Any development on Subang Ria park would solely be for recreational purposes and must be sustainable, said Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu today.

"It was never meant for commercial development. Any kind of development would have some relation to recreation such as a fitness centre and spa," he explained.

ronnie liu charged in pj court 171108 02 Liu said that his proposal to have "a small part of the park developed" had been taken out of context.

"The residents have misunderstood my comments. I did not propose development for commercial purposes," he said.

He assured the residents that the park would be preserved and maintained in its pristine state.

"We encouraged the developer to beautify the park and upgrade the facilities but they must stick to the rules of land use. It is their right to follow the law to develop a small part of the land,” he said.

Cannot say no to development

He called on the residents to give the proposal careful thought as it was for their benefit.

"We cannot say no to development. The residents must understand that development is for the good of the people," he said.

He urged the residents to form an action group that will participate in a dialogue session with the state government and developers.

"I am fully aware of the aspirations of the people and will see to their requests and demands," he said.

However, he reminded them that the park sits on a private land, owned by Sime UEP Properties Berhad.

"The company has the right to develop the land within the laws,” he said, adding that the state government will issue a statement soon to clarify the matter.

Yesterday, the Subang Jaya Residents Association spurned Liu's proposal to have "a small part of the park" developed.

They argued that their views were not taken into consideration and appealed to the state government to step in and rectify the matter.