Auto hub to fuel growth in Lembah Beringin

The Star

2 days ago

IT HAS been more than two decades since the Lembah Beringin township in Selangor welcomed new residents as much of the area remains underdeveloped.
Once dubbed a ghost town dotted with stalled development projects, the area still lacks basic facilities such as schools, houses of worship, petrol stations and hospitals.
However, a plan for an automobile plant in Hulu Selangor has injected hopes of socioeconomic growth in this part of northern Selangor.
In February, Legenda Beringin Holding Sdn Bhd and Chery Corporate Malaysia Sdn Bhd signed an agreement to develop the Chery Smart Auto Industrial Park at Beringin High Tech Auto (Beringin HTA) Valley.
Lembah Beringin is connected via the North-South Expressway. — Filepic
The plant, expected to produce between 100,000 and 300,000 cars a year, is projected to create job opportunities for 2,400 locals.
According to reports, the development involves a five-year investment worth RM2.2bil.
Abd Rahman is optimistic the automobile plant will bring more people to settle in the township. Lembah Beringin Residents Association chairman Abd Rahman Abd Hamid, 59, is optimistic of the automobile plant bringing more people to reside in the township.
'Currently, there are only 120 households but since news circulated about the automobile plant, more people are looking at buying houses here,' said Abd Rahman, who has been living in the area for 20 years.
Property agent KN Rao, 43, echoed similar optimism.
'A few years ago, a three- bedroom house in Lembah Beringin cost RM80,000.
'Now, the price has more than doubled to RM180,000,' he said, adding there was an uptick in renters too.
A majority of properties in Lembah Beringin are landed, comprising terrace, semi- detached and bungalow houses.
Work in progress
Slated to start operations in September next year, construction works for the plant are currently ongoing in mukim Kerling.
Checks at the site found earthworks being carried out with an office set up nearby to oversee operations.
In a statement to StarMetro, Hulu Selangor Municipal Council (MPHS) said the development encompassed 98.3ha.
'MPHS has also received an application to convert 323.7ha of agricultural land to industrial zone to develop the Lembah Beringin High Tech Auto Valley.
'This has been approved and gazetted in the Hulu Selangor Local Plan 2035 (Amendment 1),' the local authority added.
MPHS said a few public facilities such as schools, mosques and community halls had been planned too.
'Development of these facilities will depend on the number of residents, and plans of government agencies.'
Lembah Beringin has many stalled development projects.
Currently, Lembah Beringin residents are served by two primary schools while secondary school students have to commute to Kuala Kubu Baru.
The lack of a house of worship see Muslim men performing Friday prayers at the Kolej Yayasan UEM mosque nearby.
The township's once major attraction – Lembah Beringin Golf Club – which ceased operations following the Covid-19 pandemic, has yet to reopen.
When contacted, Hulu Selangor MP Mohd Hasnizan Harun said he had raised the need for hospitals and secondary schools in the township during Parliament proceedings.
'However, this is tricky as the number of residents is too low to justify the high costs involved.
'With the automobile plant, there is hope of attracting more people to settle in Lembah Beringin, and subsequently, spur commercial growth.
'This locality has potential. Just look at neighbouring Bukit Beruntung, which has many Perodua vendors and is thriving,' he said.
Hopes abound
Directly linked to the North-South Expressway and serving as gateway between Selangor and Perak, Lembah Beringin is well poised to capitalise on traffic.
Yet, the lack of commercial and industrial hubs, combined with its 68km distance from Kuala Lumpur, dampens much of its pull factor.
The absence of attractions, such as shopping centres or cultural venues, further add to its less than illustrious reputation.
Established in 1998, Kolej Yayasan UEM, a residential college renowned for its business and engineering courses, is perhaps a beacon of hope in this otherwise sleepy area.
Abd Rahman is holding on to hope that the township can transform and thrive like its neighbour Tanjung Malim in Perak.
'Many reports have been published and they all said this is a ghost town.
'But it can be so much more. That narrative must, and will, change,' he added.
Guarded optimism
