Jalan Cheeseman park is Penang’s first Taman Rekreasi Madani

The Jalan Cheeseman park in Jelutong is Penang’s first Taman Rekreasi Madani. It is the first of six Madani parks in the state to finish.

The Penang government upgraded the park for RM412,580 on about 3,200 sq m of land. Work started on 16 April and finished on 15 October, officials said.

Here is what the park offers, why the old merry-go-round stayed and what comes next.

What the upgraded park offers

The park now has children’s play equipment and six outdoor exercise stations. It also has 10 benches, two solar-powered lights and upgraded walkways.

For safety, the park has a mobile CCTV unit and six bollards to keep vehicles out. State committee chairman Jason H’ng Mooi Lye listed floodlights, signboards and new grass among the upgrades.

Parks nearby are few. In 2024, Jelutong resident Asiah K, 30, said her area had only Bukit Dumbar and Taman Areca.

Ramps and seating for disabled visitors are included. Officials said the design suits senior citizens and people with disabilities.

H’ng called the park the first Taman Madani to finish in Penang. He said the aim is safer, more comfortable and inclusive public spaces.

Meanwhile, the park is the first milestone in the state’s wider effort to upgrade neighbourhood parks.

The council had signalled this push before. MBPP said in 2024 it wanted more neighbourhood and pocket parks. Mayor A. Rajendran said this fits the Penang2030 vision, and the council set aside RM5.2 million for parks that year.

The merry-go-round and the residents

One feature stayed by request. Residents asked for the merry-go-round to stay, officials said.

The merry-go-round is estimated to be more than 50 years old. The park itself dates from 1968.

Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng Soon Siang said the council welcomed the request. The equipment stayed, with safety and appearance upgrades.

The state therefore kept a piece of the neighbourhood’s past while adding new facilities.

Safety also matters to park users. In 2024, resident Nurul Sofia Mohd Sukri, 23, raised worries about lighting, supervision, cleanliness and upkeep. The new park has solar lights and mobile CCTV.

Local councillors and members of the Jalan Masjid Negeri community committee attended the completion. The Jalan Cheeseman park now serves nearby families, but officials gave no opening date for the public.

The other five Madani parks

The state has set aside RM3 million for six Taman Madani projects. There are three each under the two councils, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP).

Two more MBPP parks are in Bayan Lepas. They are on Jalan Kampung Bukit and Lengkok Merbah 3. Their budgets were about RM320,000 and RM381,000, and works were due to run to 4 November.

The three MBSP projects are in Seberang Perai. Works there were due to start in the third week of July and finish by December.

The Taman Rekreasi Madani scheme is a Housing and Local Government Ministry programme. The ministry says it has beaten its annual target of 100 parks since 2024.

Other parks are opening around the country too. For example, S2 Heights Aman opened RM6.8 million parks for families earlier this year.

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