Latest news with #MohamadZahri
The Star
13-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Murals help seniors find their way in PJ
Those with dementia using visual aids to navigate Section 52 commercial area confidently A captivating giant owl with thick greyish plumage and piercing eyes greets visitors to Petaling Jaya New Town in Section 52, often stopping them in their tracks. The larger-than-life mural of the nocturnal bird is striking — just like the illustrations of classic cars painted at a back lane in the area. At Menara MBPJ nearby, colourful wall art decorates another back alley, with life-size mannequins placed along the pathway. Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the murals doubled as navigational aids for seniors and those with young-onset dementia. Dementia is a progressive disease affecting memory and cognitive ability. While the condition is more prevalent in people aged 60 and above, it has been known to affect younger folk too. 'Petaling Jaya City Council's (MBPJ) murals help enhance the independence of people with dementia. 'Many seniors live in the surrounding neighbourhoods and these murals serve as powerful visual cues that trigger memories and aid in wayfinding,' said Mohamad Zahri. Creative visual cues Interest in senior-friendly urban design is on the rise as Selangor's population continues to age. According to the Statistics Department, the state's population stood at 7.36 million last year, with 853,760 people aged 60 and above while the number living with dementia was estimated at 119,526. Mohamad Zahri said MBPJ's Development Planning Department was using themed-based street art as a creative tool to support people with dementia. This is aimed at improving wayfinding, fostering social engagement and enhancing overall well-being in dementia-friendly environments. (Wayfinding is the process of navigating through a physical environment to reach a desired destination or objective.) Mohamad Zahri also touched on MBPJ's Senior Citizen Action Plan 2030 – a proactive and holistic approach in caring for an ageing society, including people with disabilities. 'Sections 11, 17, 19, SS3, Taman Medan and Kampung Tunku are among locations in Petaling Jaya with sizeable elderly populations. 'These are areas where long-term senior-friendly infrastructure is much needed,' he said. MBPJ, he said, was considering painting murals on the ground floors of flats in Taman Medan to create a more inclusive environment and help residents with dementia feel safer and more at ease in their surroundings. 'The Senior Citizen Action Plan 2030 is a comprehensive initiative aimed at building an age-friendly city that meets the evolving needs of an ageing population,' he said. 'This plan is part of MBPJ's broader 'Petaling Jaya Smart, Sustainable and Resilient 2030' (PJSSR 2030) blueprint, focusing on creating an inclusive environment for all ages, particularly seniors. 'It is an evolving plan covering five main areas — health, economy, social and safety, education and environment to ensure seniors' well-being and needs are effectively addressed.' The plan, he said aligned with United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and First Selangor Plan 1 (RS-1). PJSSR 2030 is inviting input from stakeholders including government agencies, non-governmental organisations and academics through an action plan committee focused on key priority areas. MBPJ Development Planning Department director Lee Lih Shyan said murals and other visual cues were significant in helping people with dementia, in daily tasks, by leveraging their strengths in visual processing and memory recall. 'We are getting feedback from families and caregivers that people with dementia find the murals in Petaling Jaya New Town as recognisable cues. 'This is due to the high-contrast colours and familiar topics, particularly those evoking positive memories,' he said. Lee said the city council's primary aim was to aid those with difficulty finding their way. 'Our plan is to use clear and recognisable visual cues and landmarks to help seniors and dementia patients orient themselves and move around effectively. 'Most murals are brightly coloured, high-contrast and strategically placed so they are easily noticed and remembered,' added Lee. Selangor, he said was projected to become a super-aged society by 2040, with 20% of its population aged 65 and above. 'We can predict that life expectancy will increase further and we must be prepared to face an ageing population by 2030,' he said. Dementia-friendly spaces Alzheimer's Disease Foundation Malaysia (ADFM) executive committee chairman Tan Sri Hasmah Abdullah said the prevalence of dementia was on the rise in tandem with the growing older adult population. 'ADFM is glad that MBPJ is planning to create more dementia-friendly environments. 'Most individuals with dementia do not fit the stereotype of someone who is confused and living in a nursing home. 'We have people with early to moderate stages of dementia, in their late 30s, who continue to hold jobs and socialise although the nature of their involvement may change as the condition progresses,' she said. As an advocate on issues related to dementia, Hasmah added that the Petaling Jaya New Town murals were helping people with dementia maintain social connections which was crucial for their well-being. 