The Federal Territories Ministry decided to publish the Kuala Lumpur City Plan (KLCP) 2020 on 30 October despite infractions against it in lots of areas, reported The Star.
“When KL MPs were shown the gazetted plan, which was based on the 2015 version, we were told that there were 273 violations across Kuala Lumpur that would be recorded as an addendum in the local plan,” said Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh.
“These violations included changes in plot ratio and zoning. For example, in Segambut, the plot ratio for one site went from four to 10, while a green lung was turned into a mixed housing project.”
Consequently, Yeoh submitted a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over 29 cases of noncompliance for developments in her constituency on Friday (9 Nov).
The latest report serves as supplemental information to the report she lodged in May 2018 against former FT Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, for allegedly having conflict of interest in a project that would infringe on Taman Rimba Kiara.
Then on Saturday (10 Nov), she held a press conference with Save Kuala Lumpur (SKL), a coalition of about 30 residents’ associations in the capital, which is urging the corruption watchdog to investigate the violation of the KL City Plan.
“Land is very expensive in KL, and somebody stands to benefit from making those changes. Although there has been a change in government, it is likely the same officials at Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) who gave approvals for the projects (back then),” she noted.
“When MACC takes action, they can recover money and assets and give them back to KL. “I understand some violations may be difficult to reverse. But where work has not started, such as in Taman Rimba Kiara, the Federal Territories (FT) Minister and KL Mayor have the power to reverse these violations.”
Moreover, Yeoh and the SKL coalition wants MACC to probe who allowed these violations to happen and investigate if there were elements of corruption involved.
“Some of these violations include the sale and transfer of land in Taman Desa, which was designated for a public library and playground but sold to a private developer to build a high-rise condominium,” said SKL Deputy Chairman Datuk M. Ali.
“Another was the alienation and sale of Institut Kesihatan Umum Malaysia land in Bukit Persekutuan to a private developer, and the change of its land use from institutional to mixed commercial.”
The group also wants the authorities to disclose who checked KLCP 2020 and found the 273 violations. “Was it an independent audit? What is the follow-up action on these violations and who will be made responsible for them?”
As for the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2040, the group wants the FT Ministry to ensure that the drafting process for that plan will see greater accountability and transparency.
This is because the SKL coalition was not able to view KLCP 2020 before it was officially gazetted. Changes made to the draft plans in 2008 before it was published in October 2018 were also not shown to the public for consultation.
“We hope that the whole process for KLCP 2040 will be done in a consultative, accountable and transparent manner,” said Ali.
“It should include independent planners, architects and other professionals from outside KL to ensure accountability and transparency, as the previous people involved have working relationships with developers and may not be fully independent.”
The SKL coalition also intends to post comparisons to the draft plan shown in 2008 and the published KLCP 2020 plan on its Facebook page.
Previously, the Barisan Nasional government began working on the KLCP 2020 draft in 1998, then a draft was shown in 2008. While it was said to be ‘finalised’ in 2012, the former administration failed to gazette it.
Furthermore, a spokesperson from the Federal Territories Ministry said in end-October that KLCP 2020 will be revealed to the public on Wednesday (14 Nov) at DBKL’s headquarters in Jalan Raja. Copies are also available for purchase.
Image source: The Star
This article was edited by the editorial team of PropertyGuru. To contact them about this or other stories email editorialteam@propertyguru.com.my
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