SEPUTEH MP Teresa Kok today denied neglecting the residents of Taman Desa who were affected after a condominium partially collapsed on Friday. 

They have been opposing such overdevelopment in the neighbourhood since 2017, the primary industry minister said. 

She has never ignored her election promises and wants to clarify that the project was approved by City Hall (DBKL) in 2017. 

“The former Seputeh MCA (Chan Quin Er) candidate said the residents here are disappointed with me, because after I became minister I ran away from my responsibilities. 

“I have no say or approval in this project. It was done before my time. I’m not in favour of all these projects. 

“This (approval of projects) was all done during Tengku Adnan’s (former Federal Territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) time,” she said today at the project site in Jalan Desa Bakti 2 today. 

Kok was responding to Chan who said she, Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad and Kuala Lumpur mayor Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan must explain why protests over overdevelopment in the area kept falling on deaf ears.

Kok said she had opposed overdevelopment in Taman Desa, Bukit Desa and Danau Desa even before the 14th general election. 

“We had signature campaigns since 2017. So, to say that I ran away from my responsibilities it is not true. 

“I want to advise (Chan). I don’t like to attack young people, but she needs to be more responsible and do fact checks before making any statements.

“Just because one accident happened, they put the blame on me.”

Kok said she spoke to Nor Hisham and they are relooking into the many projects around Kuala Lumpur that were approved earlier. 

“I want to express my concern over the situation here. My office will work closely with the Taman Desa Residents’ Association and DBKL on what we can do for other projects (here).”

The Department of Safety and Health has also issued a one month stop-work-order on the project.

Taman Desa residents are demanding that an under-construction condominium be torn down if deemed unsafe by the authorities. 

“If there are structural issues, tear the whole damn thing down. Tear it down now,” said Protect Taman Desa spokesman Phillip Phang. 

A portion of the 35-storey The Address 2 condominium collapsed late Friday afternoon, injuring two workers. No fatalities were reported.

On Saturday, Khalid said yesterday that a structural failure may be the cause of the accident.

Construction, with 54 months remaining, has been halted pending an investigation. – February 17, 2020