KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Federal Territories Ministry must explain why Taman Rimba Kiara has been renamed Taman Awam Bukit Kiara, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said.

She shared on Facebook a statement by DBKL saying the name change was “to avoid public confusion”.

Yeoh said this should not be done while a court case over the development of part of Taman Rimba Kiara is ongoing.

“DBKL under the leadership of the new FT Minister (Annuar) cannot do this now when the matter is still before the court.

“This decision has essentially removed ‘Taman Rimba Kiara’ while residents are still fighting to preserve it. Please reverse this decision!” Yeoh wrote on Facebook.

The Malaysian Insight is seeking a response from Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa.

DBKL in its notice said that the public could get confused because there was a large park nearby that is under the purview of the National Landscape Department.

Taman Rimba Kiara, however is under DBKL’s jurisdiction. 

DBKL in 2014 had approved plans to develop of part of the park into nine blocks of high-rise condominiums, as well as affordable housing, under a venture between Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) and Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of developer Malton Bhd.

Barisan Nasional’s Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor was federal territories minister at the time, and the plan has been dogged by allegations of corruption.

Taman Tun Dr Ismail Residents’ Association (TTDIRA) under the Save Taman Rimba group, have said the project will destroy 10ha of one of Kuala Lumpur’s last green lungs, besides adding congestion to the suburb.

Residents are currently appealing against a lower court’s dismissal of their application for a judicial review to challenge the development’s approval.

Under the previous Pakatan Harapan government, Federal Territories minister Khalid Abdul Samad negotiated for a scaled-down project comprising four blocks of serviced apartments and 204 units of affordable housing, but this was rejected by Save Taman Rimba.

They however, want permanent and affordable housing for the nearby longhouse community to proceed, but not with the high-rise condominiums. – July 29, 2020.