Encyclopedia Of Puchong

Puchong is a main town in Petaling district, Selangor in Malaysia. Puchong used to be a rubber estate and tin-mining town about 40 years ago. Up until about 20 years ago, Puchong consists of only one two-lane road running through estates and villages. Since then, urbanization has occurred rapidly in recent years with many industrial parks, commercial centres and residential areas mushrooming along Jalan Puchong, the main road.

Puchong is situated midway between the Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's commercial capital, and Putrajaya, the administrative capital. Due to its location, Puchong is expected to witness further developments in the near future. Puchong already serves as a residential suburb for two cities, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. New townships, such as Bandar Puchong Jaya, Pusat Bandar Puchong, Puchong Hartamas, Puchong Utama, Puchong Prima, Bandar Bukit Puchong, Saujana Puchong and Bandar Puteri Puchong, are sprouting from once-abandoned lands, ex-plantation land and cleared-forest areas, contributing to the population boom witnessed in recent years in Puchong. At an estimate, Puchong has a population of about 335,419 (the largest township is Puchong Jaya with a population of about 39,473).

The local government of Puchong is MPSJ Subang Jaya Municipal Council and Sepang Municipal Council

Puchong is well-linked to other parts of Klang Valley via the Damansara-Puchong Expressway(LDP) and Puchong-Sungai Besi Highway. Puchong is also accessible via Federal Highway (exit at Motorola); Shah Alam Expressway and New Pantai Expressway (NPE). There are also bus services connecting Puchong to Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.

Bus services are provided by RapidKL (U60,U69,U70) and Metrobus which have routes along Jalan Puchong to various destinations around Klang Valley. Puchong has a near route to the federal territory of Kuala lumpur. One of the nearest housing estate to the city, Taman Kinrara is just about 30 metres to the border between Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Upcoming project of LRT (STAR extension) which expected to be completed in 2012 will pass through Puchong area. LRT stations will be at IOI Mall, TESCO, RAKAN MUDA and the following stop near DHL/Tractor Malaysia before diverting to Putra Height via Puchong Perdana. Residents will benefit from it but the traffic will be worsen once the construction begin.

Puchong boasts of its wide presence of banks; both local and foreign banks. There are numerous bank branches all along Jalan Puchong primarily such as Public Bank, Maybank, Hong Leong Bank, Bank Rakyat, OCBC Bank, UOB Bank, HSBC Bank, Citibank, Ambank, CIMB Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, EON Bank and many more.

There is a wet market, Puteri Mart at Bandar Puteri beside the MBA Stadium and the Town Park where residents can shop for their groceries. Residents of Puchong can also do their shopping in Tesco, IOI Mall (which has a multiplex and bowling alley), Giant, Jusco, Puchong Parade and Puchong Plaza shopping malls.

There is new business centre which just completed ;IOI Boulevard with retail and office unit. Upcoming similar project ; Setia Walk by SP Setia.

A new private hospital, Columbia Asia Hospital - Puchong, is located at Bandar Puteri Puchong. This 78-bed hospital offers acute care multi-disciplinary services to residents of Puchong.

There are many schools in Puchong. The secondary schools include SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya A, SMK Bandar Puchong Jaya B, SMK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1, SMK Puchong Utama 1, SMK Puchong Batu 14, SMK Batu 8, SMK Puchong Perdana, SMK Seksyen 1 Bandar Kinrara, SMK Seksyen 3 Bandar Kinrara and SMK Seksyen 4 Bandar Kinrara, while primary national school include SK Puchong, SK Puchong Jaya, SK Puchong Jaya 2, SK Puchong Jaya 3, SK Puchong Perdana, SK Bukit Kuchai, SK Puchong Utama, SK Puchong Utama 2, SK Seksyen 1 Bandar Kinrara, SK Seksyen 2 Bandar Kinrara, SK Puchong Indah, SK Pusat Bandar Puchong 1, SK Pusat Bandar Puchong 2, SK Pulau Meranti and SK Taman Putra Perdana, and primary Chinese schools include SJK(C) Han Ming, SJK(C) Yak Chee, SJK(C) Sin Ming and SJK(C) Ladang Harcroft. Beside, for children, there are also many childcare centers and kindergartens available here, such as Pusat Jagaan Mega Ria, Tadika Elite, Tadika Hijauan, Qdees and Tadika Wawasan Melodi.

Binary University College is also located in Puchong. They specialize in management and entrepreneurship courses.

This booming area with increasing population has sparked the urgent attention for the insufficient primary Chinese schools in Puchong. There will be an estimated more than 600 students will have to attend their standard 1 for 2010 enrollment in the schools outside Puchong. The registeration by these students was done in mid 2008, and the outcome was only informed in mid 2009. In another word, education department well informed about this insufficient class since 2008.

RIMA college will be opened in Bandar Puteri by mid 2010.

