I grew up in Ulu Kelang. I used to stay in Taman Permata. Back then, i recalled, when i was only 5 years old (that is a good 25 years ago!), i could hear the tiger roar and the elephants call in the middle of the night as MRR2 was non existence and the main road was nothing but a 2 way.
Once a bus stop for passenger, all the cars has to stop and wait until the bus move. Today, 25 years later, you try crossing the street and you might get run down by the 16 wheelers if not the Mat Rempit.
I went to a Kindergarden in Jalan I. Ladybird Kindergarden if i recall correctly. My childhood was spent growing up in Melawati. Way before Daim Zainuddin build a house on the Hills and way way before the first ever apartment in Melawati was built.
I remember catching dragonflies and ladybugs in SRK Taman Melawati, playing football before the class start and got punished because we reeks of sweat by the time class was in order. We had out own team of footballers. Killer Bees was the force to reckon with, but my class, 6 Emas, was of same, if not better than them. Who won't when we have the likes of Surin as striker, Azan and Muzzil as midfielders, Eu Jin as the winger (and ball supplier..he strap his ball to his bike's carrier - soccer ball la!), Felix as winger, Izham as goalkeeper and me as ball picker.
We have all witness helicopter landing at our school field as they come in to haul those stupid TARC students that climbed Bukit Tabur with their inflated egos.
Memories are made of more than these.
I remember sneaking away after school to go to the Dam (Klang Gate Dam) for a swim. I hiked up Bukit Tabur with friends, and don't forget those walks we all had along those main 1200mm pipes as those were the shortest route from Phase 6 to Phase 3!
How about the excitement when we found out those Dunhill Chinese New Year ads were shot on top of the hill in Phase 3? The one atop Jalan G.
The very same one, which as i'm writing now, is facing a threat from the brainless developer that wants to cut the tree down to build some bang-ang-lows (as in Bangang - malay for stupid)???
Check out the website here, The resident has set up a task force to take these money hungry developer head on : SAVETAMANMELAWATIHILL.COM
Over the years, I witness the landslide in Jalan G (Phase 3) and the sinking house infront of Muff's house on the other side of Jalan G, the felling of those great rain trees that offers very very cooling shade in the midst of the afternoon sun, the overdevelopment of the area behind Jalan J,K and L (Kemensah) and right now, the whole of Kemensah Trail is under the mercy of the backhoes and excavators as developers, under the guise of *living with nature* are tearing down every single trees there.
People says that we should learn from our mistake. But clearly, no one does, except for a few that cares and are going all out to stop the work in Melawati Hill. Do we want to see the repeat of the late 80's landslide in Melawati?
Do you want to rob your kids of those green lungs and growing up not knowing how a rambutan tree, or even a durian tree looked like? Or, worse case scenario, see your own house being swallowed by the mud and grim should the development goes on as any other development on the hill will inevitably causes more damage to the enviroment and the area surrounding the beautiful Melawati.
Spread the words. Stand up for our rights. Don't rob the future from our children, YOUR children.
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