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New guidelines for hillside
developments in the city
14/12/2008 NST Noel Achariam
Datuk M. Saravanan: New guidelines will be implemented in Kuala Lumpur,
Labuan and Putrajaya.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories Ministry will release new guidelines
on hillside developments soon. The guidelines will be drafted by the Housing
and Local Government Ministry and the Environment Ministry.
P.Sudahkaran is among the three RA committee members being sued for
defamation.
Buklt Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun looking at the wooden struts preventing the
hillside from collapsing.
The FT Ministry has asked the two ministries to study all aspects of
hillside development. The new guidelines will be implemented in Kuala
Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya. However, no timeframe has been set for the
release of the guidelines.
Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the FT Ministry
was serious about looking into the welfare of residents living near hillside
projects.
"All hillside projects will continue to be frozen. We are serious about
protecting the lives of the residents. The government will not compromise on
the safety of the people. We don't want anymore lives to be lost," he said
after attending a dialogue session with Medan Damansara residents on
Saturday.
The Medan Damansara residents, however, are unhappy that the nearby hillside
development, Medan Damansara 21, is merely frozen.
They are demanding that the project be scrapped for good.
Medan Damansara residents' association committee member Randhir Singh said
according to reports that he had received from City Hall and the developer,
SDB Properties, 14.9 per cent of the area is with gradients above 35
degrees, which according to regulation is not suitable for develoment. Over
35 per cent of the area is with gradients of between 25 and 35 degrees,
which is where development is permitted.
"The Federal Territories Ministry had said that all developments on
hillsides with a gradient of more that 35 degrees will be banned. Now we are
calling for the Medan Damansara 21 project to be banned as well," he said.
The association president P. Sudhakaran, 73, said he and two other committee
members including the former president, were being sued for defamation by
the developer SDB properties.
"Former president Datuk Seri Abdul Shukor Abdullah, Randir Singh, Peter
Raiappan and I received letters from the developer three months ago. We have
filed our defence and we are waiting for our day in court," he said.
Sudhakaran also said the residents have set up a legal fund for them.
"We are not only getting support from the residents here, but other
residents' associations are joining in to help us," he said.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng said: "The people here have fought with City Hall
and the Federal Territories Ministry for the development to be halted. Now
it is up to the Cabinet to decide if the project should continue. We hope
the decision will be favourable to the residents. They have been living in
fear since the project started last year," he said.
Medan Damansara residents have been protesting against the hillside
development for the past two years.
The Medan Damansara 21 project consists of 21 bungalows priced between RM10
million and RM15 million each. A recent landslip there caused two families
to evacuate.
Despite the freeze, the developer is allowed to continue land stablisation
work. |