The MBA Stadium, in Bandar Puteri Puchong, is Malaysia's biggest badminton stadium. A Rakan Muda Sports Complex also serves residents of Puchong. Golden Screen Cinema can be found in IOI Mall and another new cinema located at the IOI mall new wing.

There are many cafe such as Old Town, Paparich, Hailam, Asia One, 96 Cafe, Boston, 1st Station etc...

Bandar Puteri which is well-known not just for many banks, but also for many cafe " kopitiam " and now also getting popular as a destination for dim sum.

Source: Wikipedia

Prasarana Given Approval To Build LRT Lines

Work on the LRT extension from the Kelana Jaya line to USJ 20 in Subang Jaya and the Ampang line from Sri Petaling to Taman Puchong Prima will start soon.

Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (Prasarana) has been given the approval for both lines from the Department of Railways.

There will be 13 stations for each of the two lines.

Prasarana group managing director Datuk Idrose Mohamed said they had their public hearing for three months beginning Sept 15 last year.

“The proposed lines were displayed at various locations of the local authorities,” Idrose told reporters at his office in Bangsar yesterday.

“We received a lot of feedback from the public and stakeholders while meetings were also held with residents on their objections raised.

“Both the federal and state governments ordered us to study the objections raised and how we can overcome the issues. We gave solutions and approval was granted,” he said.

On the remaining “unapproved” sections, Idrose said discussions were being held with the state and federal governments and hoped to obtain approval soon after all issues and residents’ concerns were sorted out.

For the Kelana Jaya line, the first phase of construction work covering 9.2km will be from the Kelana Jaya station to USJ near the Kesas highway.

For the Ampang line, the first phase is from the Sri Petaling station to Kinrara 3 covering 7.4km.

Work to relocate telecommunication cables, TNB underground cables and high voltage transmission lines, water mains, sewerage and gas pipes is expected to start in mid-July.

Idrose said work on both the lines would start simultaneously and was expected to be completed in three years.

He said the exact time frame would be clearer once approval for the remaining sections was obtained and tender called in September.

He added that there would be 800 to 1,500 parking bays depending on the location of the stations and the ridership.

Some stations are being integrated and some with just drop-off bays without the park-and-ride facility.

Source: The Star

Feel-Good Ice Cream

If you're looking for great tasting homemade ice cream in Kuala Lumpur, you've come to the right place. Made with 100% natural ingredients, we combine our creamy French-style ice cream with the regional Asian flavours we love.

Mango

Our best-selling flavour, every scoop will remind you of Asia's favourite fruit. We could have taken the easy way out and made this a fruit sorbet, but instead we purée fresh and juicy mangoes, then add cream and eggs to turn it all into the delightful creamy mango ice cream that's become much-loved by our friends and family.

Horlicks

Whether it's the comfort of a warm drink before bedtime as a kid, or the memories of a Horlicks Ais "gao" at your favourite mamak, Horlicks ice cream makes our world go round and we hope it does for yours, too. We love it so much it was the obsession with perfecting Horlicks ice cream that got us started in the first place.

Green Tea

Also known as matcha ice cream, our version is intense and creamy at the same time, the better to bring out the best of this Asian classic. Made with top quality green tea leaves, make our green tea ice cream a special treat at any time of the day.

Malt and Peanut Butter

We've been alive quite a while and have yet to meet a single person who didn't love peanut butter. We made this ice cream for those of you who, like us, love dipping your fingers into a peanut butter jar. Not only are you spared the sticky fingers, it's like eating peanut butter ice cold.

White Coffee

The nation's favourite drink at the moment, white coffee is so named because they roast beans without sugar up in Ipoh, resulting in a lighter coloured coffee than regular kopi. Light it may be in hue, but every spoonful packs a punch. This is the ice cream for lovers of local coffee!

Black Sesame

An acquired taste, people who love black sesame ice cream know they're on to something. It's weird at first crunch, but we guarantee you'll love it in no time. We slow roast black sesame seeds, pound them into a fine paste, sprinkle extra sesame for that special crunch, then turn that all into one of our best ice cream flavours ever.

www.thelastpolka.com

SummerGlades - Everyday Is A Getaway

Summer time is the season that is most loved and looked forward to for its blue skies, glorious greenery and its vacation opportunities. And though it’s summer all year round in Malaysia, the idea of summer as a time to getaway for relaxation and have fun, still holds its magic for each of us.

In Cyberjaya, the name ‘SummerGlades’ will soon grace a residential enclave that is heavily surrounded by lush greenery. With 40% of the project area green compared to a standard 10% in others, this is one of Malaysia’s greenest residential projects around.

SummerGlades will include a 6-acre wetland, 10 unique gardens, a fruit farm and jogging and cycling tracks surrounded by lush landscape and tall trees with the majestic Putrajaya Lake just across the street. Also, the guarded community is protected by 24 hour surveillance, guards and perimeter fencing.

