What is Subang Jaya to You?

All of us would have own answers when asked the question of 'What Subang Jaya Is To You?'. There have been many events and developments around Subang Jaya that if you went back to 1976, and the time travel to 2016, you would be amazed how Subang Jaya has developed. It was once a plantation so close to the airport that many stayed away from living here. As I listened to the latest BFM radio podcast, I am sentimentally propelled back in time where memories start to fill every bit of memory I could actually hold and remember. The Subang Jaya of the 1990s was as far as I could remember when I first moved here. I only heard of its existence because of Subang Parade which opened in 1988. It was truly the shopping centre then. Today, it is no longer the number one shopping preference due to many other shopping options around. Then, it was the catalyst of what Subang Jaya would be in the next few years. I think Subang Jaya in the 1990s held a youthful vigor especially with colleges like Taylor's, Inti, Metropolitan (now Inti) and Sunway providing the vibrant stage for youthful aspiration. Subang Parade became the de facto place for celebrations and hangouts. Parkson's sale would push people to park their cars up to SS15's then roundabout (now traffic light) across the police station. It was a crazy time then to go to Subang Parade. No one could also forget the availability of a duty free zone in Subang Parade which is now Digital One. This catered for the many transit and tourist buses stopping by as a last shopping stop before heading to the Subang Airport. Subang Jaya then had a global appeal as pilots and crew stayed in the Merlin Hotel (now Dorsett) and Holiday Villa and shopped in Subang Parade. Subang Jaya then was only known as the area marked as SS12 to SS19. SS14 and SS15 were known as the main commercial area. I remembered having a rented house in USJ2 and during my first time here, I found the weather hotter than Singapore and Johor where I was previously. I remembered driving up and turning into the road marked by the futuristic looking Mesiniaga. USJ2 then was only accessible via a dirt and partly graveled road which is only accessible via Persiaran Jengka passing both SS14 and SS18 on each side. Today, this is no longer possible as that part is now the KESAS highway. In the 1990s the only USJ was USJ2. The rest behind were estates and palm plantations. The roads were quite dark then compared with today. I remembered cursing as the terrible roundabout at Jengka which always choked up to the roundabout at Kewajipan. The roundabout of Kewajipan is the only one of the 2 huge roundabouts Subang Jaya had then. Gone too are the huge open monsoon drains which run along the same spine as Lebuhraya Pantai. Yes, the 1990s was a decade of excitement for Subang Jaya. The creation of the Sunway Lagoon theme park and Sunway Pyramid coupled with the expansion of colleges; made Subang Jaya an education hub. SS15 has since been cleaned up and today, we see finally; the beginning of construction of the multilevel car park. This has long been overdue and is a great effort on the part of MPSJ and the assembly person. We hope to see SS15 being cleaned up and drains converted from the current open type to a new culvert type and enclosed. This would help cleanliness. As eateries have started to form a good majority of SS14 and SS15 now, it is imperative that MPSJ start to be firm and implement very strict regulations to control the way food preparations are done. It is time to provide guidelines on the following in SS14 and SS15: a. Approved designs to exhaust systems. The allowance of exhausting into drains cannot be allowed anymore. b. Approved use of back lanes. Food preparations must be banned at the back lanes. Instead, back lanes should be for the purpose of delivery and refuse disposal. It should also be well lighted. c. Refuse management. Refuse areas must be clean and tidy. Licenses granted must be linked with refuse management as well. d. Pedestrian walkways between shops must be lighted and resurfaced to ensure these are safe for pedestrians and strollers. e. Car park bays must be planned and repainted along the roads in SS14 and SS15. f. Hostels and backpacker stays must be regulated as we see many sprouting out now. g. Street art or any expressive art must be encouraged. Subang Jaya at 40 is moving well but it comes with things which need more administrative attention. This is especially true with landscaping and public facilities. With the LRT line now live; we hope that the Selangorku bus shuttle reviews its routes around Subang Jaya and USJ to provide the link not only to the stations but from strategic points around the inner Tamans. Let us be proud of Subang Jaya and continually push the local government and the Selangor representatives to make Subang Jaya the model city of Selangor. Have you looked at the mirror today? Do you like what you see? It is our home and it is our choice

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