HANNAH Yeoh has reiterated that it was premature for Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad to say that cancelling the Taman Rimba Kiara project would cost RM150 million.  

The Segambut MP said the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism had exposed fresh revelation of the conflict of interest in the project and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must look into it. 

“Khalid has quoted a compensation sum. What we want to know is the sum which he quoted must be substantiated with receipts.

“If they had made certain amount of payment, show the receipts and don’t jump the gun. This number must not fall from the sky,” she said at the Parliament lobby today. 

Khalid had said the RM150 million estimation of compensation for developers to cancel the Taman Rimba Kiara condominium project was based on a suit filed by them. 

He said the developers had asked for RM150 million in damages and compensation in a suit filed against the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, when the authorities had revoked the project’s approval.

He was responding to Yeoh’s question regarding the amount payable to the developers, calling the figure “imaginary”. 

Yeoh said the residents’ stance is clear that the development must not encroach in any part of Taman Rimba Kiara.

“We want to maintain Taman Rimba Kiara. It cannot be developed.”

Earlier today, two lawyers – Ambiga Sreenevasan and Derek Fernandez – said the price tag for cancelling the redevelopment of Taman Rimba Kiara may not be RM150 million if it is proven that the project was “tainted with illegality”.

In a joint statement today, Ambiga and Fernandez said contracts that are “tainted with illegality” can be cancelled and terminated without having to take into account its binding terms. – March 27, 2019.