HAFIZ: His neighbourhood is not as peaceful as before.
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Although professional photographer Hafiz Ismail pines for the peaceful days of old Subang Jaya, there are still pockets of the area which he likes, writes SHEILA SRI PRIYA.
HAFIZ Ismail is a young professional photographer. He holds a honours degree in information technology but his passion is photography. He loves nature for equipping him with great landscapes for his photographs. Hafiz, 27, shares his thoughts about his neighbourhood, Subang Jaya.
Q: How long have you been living in Subang Jaya?
A: In 1987, my family and I moved from Taman Chempaka, Kuala Lumpur to Subang Jaya. I have been living in Subang Jaya since I was six.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I’m a full-time photographer and I do weddings, portraitures and corporate photography.
Q: Where do you go for great outdoor shoots in Subang Jaya?
A: There’s a small park behind my home called Taman Tasik Subang Jaya. It has great landscape and abandoned buildings which provides perfect ambience for my photographs. It’s a great place to jog as well as fish. Though the park is not well taken care of, it suits my photography needs. Sadly, a few months ago the trees were trimmed, leaving a less than perfect scenery for my purposes.
Q: Do you like your neighbourhood?
A: By day I fall out of love with my neighbourhood. I used to love the exclusivity and the quiet, peaceful and serene neighbourhood I once had. Lately, chaotic road planning, highways and reconstruction of roads together with traffic jams is stressing me and my neighbours out. But I love the area where my parent’s home is situated. It’s a gated community away from the chaos. But we have problems with parking.
Q: Name a restaurant you enjoy.
A: That’s a tough one because I don’t normally eat in restaurants in Subang. But when I’m out with my family, our favourite joint is TGI Friday in Subang Parade. My mum is a great cook so I dislike dining out. I used to chill out at Gazebo in SS15. Unfortunately, it has made way for a development project.
Q: How do you avoid traffic in your neighbourhood? Is there a secret route?
A: Not that I am aware of! I am greeted by the highest flyover in Subang Jaya almost daily (it’s still under construction). The worst jam occurs in front of Subang Jaya Medical Centre. And brace yourself for many traffic lights before you reach your destination. Sometimes, I take the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) to Kuala Lumpur, which costs RM3.20 one-way. And to get to the NPE, I use the SS12 route. It’s a matter of planning your trips every day or be caught in the traffic jams.
Q: What improvement would you like to see in your neighbourhood?
A: Development progresses at the cost of chopping down trees. Take residents’ welfare into consideration before construction. Proper town planning can save time and money.
Q: How would you rate your neighbourhood (between 1 and 10)?
A: A “four”. Maybe 20 years ago it was a 10.
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