THINGS are starting to look up for Taman Rimba Kiara (TRK) longhouse residents in Kuala Lumpur, who have been living in wooden homes for 42 years.

After winning a landmark case in the Federal Court this year against a developer, the residents are now seeking permanent housing in the area.

They have requested 200 townhouses and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh is assisting them.

Yeoh said she had met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in May to discuss issues affecting the longhouse residents.

She has presented a few requests, among which was the setting up of a task force comprising the prime minister, longhouse residents, Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP), Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) residents’ association and Yeoh herself.

This, she said, was aimed at finding ways to provide permanent housing (landed/terrace homes) for the longhouse folk.

“It is also to grant permission to conduct a survey and measurement works at the site and regazette TRK (about 10ha) as open space or park,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Yeoh said they are waiting for YWP’s decision on the matter.

Since the court ruling, the residents have been seeking positive news from the government on their request for new homes.

TRK longhouse residents’ association chairman M. Sivakumar said they are grateful to Yeoh for assisting them.

“We were informed by YB (Yeoh) that she had met the PM (Anwar) to explain the plans for the longhouse residents,” he said, adding that Yeoh had submitted a memorandum to Anwar on the matter.

“Now it is pending the PM’s approval for the housing development. There are no projects at the site and the land is available.

“We hope to get some good news from Putrajaya before the Deepavali festivities next month.”

The residents are hoping that the houses will be built on the 1.6ha site they currently occupy.

They have agreed townhouses should be built for the 98 families there.

Sivakumar said they expect a resolution of all administrative issues relating to land titles by the end of the year.  

“If we can settle all the administrative issues by year-end, we expect it to take about two years to build the homes,” he said.

“We hope to be resettled back here in 2026.”

On April 18, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) failed in its appeal to the Federal Court to reinstate the proposed TRK project in TTDI.

The apex court upheld the ruling by the Court of Appeal, which quashed the development order on April 27, 2021.

DBKL, YWP and developer Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd had previously sought for the development order to be reinstated.

TTDI residents had said then the project would destroy 10ha of the remaining green lungs in Kuala Lumpur. – September 14, 2023.