KUALA LUMPUR: The majority of residents in Kampung Sungai Baru are hoping that the redevelopment project of the area will proceed as soon as possible.
They also hoped baseless allegations related to the development in the area would stop, Buletin TV3 reported.
Kampung Sungai Baru property owners welfare association acting chairman Sanita Yunus said she felt compelled to respond to all the slander from certain parties claiming that the majority of residents want to sell the Malay-owned land.
"We already know that the land has been handed over to the developer, and we, as joint venture partners, also have rights to the land for development."
Another houseowner, Raja Iskandar Raja Abd Hamid, said he wanted the redevelopment to go ahead as it means better facilities for all the residents.
"All this while, I have been living in an area like a ghetto. It's an area with not very good conditions, surrounded by abandoned and dilapidated buildings.
"The reason I am participating in this development is to get better housing facilities," he said.
On July 10, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said that the long-awaited redevelopment project, delayed for eight years, is set to commence by year-end following approval of the development order (DO) by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Dr Zaliha was also reported as saying that support for the redevelopment has been split into two groups, where a majority agreed to the developer's joint venture (JV) agreement, and a minority group was dissatisfied with the compensation for the land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act 1960.
She said that the ratio between the majority and the minority was 66.77 per cent to 33.23 per cent.
Meanwhile, Titiwangsa member of parliament Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said he wants the developer to prioritise the welfare of the majority of Kampung Sungai Baru flat residents who are currently residing temporarily at Kerinchi Residency.
"Ninety-five per cent of them have moved and want their homes back, but they don't want to wait for six years. They've already waited for almost seven years.
"They face significant problems because of the temporary housing situation. They want to return to homes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two parking spaces.
"I am now looking at the interests of 95 per cent of the residents, so we need to resolve this. These issues must be addressed," he told Buletin TV3.
He said the residents can no longer bear living there, where the toilets are unusable, there are no lifts, and the conditions are unacceptable.
"In my opinion, we must find a solution that provides a win-win situation for everyone," he said.