Sometime in September former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's home video of his trip to Antarctica was broadcasted by the National Geographic channel.

It was obvious he was enchanted by that bleak windswept continent and its inhabitants. Towards the end of the show he fervently hoped that future generations would understand the need to protect such environments.

Closer to home, that hope is being put to the test at a lush16ha spread of state government land. That test could also prove to be a pivotal point for politics in the country.

Residents of Petaling Jaya's Section 5 have reportedly pioneered an audacious move that could very well herald the arrival of an exciting era in citizen participation in the decision making process at the local level.

Their association, jointly with others in the municipality, has submitted to various government bodies a proposal for a Community Forest Park at the foot of Bukit Gasing.

The land is the site of some government quarters which would be vacated when the relocation to Putrajaya is completed by 2005.

As green areas continue to shrink in Selangor in the face of development such a park would be a boon for the general public, not just those in the PJ area.

The concept's beauty lies in that various schemes have been worked out to make the park self-sustainable and provide free entrance to the public. Something unheard of before.

The details of the proposals were reportedly discussed with the Economic Planning Unit last year before submission to the relevant authorities late last month.

The EPU apparently gave the thumbs up and also provided guidance on how to transform the proposal into reality.

People's power

The fact that urban residents, notorious for their studied indifference to their neighbours, could team up to undertake such a venture is already remarkable. That some could sacrifice their time and effort towards giving body to the concept is outstanding as it is significant.

One major unifying factor could have been the prospect of developers salivating at the prize parcel of greenery.

The residents seized the opportunity provided by Local Agenda 21 (LA21), the venue for them together with businesses and the municipality to thrash out issues for mutual benefit, for the opening for the gambit.

One suspects that the federal government introduced LA21 as a sop to dilute the near regular calls for the reintroduction of local government elections.

And for good reason too, seeing as how local administration efficiency has not enjoyed too high a reputation for quite awhile and not likely to get any better any time soon. This is evidenced by the letters to the press that pillory local administrations.

Or LA21 could be a crafty move to discipline the bureaucracy through the people.

That the concept for the park was under discussion since five years ago shows tenacity of purpose in anticipation of obstacles on the proposal's path to acceptance.

The submission of the proposal could not have come at a more appropriate time as preparations for a general election gather momentum.

If buried in bureaucratic maws or rejected, the idea for the park could easily turn into a campaign issue.

The novelty of the move suggests that a new political force is a'stirring. A certain amount of social cohesiveness and ripening of political maturity appears to have surfaced within the PJ community which boasts both considerable affluence and high level of education.

The heavy-handed approach can no longer intimidate a sophisticated middle-class grown weary of municipal bungles, inefficiency and the all too cozy relationship with big business.

Whatever the motive for the introduction of LA21, it would appear that PJ residents are now pushing it into a new dimension.

Dismissing this show of people's power could be a fatal error for politicians.

Trail blazing phenomenon

Chances are this trail blazing phenomenon could spread to other local government jurisdictions. The irony is if it does, local governments themselves would be the unwitting authors of this chapter in the country's history with their stubborn reluctance to heed legitimate complaints.

They seemed to have kept themselves blind and deaf to the ground shifting change in how the public perceives its relations with the local administration, that of the master not the servant.

It has been a historical fact since the 19th century industrial revolution, the mother of the middle-class that this category of the population has acted as the catalyst for social changes.

And Malaysia cannot hope to escape that inexorable historical wave.

It would really shake up the still feudal minded political class if eventually residents associations across the country decide to field their own nominees in place of those who place self-interest above the people.

Wouldn't that be something?

In the meantime the fate of that 16ha of prime land is being eagerly awaited with a more than touch of anxiety.