HAVING enjoyed Hyde Park and Central Park in London and New York respectively, a Malaysian cannot but receive the Taman Tugu project with enthusiasm. A social responsibility project undertaken by Khazanah Nasional, it will be located to the back of Tugu Negara and conjoining it, over a land area of 26.7ha. Its first phase, costing RM650 million, will be completed by 2018. A memorial park commemorating the country’s heroes, it is designed as a lush forest reserve of a thousand and more species of tropical trees acting as a green lung for Kuala Lumpur. It will be a recreational park opened to the public without charge, replete with camping sites, jungle treks and jogging tracks, lakes and a water park. Walkways will connect it to the Taman Perdana Botanical Gardens and other tourist attractions in the area, including the National Museum and KL Sentral. From the planned lookout point, there will be a stunning vista of Kuala Lumpur.
On launching the project recently, the prime minister said it complemented the 11th Malaysia Plan and would be part and parcel of the country’s final sprint to Vision 2020, a fully-fledged developed nation with a high-income economy. To be held and run by a public trust, it will be reserved as a public green space in perpetuity. Securing this promise legally, therefore, is a priority so that future vested interests will not be able to overturn the decision on any pretext. The country has witnessed too many examples of ruinous development destroying the ecosystem all in the name of profit.
However, one wonders how well appreciated will this privilege be to the Malaysian public, most especially residents of Klang Valley whose access to Taman Tugu will be made easy when the integrated public transportation system is ready. Will the attitude of not cherishing what comes easy colour their perception? Malaysians are well aware of the mess left behind when the picnic is over. In fact, even protesters claiming heightened awareness have the same attitude towards public property and public cleanliness: careless disregard. The ruined Mossy Forest in Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, is a clear example of the bad attitude of Malaysians.
How can Malaysians then be taught of the ecosystem’s fragile balance which is the thrust behind the idea of Taman Tugu; nurturing a sustainable tropical forest in the heart of the city? With all the leisure activities planned for the park, its attractiveness is in no doubt. That it should be free for all to enjoy is also not doubted. But it remains a concern that Malaysians might ravage it to destruction in a few short years, leaving the way open to developers eager to profit from what is prime land. Environmental awareness is the only way towards ensuring that visitors are there to appreciate the green. Maybe water parks and other boisterous pastimes should be excluded so as to foster a peaceful and tranquil ambience. If at all the family Lido of the Hyde Park’s Serpentine Lake can be emulated. Otherwise, it’s walk, jog and destress.