KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet recently agreed to the construction of permanent housing for 98 families at a longhouse in Taman Rimba Kiara after a seven-year wait.
Segambut member of parliament Hannah Yeoh said the construction for the permanent housing would be restricted to the current footprint of the longhouse, which spans about four acres or 1.62 ha, in line with the ruling made by the Federal Court last year.
"The Cabinet has decided on the matter on May 21 and this is the first time a decision prioritising the housing needs of the longhouse residents was made.
"After a seven-year battle in court, residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) can finally have an executive assurance that prioritises new housing for residents of the longhouse while maintaining Taman Rimba Kiara as a green space," said Yeoh, who is youth and sports minister at a press conference in Parliament today.
In 2016, Kuala Lumpur City Hall approved the housing development on the land in Taman Rimba Kiara, which was designated as a public open space under the KL City Plan 2020.
When the project was first proposed in 2016, it comprised eight blocks of 42 to 54-storey high-end serviced apartments comprising 2,277 units and a 29-storey block comprising 350 affordable housing units.
However, residents of TTDI expressed fear that the development might encroach into Taman Rimba Kiara and protested against the proposed high-end development in the area.
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Judge Datuk Nallini Pathmanathan in her judgement said it was incumbent upon the court to protect the public's interest when land allocated for public space is removed from public use and utilised for private ownership.
She also said the court found that the Federal Territory Act and the City Hall's KL City Plan 2020 have been contravened by the issuance of the impugned DO.
However, a local media outlet reported in June this year that the longhouse residents were still awaiting news on the construction of the longhouse; and had hoped that the land status would be concluded by the year's end.