KUALA LUMPUR: The Save Ampang Park campaign moved up a gear today with 63 strata title owners filing an application for a judicial review, which includes a stay on land enquiry proceedings, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
This will buy the owners some time to negotiate towards a mutual agreement, as they are facing an eviction process that begins on April 1.
Ampang Park is earmarked for demolition to make way for an underground walkway serving the MRT 2 line.
If the judicial review application filed by the legal team representing the Ampang Park 1Malaysia Traders Association (AP1MTA) led by Jason Ng is granted, the majority of the Ampang Park land owners will then have their say and look to spare the building from what they term as unnecessary demolition.
"We just want justice and for Ampang Park to be preserved," said AP1MTA representative Dr Dzulkhaini Hussain.
"In the first place, we were not aware of the plans to demolish Ampang Park and suddenly we were served notices as if to force us out. All that, when there is no need to demolish the building in the first place."
Question marks arose when it surfaced that the acquisition and planned demolition of Ampang Park, which was opened in 1973, was to make way for an underground walkway connecting the planned MRT station and the Jalan Ampang LRT station.
"The construction is 42 feet underground and it doesn't affect Ampang Park, so why did they have to acquire Ampang Park and demolish it? We are not against the MRT station, we just want to be heard and for Ampang Park to be preserved," said Dr Dzulkhaini.
It has been a year-long dispute between the AP1MTA and the Ampang Park Management Committee (appointed by developers Low Keng Huat Brothers Realty Sdn Bhd), who were reported to have negotiated and agreed to the land acquisition with Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp).
The judicial review application had the support of 149 of the 250 Ampang Park tennants, of which 63 owners hold strata titles to outlets at the 43-year old building. The remaining units are owned and leased out by the developers.
Ng, having filed the application, said the procedure would both buy time and allow for the tennants to have their voices heard in a bid to save the shopping mall from demolition.
"The land enquiry process has commenced between Dec 1 and Dec 23 last year. However, it has been adjourned to another date, which we believe will be after the Chinese New Year," said Ng.
"Now, we are applying for the judicial review in which, among others, there are a few declarations for which we are seeking the court's grant, including a stay on the land enquiry proceedings.
"This is in order for the MRT Corp and the land owners of Ampang Park to negotiate an amicable solution towards a win-win situation under a mutual agreement."
He said a similar outcome had been achieved in a similar dispute in Jalan Bukit Bintang, thus there was no reason why the same could not be achieved in Ampang Park.
"It saved the land owners' buildings from being demolished, while the LRT station still commenced. We have to make it clear that we are not against the government's decision to construct the MRT station," said Ng.
"In fact, the land owners are supportive of the MRT station. All we want is for them to not demolish Ampang Park. It is their livelihoods and also an historic monument in Kuala Lumpur.
"Furthermore, since the construction is underground, it does not affect Ampang Park, so there is no need to demolish it."