PETALING JAYA, Aug 6 — The Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) said it is open to all views, including from the local community, for the upgrading of Pasar Besar Jalan Othman in the council’s move to provide more modern, user-friendly facilities.
Petaling Jaya Mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the local authority is accepting requests for proposal (RFPs) for the upgrading project, and will assess each suggestion comprehensively.
He also vowed not to sideline councillors and the local community’s views, to ensure the project accounts for the needs and aspirations of the people the market serves.
“Pasar Jalan Othman, an old area. We are already open to RFPs, so we are looking at views from external parties, who may have better ideas and such.
“We will assess existing RFPs, and most importantly, with any RFP, we won’t leave councillors or the local community behind. Engagement with them has been done, as they live in the area and have been for a long time. Of course they would want to know what will happen there.
“That is why, through engagement, maybe they could provide views, so we will accept them all as long as everything is well planned. Placemaker Week Asean 2025 (PWA) will also be among the platforms where we will gather ideas about this market,” he said at the launch of the programme today.
Previously, Media Selangor reported that the rejuvenation of Pasar Besar Jalan Othman, based on the concept of a multi-use ecosystem and community unity, could draw more visitors to the location.
However, representatives, residents and traders urged that the project come with improved basic facilities, especially sufficient parking spaces, so the growth in visitors does not compromise their comfort and needs.
Meanwhile, Zahri said the PWA will be held August 27 to 30 at Dewan Sivik MBPJ, and is one of 24 events held in conjunction with the local council’s National Month and Malaysia Day celebration.
He added that the event, which is being strategically organised with the Malaysian Institute of Planners, Placemaking Malaysia, and other synergistic partners, will empower the development of cities based on the placemaking principle that emphasises function, values, and inclusive public spaces.
Forty-nine speakers from 14 nations including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Australia, and Myanmar are set to share their ideas, build networks and survey new approaches in exclusive sustainable urban design.
The PWA focuses on four main subthemes: urban climate and resilience, returns on investment from placemaking, community empowerment, and the government’s role in placemaking.
The programme will promote public spaces that benefit the community and encourage regional cooperation in efforts to create more inclusive, safe, accessible and sustainable cities for people of all ages and backgrounds.
It will also centre local and foreign initiatives that have been successful in the implementation of the placemaking principle and universal design, as well as ones that have provided space to vulnerable communities and groups to voice their views in urban planning, through evidence-based, community-involved planning.
