THE cabinet will decide on the controversial Taman Rimba Kiara re-development once certain ministries have provided feedback, said Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad.

He said six ministries are reviewing proposals listed in the cabinet papers before they are compiled and brought to the cabinet for consideration.

“Once all ministries give their feedback, we will incorporate it and bring it to the cabinet soon,” he said today after giving RM1.5 million to Tahfiz, private and Chinese schools at a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are still waiting for the cabinet paper, for comments from all ministries (involved),” he said.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had in 2016 approved the construction of high-rise apartments on 4.86ha of Taman Rimba Kiara, which was designated as a public open space under the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020.

Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) residents however were unhappy with the project, saying that it would erode a diminishing green lung in the city.

When he became federal territories minister, Khalid mooted a scaled-down plan for the project. The developers agreed but TTDI residents continued to oppose it.

Khalid who is also the Shah Alam MP warned that canceling the project would cost DBKL a sum of RM150 million to compensate the developer.

Khalid had said this issue will be brought to the cabinet by the end of this month.

Residents had expressed fear that the development might encroach into Taman Rimba Kiara as the development comprises eight blocks of high-end apartments and one block of affordable housing for the former Bukit Kiara longhouse residents.

The affordable housing will be in a 17-storey block of 204 units, while four 41-storey to 45-storey blocks will make up the 1,082-unit  high-end apartments of the project.

When the project was first proposed in 2016, it featured eight blocks of 42-storey to 54-storey high-end serviced apartments (2,277 units) and a 29-storey block comprising 350 affordable housing units. – July 14, 2019.