ANTI-GRAFT investigators are looking into allegations of corruption in the redevelopment of Taman Rimba Kiara into luxury apartments, which has led to outrage among residents of the leafy city suburb sitting on the edge of the park. 

For months, residents in the affluent neighbourhood of Taman Tun Dr Ismail have urged the authorities to step in, citing foul play after it was revealed that the apartment blocks were to be built on land marked as public space.

A Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission source told The Malaysian Insight that the commission has started investigations and will call those linked to the development.

They include former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, the developer and City Hall officials.

“I do not want to name anyone. But I just want to say that investigation papers have been opened,” the source said.

“All parties who are involved will be called in to have their statements recorded.”

On Sunday, residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail questioned why no action had taken against Tengku Adnan despite evidence showing that he had a conflict of interest when he approved the project.

Save Taman Rimba Kiara (STRK) coordinator Leon Koay said even the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) had highlighted Tengku Adnan’s conflict of interest in the project that was approved in 2017 amid irregularities.

“What are Pakatan Harapan and the Federal Territories Ministry doing about Ku Nan?” he said, referring to Tengku Adnan by the former minister’s nickname.

“Isn’t (there enough) to show a conflict of interest (in order to take action). What is happening?”  

As the former minister, Tengku Adnan had oversight of Kuala Lumpur City Hall and was also chairman of Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP).

Under him, the land title for Taman Rimba Kiara, which was public land, was transferred to YWP, which then entered into a joint venture with developer Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd to build eight blocks of 42- to 54-storey apartments and one 29-storey block of affordable housing.

City Hall gave the project the green light to proceed in July 2017 despite strong objections from TTDI residents.

Tengku Adnan is facing two charges of receiving RM3 million in bribes linked to a separate development, in Jalan Semarak, Kuala Lumpur, but to date, no action has been brought against him over Taman Rimba Kiara.

Meanwhile, a joint working committee formed to resolve the stalemate over the project is to meet after Chinese New Year.

Its last meeting in December saw Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh reject the developer’s counter-proposal to scale down the condominium buildings from eight to four blocks.

The committee comprises Yeoh, YWP, the ministry and representatives from the TTDI residents’ association and Bukit Kiara longhouse.

The longhouse residents are descendants of rubber tappers who were displaced by a golf course built on their former estate.

They have been promised new homes for more than four decades. The need to provide the longhouse residents with new homes was used to justify Taman Rimba Kiara’s redevelopment. – February 6, 2019.