THE emergence of a new property development page on social media promoting a scheme in the Taman Rimba Kiara area, which is now a subject of an ongoing court case, has caught the attention of a residents’ association.

The Taman Tun Dr Ismail Residents Association (TTDIRA) said it received several queries on the purported development, where the developer remains unknown. 

“TTDIRA notes the emergence on social media, over the last two days, of a Facebook page promoting a new condominium development purportedly called ‘Residensi Rimba Kiara TTDI’. 

“The photo posted on the FB page in question appears to place the development location within the footprint of Taman Rimba Kiara (or Taman Awam Bukit Kiara after DBKL’s name change).

“The FB page mysteriously fails to identify the developer of this purported ‘Residensi Rimba Kiara TTDI’ and there are no details of any development order or any sales licence for the marketing of this development,” it said in a statement today, adding that there is a form inviting “early bird registrations” but that appears to have been withdrawn.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in 2014 approved plans to develop part of the park into nine blocks of high-rise condominiums, as well as affordable housing, under a venture between Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan and Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of developer Malton Bhd.

Barisan Nasional’s Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was federal territories minister at the time, and the plan has been dogged by allegations of corruption.

TTDIRA, under the Save Taman Rimba group, said the project will destroy 10ha of one of Kuala Lumpur’s last green lungs, besides adding congestion to the suburb.

Residents are currently appealing against a lower court’s dismissal of their application for a judicial review to challenge the development’s approval.

About the Facebook page, TTDIRA said a number of residents have already expressed their objections and negative recommendations directly on the page. 

Under the previous Pakatan Harapan government, federal territories minister Khalid Abdul Samad negotiated for a scaled-down project comprising of four blocks of serviced apartments and 204 units of affordable housing, but Save Taman Rimba rejected it.

They, however, want permanent and affordable housing for the nearby longhouse community to proceed, but not with the high-rise condominiums. – January 15, 2021.