'Our built environment plays an important role in promoting the quality of life for people living with dementia. 'When physical infrastructure includes 'dementia-friendly' design elements, it helps people living with dementia and their families experience numerous benefits. 'These include improved safety, greater independence, opportunities for social engagement, reduced agitation or distress and an overall improved ability to engage in activities of daily life,' she said. One person who has lauded the murals and other outward objects to help people with dementia is a mum who only wants to be known as Madam Sequeira. She said her son, who developed dementia at the age of 38, had experienced changes in the perception of his surroundings. This posed a challenge for him to navigate in public areas, she said. 'But, with the murals and mannequins close to his workplace in Petaling Jaya New Town, he can move around a lot easier,' she said. Another resident, who lives within walking distance of Petaling Jaya New Town, said his 76-year-old mother with dementia felt confident going to the commercial area because of the murals. 'Thanks to the street art, she can now meet up with her friends for tea in the afternoon. 'She is happy, less isolated and more connected,' said the retired real estate agent who only wanted to be known as Gomez. Selangor Council of Welfare and Social Development vice-chairman Datin Paduka Khatijah Sulaiman (SCWSD) called for additional wayfinding measures to better support ageing communities and reduce the distress caused by cognitive impairment and navigation challenges. 'It is crucial to incorporate dementia-friendly design principles into urban planning and public spaces that cater to the exact needs of those with dementia, including visual cues, colour-zoning and clear signage,' said Khatijah She also called for more awareness efforts, including workshops, to foster supportive environments for people living with dementia and enhance public understanding of the condition. She said such initiatives can create 'dementia-friendly communities' and create an inclusive society. Khatijah added that it was important to work with local authorities in Selangor for a wider reach. 'Urban planning and design contribute to making public spaces more accessible for all residents, including those with cognitive impairments. Khatijah said while SCWSD was working with MBPJ to organise workshops, it needed the involvement of all stakeholders to foster greater involvement.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Planning for greying Petaling Jaya
Mohamad Zahri (second left) and Petaling Jaya deputy mayor Aznan Hassan giving tokens of appreciation to senior citizens during the unveiling of the draft Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030 during a community event in Taman Aman. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star A FIVE-year action plan has been drafted to transform Petaling Jaya into an age-friendly, caring and inclusive city. Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) unveiled the draft of its Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030, including the 'PJ Food with Love' programme at a community event in Taman Aman. In a statement, MBPJ said the city, which is among the earliest urban settlements in Selangor, is now facing the reality of a rapidly greying population with 12.6% of residents aged over 65. Neighbourhoods such as Section 17, Section 19, SS3, Taman Medan and Kampung Tunku are seeing some of the highest concentrations of senior citizens. This reality demands strategic planning and the provision of a more holistic, inclusive and sustainable community care support system. Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the plan was a comprehensive strategy for building a high-impact care ecosystem. 'This plan not only focuses on providing services but also touches on caregiver professionalism, facilitating care centre licences and compliance, developing care data and technology as well as economic opportunities,' he said. The mayor added that the plan would facilitate cross-sector collaboration between the government, communities, non-governmental organisations and the private sector in realising Petaling Jaya's aspirations of become a caring, age-friendly and inclusive city. The Care Economy Action Plan 2025-2030 is aligned with the state government's policy but has been localised to meet the city's needs. It was developed through extensive engagement with community members, government agencies, NGOs and operators of more than 200 care centres. Stakeholders came together during a February workshop and again in May at a technical working group session to ensure the strategy is grounded in reality. The 'PJ Food with Love' programme, meanwhile, is aimed at senior citizens living alone who may be especially vulnerable. This programme is implemented through a strategic collaboration with Association for Residential Aged Care Operators of Malaysia (Agecope) Selangor, ManagedCare Sdn Bhd and Le Maison Blissful. The initiative will deliver nutritious meals to homes, ensure regular health checks by medical teams and provide panic buttons for emergencies. Volunteers from Agecope Selangor will make weekly phone calls to check on recipients. Corporate partners such as Sunway Integrated Properties Sdn Bhd have contributed food and souvenirs for beneficiaries.
