AFTER suing over a condominium project in their neighbourhood, Taman Desa residents are up in arms over another development and want the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to look into a proposed 44-storey project.

Philip Phang of the Protect Taman Desa Coalition said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had not been transparent about plans for a new condominium to be built next to the existing Armada Villa.

“There was no proper notification of the development. If DBKL was sincere, they should have informed the residents here first. There is a (condo) management office here for that.

“Their blatant action gives us the perception that there are some elements of corruption in this,” Phang told reporters at a press conference in the Armada Villa Clubhouse in Taman Desa today.

Phang said the 44-storey condominium is to be built on a 1.3 acre plot meant for a playground, and this was against the National Land Code as the project site’s land title states that the land was designated for “Library and Public Park” use.

Residents had done a title search and found an endorsement for ownership transfer from DBKL to a private developer. A further check with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s One Stop Centre found that the site was slated for the proposed condominium.

“The residents of Armada Villa believe that there are irregularities surrounding this project. The question is why is DBKL selling land for public amenities to private developer,” the coalition said in a statement today.

He said the coalition received the cold shoulder when it tried to meet DBKL on the matter on November 3 after learning about the project on their own.

“We found out about the development on October 20. On October 25, DBKL told us that they had already done Rule 5, but we never heard any information regarding this development.”

Rule 5 of the Federal Territory Planning Act requires the Kuala Lumpur mayor to refer to the owners of the land next to a project site through notices in newspapers and by exhibition.

The mayor must also invite objections to the application for development that involves the conversion of land use, zoning or increase in residential density.

This requirement is part of the Planning Development Amendment Rules 1994, a bylaw under the Federal Territory Planning Act 1982.

“That is why we have not only submitted our case to the MACC, but we have also submitted our plea to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Peninsula Malaysia Department of Country and Town Planning,” Phang said.

The Malaysian Insight reported today that as developers seek new land for projects, residents of several area have begun resisting overdevelopment of their suburbs. 

In Taman Desa, 11 residents are suing DBKL for approving a project of three condominium blocks, The Address, on Tenaga Nasional Bhd reserve land.

They are also objecting to 12 other high-density developments in Taman Desa.

“We hope to have a dialogue with DBKL on November 26 about this project. They are supposed to safeguard the residents interests, if they don’t, what’s the point of having them as our local council?,” said Phang. – November 18, 2017.