Extra low-density

There are only 3 or 4 houses on every block and each unit is next to a garden or open green area. This ensures a sense of space and exclusiveness throughout the entire development. There are only 137 freehold units of 2-storey superlink terrace villas in the project. Priced from RM680,000 (indicative), average built-up area is 3,000 square feet. Land size for intermediate units are 24 by 80 feet, corner units are 34 by 80 feet and some units have larger land size.

Expected to be launched in the next few months, the 23-acre freehold project is designed by GSD Architect, the award winning architect who designed Lake Edge Puchong, Twin Palms and Amelia in Desa Park City.

Direct highway to KL

With the completion of Maju Expressway (dedicated Putrajaya Highway), Cyberjaya is now only a 20-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur. It is connected to the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE), North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), North South Expressway (NSE) and B15 road extension through Dengkil.

Whether working, studying or living here, you’ll find good food and good shopping all in downtown Cyberjaya. Many restaurants have sprung up in the city from Arabic eateries to fast-food joints and the ever present “mamak” stalls. Shopping malls are a short drive away such as the Jusco in Equine Park, Sri Kembangan, Alamanda Shopping Mall in Putrajaya or even the IOI Mall located in Puchong. There are also local and international schools, smart schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, hotels, community clubs and sports centre nearby.

Suntrack Development Sdn Bhd has been creating value for their customers in the property business for the last 8 years and has completed several residential and commercial projects in the Klang Valley. Please view their website at http://www.suntrack.com.my/.

Source: iProperty.com.my

IOI Celebrates 1st Anniversary Of Privilege Card

The IOI Privilege Card Members’ Day was a fun and lively affair as families and residents gathered at the event held to commemorate the first anniversary of the IOI Privilege Card.

Touted as the first community discount card in Malaysia, the card introduced by IOI Properties Bhd is aimed at uniting the IOI business and residential communities while strengthening community ties.

The IOI Privilege Card entitles cardholders to discounts and promotions on goods and services offered by participating outlets within the IOI townships. Other card features include allocated car park bays at IOI Mall (in front of Jusco).

Cards are issued free of charge to residents of IOI townships in the Klang Valley, namely Bandar Puchong Jaya, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Bandar Puteri Klang, Bandar Putera Klang, and IOI Resort City in Putrajaya. No minimum spending, point accumulation or joining fee is required before cardholders can enjoy the privileges.

IOI Properties Bhd marketing manager Mohd Ezuddin Sami’an said the IOI Privilege Card was introduced in April 2009 with about 10 participating merchants.

“The card offers more exclusivity and perks for the local community,” he said.

“It provides added value and convenience for the residents to shop, dine and enjoy various lifestyle programmes, which in turn would encourage better business for the merchants.

“Most of our merchants are located at Bandar Puteri Puchong and Bandar Puchong Jaya at the moment, as almost 50% of these areas have commercial blocks.

According to him, there are plans to have more features, including allocated car park bays at IOI Boulevard and free wi-fi within selected commercial areas.

Among the activities held during the IOI Privilege Card Members’ Day at The Palette, IOI Boulevard were a treasure hunt, eating competitions, health talk and fitness demonstration, sand art, free massage sessions, juice-making and bread-baking demonstration, stage games, sculpture balloon giveaways, as well as exhibitions by selected merchants.The team Friends 5 was declared the treasure hunt champion and won a RM250 cash voucher.

The second and third prizes went to the Kasawari Heights Residents Association (RA) from Bandar Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri 12 RA, who won RM150 and RM100 cash vouchers respectively.

Four other teams won consolation prizes comprising vouchers from IOI Privilege Card merchants.Updates on the latest card promotions are available in IOI Properties’ quarterly newsletter called ReachOut and via www.myioi.com/privilege/.

Source: The Star

Council To Receive RM2.2mil Allocation

The federal government has allocated RM2.2mil to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council to implement a Safe City Programme.

We are one of the 12 local councils chosen to receive the allocation in the country through the crime National Key Result Areas (NKRA).

With the funds, we will be able to take preventive measures at crime hotspots identified by the police.

Among the measures include installing more streetlights, safety mirrors and alarms at crime-prone zones and separating pedestrian paths from motor lanes with barriers or plants.

Last Friday, we conducted a site visit with OCPD Subang Jaya Asst Comm Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar to conduct crime-mapping.

A total of 12 crime hotspots in Subang Jaya and Puchong were pinpointed.

With the crime statistics presented, we will then decide on what has to be done in the specific areas.

We will be forming a Safe City Programme sub-committee — comprising councillors, police, Immigration Department, TNB, and Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation — to monitor and coordinate the implementation of the programme.

We hope the close cooperation between the MPSJ and the police will help curb crime in areas under the MPSJ’s jurisdiction.

The programme will be ongoing until the zero crime rate is achieved.

Another RM1.15mil was also allocated by the Housing and Local Government Ministry to upgrade 77 bus stops.

We have identified the bus stops and are appointing contractors for the project.

Source: The Star