What’s with October and food courts closure. If you’re already sad because of the impending closure of Subang SS15’s Asia Cafe, be prepared for more heartbreak. It’s not the only iconic food court that’s closing down come October. Ming Tien food court, the iconic almost 24-hour eatery that many Petaling Jaya (PJ) residents will be familiar with, will finally close its doors.
Like the closure of Asia Cafe, the plans for Ming Tien aren’t exactly new. The announcement for its redevelopment was made way back in 2015 and it’s days were numbered. The only saving grace was that there was no set date for its closure and two years since the announcement, Ming Tien seemed to still be going strong.
Alas, the day that PJ residents will lose the familiar 24-hour, open-air eatery is finally coming. Come 31 October 2017, Ming Tien will be no more.
The news of its closure came to us around the same time we found out about the Asia Cafe closure. While Ming Tien’s management did confirm with us that the food court’s closure was imminent, they did not give us a specific date. We did, however, manage to ascertain the last day after talking to various stall owners in Ming Tien.
And it’s not only the iconic food court that’s going to disappear. The other shops surrounding Ming Tien will be closing as well, including the badminton court that houses Michael’s Badminton Academy and the discount store Fun Cheer, though we have yet to ascertain when they’ll be closing exactly.
The building where the pet store, Pet Family was previously located has already undergone demolishment and the Megaherbs supermarket has moved their establishment across the road, next to the 7-11.
And if you’re wondering just what will be replacing this beloved food court and community space, like Asia Cafe, a new mixed-development building will take its place, comprising of a 31-storey serviced apartment, retail and office space. The property developer that’ll be doing it would be PPB Group Bhd, a company under Malaysia’s Richest man, Robert Kuok.
It’s really sad to see old familiar places being torn down to make way for big, sometimes soul-less developments and hopefully, this is the last news we hear of a beloved and iconic eatery being torn down.
UPDATE: So according to Cilisos, Ming Tien closing down would be a bit inaccurate as they’ll be RELOCATING to Cheras instead. According to the site, about 50 hawker stalls will be relocating to Ming Tien Cheras, which is great until you realise that it’ll be at least 22km away, which we’re pretty sure many PJ residents will unlikely be willing to travel to.
Despite it being relocated though, the fact of the matter is, PJ residents will still be losing a long and beloved place to eat, and that’s just sad.
