KUALA LUMPUR, March 7 — Some Kuala Lumpur residents have been purportedly misusing Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) public consultation process to seek personal benefits in exchange for withdrawing objections to proposed developments, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said.

Yeoh said she had been informed that certain individuals were exploiting engagement sessions held for neighbourhood development proposals to make personal demands.

These included requests for discounts on property units, gadgets, cash, vouchers, flight tickets and home renovation work, among other perks.

According to Yeoh, who is the Segambut MP, objections to development projects are sometimes intensified and formally submitted to DBKL if such requests are not met.

However, she noted that the situation was different when residents raised issues that benefited the wider community.

Examples included calls for noise barriers, fencing to improve neighbourhood security, jogging tracks or upgrades to public parks.

“But when the consultation process is abused for personal gain, this cannot be allowed to continue and a firm stance must be taken,” she said in a Facebook post today.

Yeoh added that similar situations could arise in licence applications, particularly where support from residents’ associations or traders’ groups was required.

She stressed that the consultation platforms provided by DBKL were intended to strengthen governance and public participation, and should not be used to pursue private interests.

Developers or licence applicants who encounter such demands are encouraged to report the matter to DBKL’s integrity unit at aduanintegriti@dbkl.gov.my, she said.

Information submitted would enable the mayor and city authorities to assess objections raised against development proposals “more fairly and accurately”, Yeoh added.