The Star
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
PJ anniversary fosters community ties, teamwork
Participants of the Mayor's Cup Tenpin Bowling Championship representing 17 local councils and 18 strategic partners from enforcement-related government agencies in Bandar Sunway. Bowling championship, tower run and football tourney among events commemorating 19th year of city status Cooperation, camaraderie and competition were the buzzwords during the month-long celebration to mark the 19th city-status anniversary of Petaling Jaya, Selangor. These were evident in sports-related events organised by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), which included the Mayor's Cup Tenpin Bowling Championship with Strategic Partners and Local Authorities, PJ Tower Run, PJ 10K Run and Petaling Jaya Mayor's Cup Community Football Tournament. In the bowling event, 175 participants representing 12 local councils in Selangor, seven local councils outside Selangor and 18 strategic partners from enforcement-related government agencies took to the lanes. 'This inaugural championship is one of MBPJ's initiatives to continue strengthening cooperation between enforcement agencies in Selangor and throughout Malaysia,' Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said in his speech at the event in Bandar Sunway. Mohamad Zahri (centre) posing with cosplay runners at PJ Tower Run 2025. The championship consisted of three rounds and four categories, namely Mixed Team, VIP Individual, High Game and High Series, with over RM3,000 in prizes. The Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters team was crowned champion in the Mixed Team category. The second to fifth placed winners in the category were Selangor State Police Headquarters, Shah Alam City Council, Sepang Municipal Council and Seremban City Council. The third edition of PJ Tower Run offered participants an opportunity to test their endurance up 552 steps over 25 floors of Menara MBPJ. The run featured a two-round, knock-out competition format, where the 10 fastest runners in each category advance to the final. This year saw 215 runners from various age groups and backgrounds participating. The race featured eight categories: Men's Elite, Women's Elite, Men's Open (16-39 years), Men's Veteran (40 years and above), Women's Open (16-39 years), Women's Veteran (40 years and above), VIP and Children. Chenmoh FC taking on KSR Seratarata on their way to winning the Mayor's Cup football tournament. Malaysia's tower running champion Soh Wai Ching successfully defended his title in the Men's Open category, while Michele Tan won in the Women's Open category, each receiving a cash prize of RM500. Winners in the Veteran categories received RM350 each, while the VIP and Children's categories offered top prizes of RM250 and RM150, respectively. 'PJ Tower Run also acts as a pathway for participants to earn qualification points and improve their rankings in the global tower running list, making it an internationally recognised event,' said MBPJ Corporate Communications Unit in a statement. In the Mayor's Cup football tournament, Chenmoh FC defeated KSR Seratarata 2-0 in the final to take the top prize of RM3,000 and trophy. Cannon FC placed third and Free Agent FC were fourth in the event between Petaling Jaya clubs and community groups. MBPJ lined up some 30 events throughout last month to mark the anniversary celebration. Petaling Jaya received city status on June 20, 2006, making it the second city in Selangor after Shah Alam.
