KUALA LUMPUR: The government will hold a referendum to see if Kampung Baru residents agree for their land to be developed.
Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin told Parliament today that it will be held after clauses to the Kampung Baru Development Bill were rectified.
The Bill had been delayed until June following opposition by residents.
The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government had also joined in the fray in opposing development for the last remaining Malay enclave in the city centre.
However, Nong Chik, during his winding up speech on the Royal Address, claimed that a survey done by NGOs indicated majority support for the redevelopment plan.
He also said that a meeting held on March 1 in Putrajaya with residents saw the majority agreeing to their land being used for development.
This invited attacks from opposition MPs who accused the minister of misleading the House and that the demands by residents were falling on deaf ears.
“Who is this NGO? Where did they get the results from because we all know that the residents are against it,” said PAS Titiwangsa MP, Dr Lo’Lo’ Ghazali.
Nong Chik said those opposing the plan were the minority and to deny the majority of the economic spillovers from the redevelopment programme would be unjust.
He vowed to sort the stalemate by May. “If the majority agree, we will go ahead,” said the senator.
Earlier this year, the Election Commission said it had no jurisdiction to hold such a referendum. The idea was thrown in by the Kampung Baru Malay Agricultural Settlement Administrative Board (MAS) aimed at clarifying the landowners’ position on the issue.
Most of the land in the settlement is under multiple ownership due to Islamic inheritance laws.
There are more than 4,000 Kampung Baru landowners spread across seven villages measuring 90.2 hectares.
An average of five co-owners share each lot now, although some lots have many more. - FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.