KUALA LUMPUR: The ‘Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group’ has criticised former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor for denying that Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan was not involved in transferring state land in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI).
Tengku Adnan was previously quoted by Malaysiakini as saying that the foundation was not involved in the land transfer and thus, had no knowledge of the matter.
In a statement today, ‘Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group’ coordinator Leon Koay said it wished to provide a clarification on the issue.
“To highlight the inaccuracies and strange assertions now being made by Tengku Adnan in relation to Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan’s land activities in TTDI, we wish to clarify several facts on this issue.
“In 2014, the foundation somehow procured the issuance of a title to itself (PT 9244) for 4.9 ha out of the 10 ha. This was a purported transfer of state land to Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan.
“The foundation then proceeded to enter into a joint venture with Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Malton Group, to build a mega project on the Carved Out Land (mega project). This Mega Project entailed the construction of one block of 350 units of affordable housing for the Bukit Kiara longhouse community, and eight blocks of 50-storey high-end condominiums (1,800 units) worth RM3 billion,” he said.
Koay said Tengku Adnan had claimed that the project was necessary to ‘subsidise’ affordable housing for the Bukit Kiara longhouse community.
“This claim is a fallacy as the Working Group has already demonstrated that permanent, sustainable housing can be built for the 100 families of the longhouse community for as low as RM15 million, without encroaching the existing green space within Taman Rimba Kiara.
“However, he never bothered to consider this alternative. On November last year, at a townhall in TTDI, he promised a further meeting with the residents to discuss the proposal of alternative housing that would not encroach on the green space. He never kept his promise.
“Former Federal Territories Minister Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan was at the meeting but also failed to even acknowledge our requests for the promised follow-up meeting. It is therefore very rich and egregious of Tengku Adnan to now claim that Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan ‘has no idea’ about the land in TTDI,” he added.
Koay said the matter has been brought to court in the ongoing judicial review application by the residents against Kuala Lumpur City Hall in relation to the land activities.
The judicial review is fixed for June 13 this year before Judge Nordin Hassan.