The Star
26-06-2025
- The Star
Errant MBPJ staff to be dealt with
PETALING Jaya City Council (MBPJ) officers have been warned to expedite handling ratepayers' complaints or be given show-cause letters. Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said this was to tackle delays as well as boost accountability within MBPJ amid growing public discontent, especially with the increase in assessment rates this year. He said officers must address complaints lodged through the Public Complaints Management System (Sispaa) in a speedy manner. 'For example, if the complaint was lodged in March and if in June there is no response, I will issue the letter. 'The staff will have seven days to show reasons as to why they didn't take any action or reply to the complaint. 'The staff must provide answers and if I cannot accept their reasoning, I will take disciplinary action,' Mohamad Zahri said at the city council's full board meeting at MBPJ headquarters. He said this in response to Zone 19 councillor Nalina Nair's meeting postponement speech highlighting the lack of response by MBPJ to a complaint about a collapsed drain in SS20. Mohamad Zahri: Staff have seven days to answer show-cause letter. Mohamad Zahri said staff must acknowledge and reply to the complaint and not keep silent. 'People become angry because there is no reply to their complaints. 'We also need to give a reasonable time estimate as to when the problem will be resolved,' he added. At the meeting, Nalina said the collapsed drain in Jalan SS20/6 resulted in a deep hole on the walkway, which was dangerous. The first complaint, she said, was made by residents in February this year, but there was no response, and in April, when councillor Yip Sean Yi followed up, again no clear answer was provided. 'On June 12, I raised this matter in the Infrastructure, Traffic and Public Facilities committee meeting, but was told that the department had not been to the location to assess the problem or propose a solution. 'On June 17, this matter was brought up again but the answer received was still lacklustre. 'Finally, after a few councillors and I went to the location, took photos and forwarded the complaints in the Councillor Complaints Whatsapp group, action was taken the next day.' Nalina stressed that the increase in assessment rates meant that people expected faster, more transparent and more effective work from MBPJ. 'Their complaints must be answered promptly and repair works carried out properly with continuous monitoring,' she said. She cited another example of a complaint regarding a broken bench at a park in Section 1. 'The usual answer given in meetings is that there is no allocation, whereas small works to remove dangerous objects from public areas do not require large expenditure. The collapsed drain in Jalan SS20/6 resulted in a deep hole on the walkway. — Courtesy photos 'We need to rethink the process of budget management, contractor appointment, and work implementation so that the effectiveness of the work can be improved and allocation used wisely,' she added. On the issue of dengue cases in Petaling Jaya, Mohamad Zahri said a total of 1,194 cases had been reported as of June 7, which was an 18% increase compared to the previous week. 'Currently, 19 outbreak localities have been identified, including two hotspots, reflecting the urgent need to improve comprehensive dengue prevention and control. 'Among the main contributing factors to the increase in dengue cases are low environmental cleanliness, illegal gardens, empty houses and abandoned reserve lands. 'This situation is further exacerbated by the careless attitude of a few communities who are less aware of the dangers of dengue,' he said in his speech at the meeting. Mohamad Zahri said Petaling district was among areas with the highest cases in Selangor, while Damansara Damai was the main contributor to cases under MBPJ's jurisdiction. 'In this area, there are 15 high-rise housing clusters comprising 14,477 residential units, with high population density becoming a risk factor for dengue transmission,' he said.
The Star
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
PJ mayor: Bukit Gasing development has approval
One of the Bukit Gasing bungalow lots under construction, with Petaling Jaya city in the background. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star DEVELOPMENT of bungalows at Bukit Gasing in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, was approved as their plans met all the set criteria by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), says the mayor. Mohamad Zahri Samingon said the development was located on private land. 'It (the project) is on land that can be developed. 'There is clear delineation of the border with the (Bukit Gasing) forest reserve. 'Those who have received the development order passed all the criteria, including the One-Stop Centre (OSC) planning approval,' he said when commenting on a recent peaceful protest by Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka), Petaling Jaya residents and Bukit Gasing hikers outside MBPJ headquarters. The group had presented a memorandum to MBPJ representatives, urging the city council to halt all hillside development. Peka secretary-general Vimala Raghavan had said that bungalows were being built on the hill, with some having done extensive land clearing. Mohamad Zahri: The draft action plan was developed in stages. The memorandum also called on MBPJ to make public any approvals granted for the development project. Mohamad Zahri said two lots that were under construction on the hill did not encroach into the gazetted forest area. Following the memorandum handover last week, Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran had said that the forest reserve of Bukit Gasing remained intact as it has been gazetted. In his social media post, Rajiv said the southern part of the hill contained several roads and bungalow lots, and the roads in question were Jalan 5/64, Jalan 5/66 (leading up to the Sivan Temple), and Jalan 5/60 (leading up to Fraser Tower). Mohamad Zahri was speaking to reporters after a briefing on the Draft Petaling Jaya Care Economy Action Plan 2026-2030 and the launch the 'PJ Food with Love' programme at Taman Aman Park basketball court. He said the draft action plan was developed in stages, involving sessions with stakeholders including 200 care centre operators at a workshop on Feb 10. This was followed by another session with 70 representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and internal departments of MBPJ in the technical working group on May 6. The collaborative approach ensured that the drafted plan reflected the needs of the community and could be implemented effectively, said Mohamad Zahri.
