TTDI

PETALING JAYA (May 19): The Save Taman Rimba Kiara group has hit out at former federal territories (FT) minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor for claiming that the Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) had “no idea” about a 12-acre parcel in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) that was allegedly transferred to the foundation, calling his claims “very rich and egregious”.

The 12-acre parcel is at the heart of a battle between the neighbourhood’s residents and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) as the land, which is situated within the 25-acre Taman Rimba Kiara park, had been earmarked for a high-rise, high-density residential development.

The group said the foundation had carved out 12 acres out of the park and “somehow procured the issuance of a title to itself” for the 12-acre lot named PT 9244 in 2014.

The foundation had then entered into a joint venture with Malton Bhd subsidiary Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd to develop a “mega project” comprising one block of affordable housing comprising 350 units, which was intended for the resettlement of the Bukit Kiara longhouse residents, and eight 50-storey blocks of high-end condominiums with 1,800 units that have a total GDV of about RM3 billion.

“After having the state land transferred to itself, Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan then proceeded, via Malton Group, to submit the ‘mega project’ development proposal to DBKL for approval. This development proposal was then approved by Datuk Bandar KL via a development order dated 13 July 2017,” it said.

According to the group, Tengku Adnan had by virtue of his ministerial post chaired the foundation, and had direct oversight of DBKL.

Moreover, the mayor also sat on the board of trustees of the foundation and reported directly to Tengku Adnan, it continued.

In addition, the former FT minister had also been reported as saying that the project will go on even prior to the issuance of the development order, it said.

“It is therefore very rich and egregious of Tengku Adnan to now claim that Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan ‘has no idea about the land in TTDI’. Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan has been thick in the action of having state land in TTDI transferred to itself.”

The group noted that the “long outstanding promise of affordable housing” for the residents, which it claimed has been unkept for 35 years, is the justification of the “larger commercial interest” of the development.

“Tengku Adnan has claimed that the mega project is necessary to ‘subsidise’ affordable housing for the Bukit Kiara longhouse community. This claim is a fallacy, as the working group has already demonstrated that permanent, sustainable housing can be built for the 100 families of the longhouse community for as low as RM15 million, without encroaching on the existing green space within Taman Rimba Kiara.

“However, Tengku Adnan never bothered to consider this alternative. In November 2017, at a townhall in TTDI, Tengku Adnan promised a further meeting with TTDI residents to discuss the working group’s proposal of alternative housing that would not encroach on existing green space. He never kept his promise.”

The group said then-deputy FT minister Datuk Dr Logan Bala, who was also present at the townhall meeting, also did not acknowledge their request for a follow-up meeting as promised.

The proposed development at Taman Rimba Kiara is currently undergoing a judicial review, with the full hearing of the judicial review currently fixed for June 13, 2018, before Judge Datuk Nordin Hassan.

On Dec 14, 2017, the KL High Court had dismissed the stay application by residents pending a judicial review of the development order granted by DBKL to Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd, which Malton Bhd holds a 51% stake in.

The residents have been ordered to pay RM40,000 in legal fees incurred in the stay application.

However, despite a pending court hearing, Memang Perkasa had gone ahead to commence construction works in Taman Rimba Kiara , further infuriating the Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents.

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