Residents against housing project at park

Residents against housing project at park
17/04/2005 The Star

PETALING JAYA: Several hundred Taman Metropolitan Batu residents at 5th mile Jalan Ipoh in Kuala Lumpur plan to protest against a proposed project to build semi-detached houses at a recreational park within the residential area.

Taman Mastiara Residents Association committee member Liew Kong Yong said the residents were against the proposal to build 48 semi-detached houses at the park.

The residents plan to gather at the park at 7.30am today. He said the park was a place for residents, especially those from Jinjang and Kepong, to exercise and relax.

“We want to save the park because it’s a beautiful place.” He said the local council had approved the project, which will take up 2.7ha of land.

Liew also said Batu MP Ng Lip Yong had visited the park on April 8 together with the developer, adding that Ng had promised to get back to the residents.

When contacted, Ng said the onus was on the KL City Hall to explain to the residents the confusion over who owns the land. He said after looking at the land title, he found that the piece of 2.7ha land belonged to the Government but was developed by City Hall without its approval.

“It was City Hall that encroached into the land. So when the developer applied for the land, it was approved.” He added that he had asked the developers to meet with the residents to solve the matter.