Planning brighter future for Buntong

BUNTONG residents can look forward to positive improvements and better living standards with several development projects taking shape.

Located just a few minutes’ drive from Ipoh’s city centre, Buntong is famed for its array of kacang putih (Indian snacks) as well as crunchy bean sprouts.

Assemblyman M. Thulsi said several projects had been planned to make Buntong cleaner, greener and safer as well as to upgrade its infrastructure.

Kampung Kacang Putih is one of Buntong’s tourism assets.

Thulsi said her service centre team would work closely with Ipoh City Council councillors K. Sivam and P. Lawrence to ensure Buntong’s development benefitted the people.

She said improvements on roads and drains were basic necessities locals had asked for.

“Upgrading the dilapidated 70-year-old Buntong market is a major project that needs to be looked into.

“It is in need of urgent repairs. I have requested the Ipoh mayor’s as well as Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming’s help in this matter.

Thulsi’s main goal is to build a new market in Buntong.

“My target is for a new market to be built in two years’ time,” she said during an interview at her service centre in Buntong.

Thulsi, who is a lawyer by profession, said traders and market goers were asking for a new market because it was difficult to trade in a place with leaking gutters, broken flooring and poor ventilation.

Although the roofing was replaced in 2021, she said, common complaints from traders and consumers included the market being hot and stuffy.

“New ceiling, ventilation fans, additional lighting and having fire extinguishers in place are among basic upgrades that have taken place.

“We are trying to get an allocation to repair gutters because the floor gets wet when it rains, and people have slipped and fallen.”

The newly resurfaced Jalan Kledang Utara.

Thulsi said the market perimeter had improved after she requested rubbish collection to be carried out twice a day.

“The surroundings are much cleaner,” she said.

Vegetable seller S. Kalaimani, 64, who has been trading at the site for 25 years, is happy with the proposal for a new market.

“However, I hope it remains a single-storey market because it is not easy for senior citizens to climb up stairs if a double-storey building is constructed,” she said.

“The market is also hot and stuffy ever since the roofing was replaced. I hope this is looked into,” she added.

Niraimugan: Market’s unkempt condition is keeping customers away.

Fruit seller Joe Lee, 62, a trader of 10 years’ standing, wants leaking gutters replaced and some other matters looked into.

“I am glad more lighting was installed, but the issue of stray dogs still persists,” she said.

Newspaper vendor M. Arunasalam, 71, welcomed the idea of a modern market.

“It is pointless to continue fixing up the market every now and then,” said Arunasalam, who has been trading there for 35 years.

Roti canai seller P. Niraimugan, 66, said business was slow as the market’s unkempt conditions kept customers away.

“There are stray dogs roaming around, the gutters leak and people feel uncomfortable eating there,” he added.

On another matter, Thulsi said the resurfacing of a 1.8km stretch of Jalan Sungai Pari had made motorists happy.

Poles at the futsal court getting a fresh coat of paint.

She said the ministry provided an RM500,000 allocation, while she had set aside RM100,000 from her constituency allocation.

“This is the first time the main road has been resurfaced as usually only road patching works are carried out,” she added.

Furthermore, a 30-year-old flooding problem on Lorong Isaac, off Jalan Sungai Pari is expected to come to an end with a new drainage system.

Thulsi said the RM100,000 project, once completed, would address the flooding and hopefully, in consequence, reduce the number of dengue cases.

“The drainage system here is between 50 and 60 years old and this part of Buntong is in need of urgent attention.”

She also said Public Works Department’s (JKR) funding of RM1.6mil was utilised to resurface a 1km-stretch along Jalan Kledang Utara which had been filled with potholes.

“Proper street lamps were also installed,” she said.

The suburb nestles at the foot of hills surrounding Ipoh.

While those were major issues facing the suburb, Thulsi said minor issues and complaints raised by the public would not be overlooked.

“When we receive complaints, we will try to solve the matter. If we are unable to do so immediately, we will work towards it,” she said.

Part of Thulsi’s focus is on facilities for the people.

This includes an ongoing upgrade to a dilapidated outdoor futsal court in Kampung Baru Buntong which involved installing new flooring and fencing, painting poles and fixing the goal posts.

The RM100,000 project is being funded by the state government.

“The futsal court cannot be used because it is severely damaged and unsafe.

Lee wants leaking gutters replaced at the market.“Future plans include having better exercise equipment and facilities at public fields in Buntong, both for senior citizens and children,” she added.

She said Buntong had a lot of potential, was well connected geographically because of its proximity to access roads to other places, and was a safe place in which to live.

She has also made educating people and raising awareness about rubbish and waste management a priority, having seen many people throw rubbish out of their cars.

She had even reprimanded a few. “A few weeks ago, I approached a young woman who had thrown tissue paper out of the car she was driving.

“When I asked her why she did so, she frowned at me and threw more tissues out, as well as an empty drink box, before driving off.

“These are attitudes which I find very difficult to deal with.”

Thulsi said 1,300 rubbish bins were recently provided to constituents to address the problem of rubbish accumulating on road corners.

“We do not come across incidents of rubbish piling up by the roadside or road corners much these days. It has significantly gone down.”

The assemblyman revealed that she was also working towards making Kampung Kacang Putih more visible as a tourist destination, and was linking up with the Tourism Ministry as well as Tourism Perak on ways to promote Buntong.

“I am trying to promote Buntong as a food destination.

“Maybe we can do more through travel fairs and tourism programmes since 2023 is Visit Ipoh Year and 2024 is Visit Perak Year,” she added.

On a community level, Thulsi is also working on programmes involving women, schools, health and legal aid.

She is trying to secure funds for a period poverty programme which will make hygiene products for women available at her service centre.

Kalaimani welcomes the idea of a new market.“I have learned that some women skip work because they do not have sanitary products.”

She is also hoping to work with young girls on educating them on issues related to puberty.

Her team has also provided allocations to 16 primary and secondary schools in Buntong.

“I am working closely with the Education Ministry to ensure Tamil and Chinese schools in Buntong receive special allocations set aside for infrastructure maintenance.

“Some schools have been neglected for the past three years as they did not receive funding and are in need of help.”

Her office is also working with Buntong Health Clinic, which runs an efficient quit smoking programme, to encourage people to give up the habit.

Free legal aid is also provided as a service with the help of a dedicated team of lawyers.

“They offer free consultation to Buntong residents once a month and so far, up to 200 people have sought help,” she said.

On some of the challenges she faced, the assemblyman included the frequent theft of telecommunications underground cables by syndicates.

Thulsi also emphasised that she did not want to go it alone.

Groups with ideas on empowering the community are invited to share their thoughts.

“I don’t want to be the sole driving force in Buntong, so I welcome interested groups to approach me and share ideas.

“If they need support logistically or financially, I will help but the core effort should be community-driven.”

As an example, she cited the setting up of the first Automated Teller Machine (ATM) at a store near Kampung Kacang Putih.

This effort materialised through the efforts of a non-governmental organisation.