KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance (Ikhlas) has appealed to the government to intervene against the demolition of the Ampang Park shopping complex.

Its president, Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah, who claimed to be representing 139 of the 253 strata owners, said only Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak could help to revoke the enforcement of the Land Acquisition Act on the complex.

The mall’s demolition is to make way for the construction of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Route 2 from Sungai Buloh to Putrajaya.

Mohd Ridzuan said it would be inappropriate for the shopping complex to be demolished just to make way for an underground walkway connecting the new MRT station to the Ampang Park Light Rail Transit (LRT) station.

"MRT has given its feedback to us that the absolute power (on the demolition) lies in the hands of the prime minister.

"We do not oppose the MRT construction, but we’re objecting the demolition of Ampang Park, and we are confident that the prime minister will help us,” said Mohd Ridzuan after sending the memorandum on the matter to the Federal Territories (FT) Minister’s Office at Menara DBKL here today.

He said the memorandum also contained the signature of over 12,000 voters in Titiwangsa parliamentary constituency who opposed the demolition of the complex.

The NGO also urged FT Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Second Finance Minister Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani, who is also Titiwangsa Member of Parliament, to intervene in resolving the matter.

"We will find various methods to save Ampang Park, we will continue to protest the demolition of the complex,” he said, adding that the shopping complex had been around for over 40 years.

Mohd Ridzuan also claimed that there were elements of bribery involved in the issue and that he would hand over all evident and information to Najib this month. — Bernama