KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 – Two separate groups today issued their statement of protest, seeking answers on the proposed conversion of lands respectively in Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam, with one addressed to the Dewan Bandaraya of Kuala Lumpur and the other to the Speaker of Selangor State Assembly.
In Kuala Lumpur, Member of Parliament for Segambut Hannah Yeoh held a joint press conference with the residents associations of Desa Sri Hartamas here to protest a plan for a mixed development project (infrastructures and utilities, Government institutions and commercial buildings) on the plots of land, namely Lot PT. 9433, PT. 9439 and Lot 481720 in Jalan Sri Hartamas 22, Desa Sri Hartamas, a district here.
The following is a link to Hannah Yeoh’s full explanation of the issue involved, including questions on why DBKL has not followed several regulations related to the proposed plans, the due Environmental Impact Assessment, as well as the consequences the development will bring not only to residents living around the area, but the impact it would leave such as possible future floods in the city: https://www.facebook.com/hannahyeoh/videos/502325184992191
In Shah Alam, Otai Reformis 1998 handed over a memorandum to the Selangor State Assembly Speaker, Ng Suee Lim seeking a special sitting in the state assembly to discuss the degazettement of over 400 hectares of the Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve, the proposed Sg Rasau water treatment plant as well as the costly renovation plan for the Shah Alam Stadium.
Otai Reformasi Secretary Abdul Razak Ismail said the Menteri Besar of Selangor Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had been flimsy on the issue of the Shah Alam Stadium with inconsistent statements from an initial plan to bring down the stadium and build a new stadium.
Later, following protests from some NGOs, this was changed to repairing the stadium with a cost of RM787 million and finally after more protests from several parties about the high cost of repair, it was later stated that the cost also included the repair of the Melawati Stadium, Abdul Razak told a press conference held in front of the Selangor state government office in Shah Alam today.
Abdul Razak also refuted claims that the December floods in Selangor resulted floods in destroying the Melawati Stadium.
The stadium is located in an elevated area and the floods could not have destroyed the place, he said.
On the development of the RM2 billion Rasau River Water Treatment Plant, he said it must be reviewed, as the RM2 billion was the initial projected cost of the plant and this could go up to as much as RM6.47 billion. Besides the water for treatment will be taken from the highly polluted Klang River, he said.
The manner in which the contract was awarded was also not transparent as there were no open tender involved, he said.
He also questioned the number of forest areas that had been degazetted in Selangor state without any compliance to regulations, including the North Kuala Langat Forest Reserve, South Kuala Langat Forest Reserve, Bukit Lagong and Bukit Cherakah.
He also took to task the state government for backdating the plan to degazette the Bukit Cherakah area that had been initiated by a previous government under the administration of former Menteri Besar Khir Toyo.
— WE