Hall will engage with us on any changes to the development plans by BCB,” he said.
Bukit Damansara Residents’ Association deputy chairman Datuk Pang Leong Hoon said they want the area to remain green.
“We also agree with the signing of the lease but by calling it Eco Village doesn’t mean it is a green development” he said.
Earlier this year fencing, believed to be put up by National Landscape Department, in the Bukit Kiara area was done to demarcate the private from the public land.
(via traks-malaysia)
Banded Coral Snake - Photo By Phil Bee @ Bukit Kiara
A new volunteer for Bukit Kiara ?
Photo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Adam Faroze - Team DVteq Fakawi at WA State MTB Championships - Dwellingup
2012 Malaysian National Championships, Dungun, Terengganu
A good jungle trail involves more than just bushwhacking through a jungle, as a couple trail-blazers in Malaysia show us.
by LEONG SIOK HUI, June 20, 2009
Trekking in Malaysian forests usually involves tricky manoeuvres or acrobatic moves. You skirt around ankle-deep mud, claw up near-vertical slopes, duck under fallen logs, squeeze through narrow openings between giant boulders and sometimes totter precariously on pencil-slim ridges.
Some of us would think: “Yeah, it’s fun!” But really, does this mean these trails are good?
A good trail is defined as sustainable (read: lasts forever!) if it can handle stomping feet, protects the environment, requires little maintenance and meets users’ needs. Sliding helplessly down muddy slopes and tearing out tree branches and roots doesn’t seem like a fun trail experience.
And most of us go tra-la-la on the trails without thinking about what it takes to create and maintain the trails. Who is doing all the hard work?
Mountain bike buff Joe @ Azizul Azmi Adnan is one of the main guys responsible for creating the Kota Damansara trail
So when I met the trail-makers behind the new Kota Damansara Community Forest (KDCF) trail, I picked up some tips on trail design. Their story first unravelled in Klang Valley’s Bukit Kiara, where pointers were picked up from the biking trails there.
Kiara trail-blazer
Kiara’s mountain biking trails are synonymous with one name: Patrick Brunsdon. The Canadian expatriate has been instrumental in creating the 20km network of biking and hiking trails that zigzag Bukit Kiara.
When he first moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1995, Brunsdon was raring to hit the trails. He was told about Kiara, the lush green hill that straddles Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Sri Hartamas, Kg Sg Penchala and Segambut. But Brunsdon found there were few trails and no riding map.
“I joined the hash runs and found out more about the area. Others also told me about the different biking trails,” says Brunsdon.
The existing topography map, a 30-year old map created when the area was a rubber plantation with trails created by the planters, was a bit outdated.
“When you look at the map, you see a stub of the trail here and another one there. I thought why not find a way to join them and get a loop?” says Brunsdon who makes a living maintaining editing, post-production, and computer animation equipment.
“Nothing like getting in there with a cangkul (hoe), seeing what works and what doesn’t,” recalls Brunsdon grinning.
“You build something and see it a year later and realise, oh, there’s more to this …”
With the help of eager volunteers cum mountain biking zealots, Brunsdon improved on the existing trails, cut out new ones and created the Kiara mountain biking map.
A good trail should use boulders and trees to its advantage; Patrick Brunsdon
“I went through a big learning curve over 13 years. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when I looked up references from the US-based IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association) trail design guide, that I was like, ‘Oh ya, I learned it the hard way!’ ” says Brunsdon.
“You pit your wits against nature and very quickly you’re humbled because it’s relentless! You get 100mm of rain here in one afternoon, and if the trail’s problematic, you’re in trouble.”
Case studies
The gist of trail design is: get water off the trail!
Water that funnels down the trail erodes it, and water that collects on the trail creates a muddy puddle (see sidebar). A case in point was a trail built by downhill riders about six years ago for a mountain biking race in Kiara.
“Most of the trails were done well except a few spots that turned out to be a perpetual problem like this heavily used and steep trail,” says Brunsdon.
“The hillside leaks water for months on end so the trail is always wet and muddy.
“Some 10,000 bicycles have been up here, coupled with walkers, so the high volume of users keeps breaking the soil surface. Finally, I had to place rocks on it to prevent the trail from eroding.
“Also, the trick is to come here when it’s raining. You can see instantly if you have a problem!”
Some people may associate sheer slopes with adrenaline shots.
“It’s a misconception! The trail doesn’t last! The best trails are rolling, contoured trails,” says Brunsdon, who learned by looking at old plantations to see how the roads were built 50 to 60 years ago.
“They didn’t have vehicles with enough horsepower to sustain steep grades so they built 2%-3% grade slopes that are good roads and don’t take much upkeep.
“You can do this by snaking the trail back and forth, narrowing it at sections or changing direction a lot more with tight switchbacks,” points out Brunsdon.
But a trail that’s too flat is also a no-no.
“The water can’t drain off and you need to cut the outside for the water to flow away. If you build with a slight perpetual grade of 1%-2% up and down, the water will not collect on the trail.
“The idea is to have maximum fun and challenge, minimum impact, minimum amount of work to build and time to sustain.”
A clean slate
The lessons learnt from Kiara were applied to the Kota Damansara forest last year.
“Pat (Brunsdon) took part in the initial recces, map-out of the place and design of the trail,” says Joe @ Azizul Azmi Adnan, the founding member of TRAKS (Trails Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor).
The trail was a collaborative effort between TRAKS, Friends of Kota Damansara Community Forest Park and the Bukit Bintang Scouting District.
“It took about 480 to 600 man-hours with a work crew of 20 people over six months to create that 2km trail,” says Joe, who checks the trail weekly.
The KDCF trail makes for a pleasant stroll — with its meandering route, shady foliage and short steep sections flanked by the occasional towering trees. The hiking cum mountain biking trail has fun features for riders like switchbacks, climbs and dips.
“A switchback uphill reduces the overall gradient and prevents trail erosion,” explains Joe, a mountain biking aficionado and lawyer.
“Water always finds the path of least resistance. If there’s no water diversion, puddles form and create a mud hole. Trail users will skirt around the mud hole, creating a wider trail and damage the plants around it.”
The current trail was designed more for casual walkers while successive trails will be more challenging for mountain bikers, adds Joe.
For the love of it
A well-designed trail needs less maintenance and provides a great experience for users. But it takes a lot of dedication and hard work from the trail users (with the exception of national/state parks).
“If the trails are not designed well, I’m back every two to three months for simple stuff like building up water bars (a small hump) so water doesn’t get trapped or run down the trail,” says Brunsdon who spends an average 500 hours a year, unpaid, maintaining Kiara.
“For a good trail, you only come once a year, cut back the foliage to keep it open,”
Brunsdon’s zeal is infectious. Today, more volunteers are chipping in to help maintain Kiara. Some riders have adopted a 1km stretch of trail each, which they maintain regularly.
“Most trails will end up being maintained by mountain bikers because for us, it’s all about the trail — the whole riding experience is about how you interact with the trail,” adds Brunsdon.
When he’s not on an overseas business trip, Brunsdon spends five to six days a week in Kiara — three days for riding and the rest for maintaining the trails.
“I do this so I have a place to ride; it is entirely selfish. If it weren’t for this, I wouldn’t stay in Kuala Lumpur,” says Brunsdon who lives in Bangsar, a 15-minute ride to the trails.
“If you want guaranteed fun, this is it. I know something good’s going to happen every day I hit the trail. We are so lucky to have it here in the city!”
