‘Playing field in Dengkil will be suitable for football’

KAMPUNG Ampar Tenang’s playing field in Dengkil, Selangor will be reduced to a standard-sized football pitch to make way for a commercial development.

Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) president Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain said it had reached an agreement with the landowner, who was also the property developer, to surrender a 90m by 60m football pitch to the council as part of its development condition.

He said there would also be some space around the football pitch.

“The landowner has the right to develop their land according to present guidelines and it has been approved.

“However, we have set a condition that part of the land be developed into a football pitch and surrendered to the municipal council upon completion of the commercial project.

“The project is expected to be completed in 2025,” Abd Hamid said when contacted by StarMetro.

He added that priority would be given to nearby school SJK (T) Ladang Ampar Tenang to use the space.

The field in Kampung Ampar Tenang has been a place where football talents have been cultivated over several decades.

However, the field is located on private land.

News about a development plan caused anxiety among the villagers, especially SJK (T) Ladang Ampar Tenang management as they feared losing the much-loved field.

In an article titled “Residents halt marking of land development” on Aug 31, StarMetro reported that the property developer had agreed to surrender 0.51ha to MPSepang for the field.

The residents were unhappy by the small size of the land as it would not be fit to be used for football matches.

MPSepang councillor Kenneth Lee then raised the matter to Abd Hamid to renegotiate the land size and ensure it could serve as a football pitch.

It was then decided that the field would be of a standard football pitch.

Abd Hamid said the state had also agreed to the new field size.

However, SJK (T) Ladang Ampar Tenang management is going to challenge the decision in court, said school management board chairman Datuk V. Gunalan.

He said they were waiting for the case management to take place.