Taman Tun Dr. Ismail

Taman Tun Dr Ismail

Taman Tun Dr Ismail is a main township in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Situated on the border of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, it is within the vicinity of Bandar Utama, Damansara Utama, and Mutiara Damansara, (developed suburbs of Petaling Jaya in the state of Selangor). It is also neighbouring Bukit Kiara and Sri Hartamas as well as within easy access to Bangsar and Damansara Heights. This township is in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as its local authority. It is an upper class residential area with some commercial development.

The commonly used appellation is "Taman Tun" or "TTDI". "Taman" means "park" in the Malay language while "Tun" is the most senior federal title awarded by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the most deserving figure who has highly contributed to the nation ."Tun Dr Ismail" was Malaysia's first ambassador to the United States and a Malaysian representative to the United Nations, before becoming Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister.

Background & Progress

The township called Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (but more commonly known as Taman Tun, TTDI or Tun Ismail) came into light during 1973 when two experienced developers teamed up to form a joint venture company called UDA-Seapark Sdn Bhd. One was the Urban Development Authority (UDA), the Government's arm for urban planning and redevelopment while the other is SEA Housing Corp. Sdn Bhd., a prominent private development company headed by the well known philanthropist, the late Tan Sri Lee Yan Lian. SEA Housing was the owner of this 286 hectares piece of old rubber estate land located on the western fringe of Kuala Lumpur right next to the border with Selangor State.

This area at that time was considered rural and thought of as being too far from the metropolitan due to the fact that access via Jalan Damansara then was a narrow and winding road which was unlighted at night. But UDA saw the potential in the area and thus with the joining of forces and expertise of the two giants, the new township was launched and named after the late Tun Dr. Ismail who was an outstanding statesman. According to the developers, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail was conceived not just as a housing scheme but also as a social statement which can be summarised as follows:

"If Malaysians of various races are brought together in pleasant communities, with plenty of opportunities for neighbourly interaction, they will come to be more aware of the things they have in common and less conscious of the aspects in which they differ. If their children grow up together, and mix freely in schools and on the playing fields, they will think of themselves and of each other as Malaysians rather than Malays, Chinese or Indians"

Construction of the township began in 1974 after Kuala Lumpur was created a Federal Territory following its cession to the federal government from the state of Selangor. Taman Tun Dr. Ismail is a self-contained township with freehold tenure with approximately 6,500 housing and commercial units occupying 54% of the land area. The balance of 46% designated for public amenities. The gross development value was approximately RM1.35 Billion during that time. TTDI township consists of mixture of development ranging from landed properties, townhouses, condominiums and commercials with its own landscaped park. TTDI township also provides numerous community facilities to its residents such as schools, colleges, banks, religious amenities, medical institution and etc. Furthermore, it is located strategically and accessible via major highways such as Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) and New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE).

Even though the ownership of the developing company, TTDI Development Sdn Bhd had changed hands over the past decade, the philosophy and objectives behind the development of Taman Tun Dr Ismail remained intact. The Master Plan of Taman Tun had also undergone four major improvements since its inception in 1974 to cater to the changing needs of the residents.

In May 1982, UDA requested for a 1.4 hectare site at Phase 6 for their proposed Dry Market to replace the KL Central Market which was earmarked for a Cultural Centre. Hence a major change to the master plan took place which incorporated the Dry Market, more open spaces, a row of modern looking shop-offices and car parks, an office complex (VADS Plaza), townhouses (Kiara Green and Trellises) and condominiums at the peak of Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (Phase 5E). During the recession of 1986 when the country was facing an economic slowdown which adversely affected the property market, the Management proposed a change to the Phase 5 layout off Jalan Datuk Sulaiman from 183 units of detached bungalows and 88 units of semi-detached bungalows into 580 units of link houses which are within the affordability of a larger portion of income groups and at the same time to be in line with the Government's long term policy of encouraging more home ownership. This layout also includes the provision of extra landscaped open spaces and a high-rise condominium block at the fringes of Taman Tun.

The third major change which was made in August 1988 was to convert the proposed town centre at Phases 7 and 8 off Jalan Burhanuddin Heimi to condominium units based on Resorts living when there was a sudden demand for Kiara Green Townhouses. The fourth major change was for the RM6.5 million Damansara Bypass to ease traffic congestion through the "cowboy town" area and the relocation of the temporary oxidation pond built in 1983 in front of the Modern Dry Market. Residents as well as users of Jalan Damansara in those days of the 1980s would be very familiar with this very odorous landmark. In 1993, this infamous plant was relocated further up the bypass and replaced by a modern mechanised regional sewage treatment plant costing RM10 million. This was followed by the widening of the Jalan Damansara up to the junction with Jalan Leong Yew Koh at a cost of RM4 million. With the above upgrading and also the improvements to the remaining stretches of Jalan Damansara, access to Taman Tun had improved tremendously and it is no wonder that it became a very much sought-after residential area of choice not only by locals, but also foreign expats.

In 1994, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail township was awarded with the FIABCI Award of Distinction for Residential Property, making it one of the most prestigious township not only in Malaysia, but also in the world. The postal code of Taman Tun Dr Ismail is 60000 under the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

Places of interests

Menara IBM was built in 1982. Since 2006, IBM have expanded their Malaysian Headquarters to nearby Persiaran Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, next to 1 Utama. Now, the building is occupied by VADS.

Japan United Stores Company (Jusco) shopping complex, the first shopping complex in this area was opened in 1984. Similarly, Jaya Jusco have relocated to nearby 1 Utama.

Taman Rekreasi Lembah Kiara (formerly 'West Valley Park') located in front of Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (2), is a popular haven for jogging and recreational activities, to both residents and outsiders and is currently being developed in stages to be the "Hyde Park of Kuala Lumpur". This place is also famous for its natural trails and fresh air especially for avid jungle trekkers and mountain bikers.

Rasta @ TTDI is a famous food court in Taman Tun Dr Ismail. It is located at Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi between Esso and Mobil petrol station. However, due to planned redevelopment of its current site, Rasta @ TTDI has re-located to another site at the northern end of Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, on the edge of Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

TTDI Plaza is a new lifestyle building which consists of many new concept stores and designer pubs, bars and restaurants. This place redefines al fresco-style dining whilst incorporating office blocks and residential suites.

Naza World Auto Mall, a modern 3-storey luxury car showroom showcasing imported marques like Ferrari, Porsche and Lexus.

Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC), one of Malaysia's premier country clubs with a 36-hole golf course split between the East Course and West Course. Facilities include night-golfing, a 3-storey fully automated driving range, gym, swimming pools etc.

Bukit Kiara Golf & Equestrian Country Club Resort situated just next to KLGCC, is host to some of Malaysia's top Equestrian activities. Highlights include both an indoor and outdoor basketball court, 7 outdoor and an indoor tennis courts, 3 squash courts and 5 badminton court facilities, swimming pools, health spa and massage, a driving range, a fishing lake, bowling alleys, a polo ground, stables housing race horses and an Equestrian stadium.

Royal Selangor Club Kiara Sport Annexe located adjacent to KLGCC, is another establishment offering similar country club facilities with a huge cricket and hockey ground.

Kelab Golf Perkhidmatan Awam (KGPA) is a 27-hole public golf course next to KLGCC. The club is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur City Centre via Jalan Damansara next to Bukit Kiara, whereupon a grand Roman-pillared white building will unfold right before you.