Construction work at the controversial residential project in Taman Rimba Kiara has been stopped after the concerned parties failed to reach an agreement over the development, reported The Star.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) meeting with the joint working committee consisting of government agencies, as well as residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) and the longhouses in Bukit Kiara could not come to a unanimous decision, revealed Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.
“TTDI residents want the project to be scrapped, while the longhouse residents want DBKL to build affordable dwellings under DBKL expenses.”
“I am trying to get a middle ground to downscale the project from eight-blocks of 54-storey high condominium to four blocks of 45-storey high condominium,” he noted.
Khalid told this to reporters at the Menara DBKL after attending the fourth council meeting between city hall and the MP representing various areas in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (8 Jan).
As for the developer, the company has already received the development order for the project. Even if it does not acquiesce to demands of some parties, it still has its legal rights.
“DBKL would have to compensate the developer (if the project is cancelled), but this (money) can be of better use elsewhere,” Khalid explained.
He also refuted allegations that the controversial development will occupy more than half of Taman Rimba Kiara’s area.
“This is not true, as there are still 17 to 20 acres of the park,” said Khalid. In addition, he revealed that the authorities plan to gazette 370 acres in Taman Awam Berskala Besar, so he thinks this is good enough.
In 2016, TTDI residents filed an application for judicial review with the High Court to invalidate the conditional planning permission and development order given by DBKL for the project, as it could lead to the destruction of Taman Rimba Kiara. However, the court denied the application in the following year.
The project comprises nine blocks of luxury serviced residences with a height of 42 to 54 storeys. There is also a 29-storey block containing 350 units of affordable housing for the longhouse residents.
Image source: The Star
Win up to RM3,000 CASH just by sharing your thoughts on the Malaysian property market! Take the PropertyGuru Sentiment Survey here.