KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 ― The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) acted in “bad faith” when it gave the greenlight for a developer to build a showroom for condominiums in Taman Rimba Kiara while a court case is ongoing, Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents (TTDI) said today.
TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Abdul Hafiz Abu Bakar said residents found out about the approval during court proceedings yesterday.
“We found it out yesterday during the hearing. And we found that DBKL approved the construction of the showhouse at Taman Rimba Kiara and approval was given on November 6, three days after the Bicara Rakyat together with the FT minister, whereby the FT minister gave us the assurance that Taman Rimba Kiara will not be touched,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Abdul Hafiz was referring to the November 3 Bicara Rakyat townhall meeting between TTDI residents and Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, where the latter promised that he would preserve the public park's land.
Abdul Hafiz, who was present during court proceedings yesterday, confirmed that TTDI residents as of today has not seen any construction work by the developer for the property showroom at the project site.
“They have not indicated any timeframe when they are going to work on the showhouse,” he said, referring to the developer.
A check of the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry's One Stop Centre portal showed that the developer had applied on September 11 for a sales gallery or display space on the project site, with DBKL granting a conditional approval on October 5.
Abdul Hafiz is one of 10 plaintiffs who filed a lawsuit on August 11 against the Kuala Lumpur city mayor and DBKL in a bid to stop the condominium project from being built.
The others who sued are management bodies of five TTDI condominiums and four TTDI residents.
Yesterday, the High Court heard intervener applications by landowner Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan, property developer Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd, and the Sunderam longhouse residents association to be made party to the lawsuit.
“During the hearing, the intervener said any judicial review that was applied by us will have financial effect on their part, so that's why judge allowed them to be party to the suit,” Abdul Hafiz said.
According to TTDI residents, the judge allowed them to be made parties to the judicial review, with the judge fixing December 13 to hear the TTDI residents' application for a stay order to suspend DBKL's nod for the condominium project until the end of the lawsuit.
Lawyers for TTDI residents applied yesterday for an interim stay order until December 13 but the judge did not grant this as he felt the hearing for the stay application was not far away.
Abdul Hafiz said he had not received replies for his email on November 6 to seek for a meeting as offered by Tengku Adnan.
“We had the Bicara Rakyat townhall meeting on November 3 where the FT minister gave his phone number and promised that he will meet up residents at his office to discuss further on Taman Rimba Kiara.
“On Monday, I sent an email to him asking for an appointment to meet up with him, but until today, I have not received any response,” he said.
