Country Heights Damansara residents block high-rise project

KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 2): Residents of Country Heights Damansara here are attempting to dash a plan to build two blocks of 41-storey condominiums approved by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) - a decision they deemed to be “arbitrary, illegal and irrational.”

"The initial plan was just to build a club house with a 3-storey commercial strip that has a plot ratio of 1:1, dubbed "SARA Waterfall Commercial Centre"," Teoh Seow Chiew, a member of the Country Heights Damansara Residents Association (CHDRA), told a press conference today.

“Should the 700 condominium units be built, Country Heights Damansara will turned into a high density area with an increase in the plot ratio to 1:6,” Teoh said.

He pointed out that this would add drastically to the traffic congestion to the entrance of Country Heights Damansara, located along Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP).

Segambut Member of Parliament Lim Lip Eng, who was present at the press conference to represent CHDRA, said there was no public consultation for the change of the original plan, with DBKL ignoring letters of objection sent by residents to the authority over the last two years.

Several weeks ago, residents of Country Heights Damansara discovered that site work for the development of the 41-storey condominiums had begun, in spite of their objections.

“There was no public consultation [over this plot of land] although DBKL is aware of the residents’ objection over the last two years. (DBKL) refuses to engage with them,” said Lim.

It is understood that the developer of SARA Waterfall Commercial Centre is a privately-held firm known as Maryland Supreme Sdn Bhd.

There was also a separate attempt in 2012 to alter another development plan in an adjacent commercial plot in Country Heights Damansara for a 13-storey hostel, which was not approved by DBKL on grounds that it clashed with the original plan.

Lim added that he would bring the matter to the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing (FT), and to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission if necessary.

“I will write to the FT ministry today and give them one month to respond,” he said.