AMPANG JAYA, Dec 20 — On a clear and quiet morning at Panorama Bukit Antarabangsa here today, the steady thwack of arrows striking targets echoed across the hillside.

As athletes navigated steep slopes and uneven ground during the National Field Archery Championship 2025, couples and families gathered at nearby gazebos — one group even celebrating a birthday — soaking in the sweeping skyline of Kuala Lumpur below.

It was a scene that would have been difficult to imagine nearly 17 years ago.

Once associated with the deadly December 2008 landslide that claimed five lives, destroyed 14 homes and forced the evacuation of some 2,000 residents, the site has since undergone a quiet but deliberate transformation.

Today, the area, officially named Panorama Bukit Antarabangsa, is being positioned by the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) as one of its key public green spaces, aimed at drawing visitors while providing a shared recreational area for the community.

MPAJ deputy president Hasrolnizam Shaari said the effort reflects the local authority’s broader approach to reclaiming underused or neglected spaces and turning them into places that support well-being, creativity and community life.

“In Ampang Jaya, we have gone through various journeys as it has become a focal point for people seeking opportunities in life, to have homes and a living environment.

“Along that journey, we need to provide spaces that align with the values of life and well-being,” he said in his speech at the championship.

According to Hasrolnizam, Panorama Bukit Antarabangsa was previously an area people avoided, largely due to its steep slopes and safety concerns.

But after years of slope stabilisation works carried out between 2009 and 2011, followed by gradual upgrades, the area has begun attracting visitors, first from the local community, and later from further afield.

“People might not have felt comfortable or at ease being here before. 

“So we took the approach of improving the area, stabilising the slopes, ensuring their integrity, and adding facilities so the public can come, spend time, and rest,” he told Malay Mail at the sidelines of the event.

The most recent phase of upgrades began on November 1, 2023 and has since been completed, with MPAJ spending RM447,400 to improve parking facilities at the Bukit Utama site.

The works included the construction of a car park capable of accommodating more than 100 vehicles at any one time, along with related drainage and access improvements.

Panorama Bukit Antarabangsa spans 0.376 acres (1,523 square metres) and sits on state land. 

Beyond parking, the council has installed gazebos, seating areas and visual features, including sculptures, that have since become popular photo spots for visitors.

MPAJ is also planning further enhancements, including an “Instagram frame” landmark, additional seating and soft landscaping, through a direct grant application to upgrade tourism infrastructure in Selangor for 2024. 

A public toilet facility is expected to be built starting January.

Hasrolnizam said the upgrades were carried out with sensitivity to the surrounding neighbourhood, acknowledging concerns such as traffic congestion and visitor safety as numbers grew.

“Our priority was to engage and not inconvenience the local community.

“That is why improvements were done in stages — from earlier efforts in 2011 and 2012, to more recent works in 2023 and 2024,” he said.

The choice of Panorama Bukit Antarabangsa as the venue for this year’s National Field Archery Championship added a timely showcase of how the space could be used beyond sightseeing.

Organised by the Ampang Jaya Archery Club (KMAJ) and Sage Archery Club in collaboration with MPAJ, the championship complies with World Archery standards and is recognised by the National Archery Association of Malaysia and the Sports Commission of Malaysia.

More than 60 participants from across the country — ranging from seasoned athletes to young archers — competed across 22 categories, tackling 24 target checkpoints laid out across the hilly terrain.

Field archery, which involves shooting at varying distances and angles in natural settings, proved particularly suited to the landscape.

“This area is hilly, challenging, but it also offers a beautiful viewpoint and is close to the community,” Hasrolnizam said.

Beyond archery, MPAJ sees potential for other endurance-based and extreme sports, such as trail challenges or BMX, capitalising on the site’s 500- to 600-metre trail from top to bottom.