MANY Malaysians thought after the general election on May 9 last year, many things would change.

But it is very difficult to change especially work culture, habits and mindset, except for a few.

The Taman Rimba Kiara proposed property development project in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur may well be the only project that has to get cabinet approval despite pending appeal process and ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Residents have protested this project since 2015 and have tried every trick in the book. 

Let us follow the lessons learned from this controversial project.

Protests do not mean anything when numbers are small unless there are a sea of people like the rally against the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

Rule of law does not apply.

The appeal in the court is only due in September and there is an ongoing MACC investigation but the minister has come up with a proposal to proceed with the project albeit at reduced size.

The proposal by the residents’ association and the member of parliament from Segambut do not count and he calls it win-win situation. Who wins?  

A peculiar thing happened in this case where the minister has to transfer the responsibility to decide to the cabinet even before the appeal process and MACC investigations are finalised.

I wonder how the minister is going to sort out the Kg Baru development issue which is definitely much bigger and more complex if he cannot even handle the Taman Rimba Kiara issue.

Sections 21 and 22 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (public hearings of objections in any application for planning permission) and Rule 5 (public hearings involving increase in residential density or change of land use) are just sections and clauses included to make an Act complete.

The voices of the people are irrelevant compared to developers.

Is there democracy in the new Malaysia? Yes, we changed the government. It also depends whether you are a big developer or a small group of residents.

I can only assume Taman Rimba Kiara is the minister’s current biggest headache because he has made lots of statements on this issue and now his press secretary has come to the rescue.

This is reminiscent of the previous government.

I wonder how the minister can could put a huge sum as compensation to the developer if the project is cancelled, not knowing whether the developer would sue.

It should not be compensation but essentially a refund on what was paid earlier.

Was an alternative site proposed to the developer to avoid the refund? I guess it will not be as attractive as a postcode bearing the number 60000.

Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan is a welfare arm where funding is through its own initiatives and investments including joint venture developments with the private sector and land sales.

The foundation is a company limited by guarantee without share capital.

There have been allegations about deals were carried out without an open tender and below market price.

Interestingly, the very first press conference since the foundation’s establishment in 1986 only happened a few days ago.

There is now a need to have proper audit of the accounts and review the structure and composition of its board of trustees.

It must be a first in Malaysia when a minister and the Segambut MP (who is also a deputy minister) is not on the same page on the Taman Rimba Kiara issue.

I would like to look at it positively, showing that our beloved country is moving towards a mature democracy.

Surely we have learned a lot, what say you? – June 12, 2019.

* Saleh Mohammed reads The Malaysian Insight.