KUALA LUMPUR: Outraged Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) residents held a “picnic protest” at Taman Rimba Kiara over the housing development at the park.
Over 50 residents protested against the preliminary construction works which commenced on March 14, despite a pending judicial review.
TTDI residents’ association vice chairman Clinton Ang said construction works has resulted in more than a dozen trees being uprooted to make way for an alternative route into the park.
“The judicial review is still ongoing and the matter has yet to be decided in court. The decision would be decided in April, so what is with the need to rush?
“This whole park belongs to the people and we are angry the developers are showing no regard to the ongoing judicial review,” he told reporters during the picnic protest today.
TTDI residents gathered at the park with placards saying “Parks are for people not condos” and “Less invasion, more conservation.”
The Kuala Lumpur High Court had granted leave for TTDI community representatives to pursue the judicial review against the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) over the development.
However, just recently the High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Kamaludin Md Said dismissed the stay order by TTDI residents against the project.
“There were more than 300 types of trees that were tagged by the DBKL themselves but the judge said the developer had spent a large sum of money on this project so the stay order wasn’t approved.
Save Kuala Lumpur Coalition (SKL) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Ab Rahman said the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 should be gazetted to avoid from such developments from destroying green areas in the city.
“By demolishing parks like these, we are taking away our trees which are our sources of oxygen.
“The authorities have failed in their duties by not gazetting the draft plan as per the 1982 Federal Territory (Planning) Act which requires that a general structure plan and a more detailed local plan be drafted and gazetted,” he said.
DBKL had issued a notice on the proposed development on a portion of land that is situated within the 189ha Taman Rimba Kiara.
The proposed development involves the building of eight blocks of 42- and 52-storey high-end serviced apartments and a 29-storey affordable housing block, which will provide 350 units of affordable housing for former TTDI longhouse residents.
It was reported that the longhouse residents had been promised affordable housing units to replace their cramped quarters since in 1982.
They have however refused to move and had rejected offers of PPR flats and public housing.