JOHOR BARU: The former state government had skipped an essential procedure in the first attempt to acquire land in Kim Teng Park four years ago.
Johor Baru member of parliament Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said this had repercussions, which affected the rights of residents in the 60-year-old housing estate.
He said the move by the previous Barisan Nasional state government effectively prevented any possibility of consultations between Kim Teng Park residents and developers.
“The plan to develop Kim Teng Park was first mobilised in May 2015 via a notice under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960. The provision declares that land is to be acquired and persons interested to attend the enquiry conducted by the land administrator to claim compensation.
“However, the previous state administration made a mistake by skipping an initial process, which is gazettement through notice under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 (on the need to issue a notice that the land may be acquired by a company for redevelopment).
“Because of that, there is no avenue for discussion or consultation between landowners and the developer,” he told the New Sunday Times.
Akmal said in 2015, residents strongly protested the planned acquisition, and the previous state government subsequently cancelled it in October that year.
“The cancellation caused the state government to lose almost RM10 million as there was a violation of agreement with the developer.
“However, in January last year, which was before the general election, the same developer made an agreement with the previous state administration to revive Kim Teng Park’s development plan for a second time without informing the residents.”
Akmal said the residents were the rightful owners of the land, and they needed to be consulted before the acquisition was to be carried out.
“Kim Teng Park is very close to the Rapid Transit System (RTS) link and that means the area will continue to be a major focus in any development effort.
“The homeowners are the legitimate landowners of the area; their voices must be heard and they must receive justice.
“If the development plan in Kim Teng Park cannot be avoided due to public interest, it will be mandatory to pay the landowners a suitable compensation.
“The compensation must take into consideration the value of the development prospects in the area.”
Akmal said after a notice under Section 4 for acquisition was made earlier this year, he held a series of the discussions with residents and their representatives to address the problem.
He added that the local authority should have consulted landowners before the gazettement of the acquisition.
“If it involved the Johor Baru area, then the Johor Baru City Council is responsible for carrying out this process (of consultation) before the gazettement.”