KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Petaling Jaya residents have demanded that mayor Datin Paduka Alina Ahmad and four Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) councillors explain why they supported a raft of proposed changes to the Petaling Jaya city blueprint, despite heavy opposition.

In a statement jointly issued by Residents Associations, Rukun Tetangga and Building Management Councils under the Petaling Jaya 1 and 2 local plans (RTPJ 1 and 2), the group said it falls on the mayor and the four dissenting councillors to hold dialogues with stakeholders to explain themselves and “forge better mutual respect and understanding”.

The residents stressed it is only fair that the mayor and the state authority to empathise with their plight as stakeholders, as any amendment to the local draft plans would have a direct impact on their lives.

“In fact, on a broader framework, we demand of the state government and MBPJ a more accountable and transparent consultative and participatory process of engagement with us ratepayers in the way our city is run and managed,” the statement read.

On Tuesday, 13 MBPJ councillors voted to repeal proposed amendments to the RTPJ1 and RTPJ2, on grounds that the changes require further scrutiny and feedback before they can be approved.

Among the amendments to be reviewed were the inclusion of the controversial 20.1km dual carriage Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Highway (Dash) as well as plans to convert several roads in the populous SS2 area into commercial lots.

Alinah and four councillors, however, dissented and it is understood that the mayor will raise the matter with Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali soon.

Selangor Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers later issued a joint statement supporting the decision to repeal amendments to the city plan, saying it was necessary as some proposals were “controversial” and contravened current guidelines for town planning.

The residents today in their statement lauded the “bold and upright” decision to retract and review the amendments, but stressed that it must be followed up with an in-depth investigation on “the background circumstances and factors” that lead to the controversial changes to the local draft plans.

They want particular attention on the inclusion of additional amendments that were not previously put up for public viewing in December last year and the planned blanket removal of planning guidelines without prior consultation, among other issues.

“(We) urge the state government and MBPJ to ensure such debacles do not recur because these last two months had seen heavy, severe drains on the PJ people’s resources and imposed under mental burdens,” read the statement.