Residents’ memorandum to City Hall

Residents’ memorandum to City Hall
The Star 26/4/2005 By CHOW HOW BAN

THE Taman Mastiara Housebuyers and Residents’ Association handed over a memorandum on the Batu Metropolitan Park issue to City Hall on Friday (April 22).

The association, on behalf of park users and residents in the area, objected to a proposed development project on a 2.74ha plot next to the park in the residential area. The project involves the construction of 48 semi-detached houses.

On April 17, the association organised a demonstration at the park to protest against the project.

Association president Nadzry Abd Hamid said the park users and residents hoped that Datuk Bandar Datuk Ruslin Hasan would seriously look into the matter.

“It is a test of integrity, transparency and credibility of the local authority. Our committee wants a win-win situation and we will be happy if the mayor can resolve this matter,” he said when met at the City Hall lobby on Friday.

He said although the 2.74ha was given by the Federal Land Commission to the landowner after City Hall built the park in the area, the Federal Territory Land and Minerals Department could find another site for the project.

“Our suggestion is that the land office compensates the developer or landowner with another piece of land elsewhere. We also do not want any loss incurred to the owner or developer,” he said.

“We urge Datuk Bandar and Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad to walk on the field and look for themselves. We do not want sympathy but empathy.”

He said the Government should look into the preservation of green lung which had become scarce and balance of the ecological system in the pursuit of physical development.

The memorandum would be forwarded to Mohd Isa, the Prime Minister's Department and the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Sources close to City Hall said the 28ha park was owned by the Federal Land Commission and maintained by City Hall while the 2.74ha was later given to STLR Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Bhd, for residential purposes in 2003.

They added that a Development Order was granted to the developer, Crystal Hill Properties Sdn Bhd, last year, for building 48 units of semi-detached houses last year.

The company is also the developer of the nearby Taman Tasik Indah project.