Despite the prospect of socioeconomic rejuvenation, many residents, mainly senior citizens, remain cautiously optimistic.
There is also concern that allowing a massive industrial operation will bring an influx of foreign workers.
Abdullah Sani worries about an influx of foreign workers for the automobile plant. During a meeting with MPHS regarding the building of the automobile plant, Abd Rahman said residents had asked for locals to be given priority to work at the facility.
'We were given assurance that the 2,400 workers would be locals and there would be 600 openings for foreign workers.
'We were also told that the automobile company will build workers' quarters to house foreigners,' he added.
Having bought a property in Lembah Beringin three years ago at RM100,000, retired civil servant Abdullah Sani Asmoni, 63, said he loved the quiet surroundings and lush greenery.
'To avoid future problems, MPHS should clearly demarcate residential and industrial areas,' he added.
He said he was also concerned over the influx of foreign workers due to the automobile plant.
Father of five Mohd Amran Sulaiman, 63, who has been living in Lembah Beringin for two decades, shared similar concerns.
'I don't mind the area being underdeveloped. Right now, we can hear sounds of crickets every day – it is that calm here.
'There are also lots of idle land where I have planted fruit trees like mango, jackfruit and longan,' he said.
Another homeowner, Mustafa Yahya, 66, bought his property in 1995 for RM79,000. However, he only moved in a few years ago.
The father of five used to live in Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur, but decided to move out of the city after retirement.
Mustafa says Lembah Beringin is quiet and suitable for retirees. 'Lembah Beringin is quiet and suitable for retirees wanting to enjoy their twilight years in comfort,' he said.
There is also concern that a more developed area will result in higher assessment tax, burdening elderly residents who are no longer earning an income.
Lembah Beringin's low number of inhabitants makes it ideal for monkeys and wild boars to stray into neighbourhoods.
At night, some places are in total darkness as many street lamps are believed to have been damaged by monkeys.
Challenges ahead
Setting up an automobile plant may breathe some hope for Lembah Beringin, but its troubles are far from over.
The topmost concern is the sizeable number of uncompleted homes that mark the landscape.
These projects are remnants of a time when developments stalled following the 1997 financial crisis.
Back then, there was talk that the township could become the next Petaling Jaya, but hopes were dashed when development projects halted in 1998.
Developer Lembah Beringin Sdn Bhd subsequently went into receivership and was eventually liquidated in 2006.
At that point, some 1,300 units were completed, while another 1,000-odd were abandoned, leaving more than 600 buyers high and dry.
There were also talks of an airport being built nearby, which fuelled property market speculation, but that project did not materialise either, added Mohd Hasnizan.
Over the years, many attempts were made to revive Lembah Beringin but none of them were successful.
MPHS said it was facing difficulties in identifying suitable redevelopment concepts for abandoned projects in the 'brownfield' area.
In urban planning, brownfield refers to previously developed land that has been abandoned, underused or contaminated.
The local council also said it needed to find the right balance between socioeconomic development and environmental preservation due to the area's proximity to forest reserves.
Borhan: The state government is carrying out preliminary assessment on redeveloping brownfield areas in Lembah Beringin. Selangor housing and culture committee chairman Datuk Borhan Aman Shah said the state government was carrying out a preliminary assessment on the potential of redeveloping Lembah Beringin's brownfield areas.
This includes a 122.9ha site in Jalan Kerling in mukim Sungai Gumut where there is an abandoned housing project.
'The redevelopment potential of this area is currently under study by relevant parties,' said Borhan.
'All proposals have yet to be finalised and are subject to review and approval by the Selangor Economic Action Council.'
A spokesperson from Borhan's office said many abandoned projects in Lembah Beringin were privately-owned, hence tying up the state government's hand and complicating redevelopment efforts.