Condo project: Fellow DAP rep asks if Liu willing to quit

M Manoharan (DAP-Kota Alam Shah) today raised eyebrows when he queried if fellow party member and exco in charge of local government Ronnie Liu, would resign if the controversial 29-storey condominium by Dolomite near a sacred Hindu site in Batu Caves, is not scrapped.

"Are you ready to resign if this project is not stopped? Because it threatens Hinduism, the caves that are millions of years old and the temple there which is over 100 years old," he asked during question time at the Selangor Legislative Assembly this afternoon.

Responding, Liu (wearing yellowin pic) said the issue of his resignation was a non-issue as the state government has made clear its intention to end the project.

"But we must stop it in a professional manner with reasonable justification because we understand that advertising for the project has begun and 60 percent of units have been sold.

"There is a big likelihood that the state or federal government will need to provide compensation so it has to be done the right and professional way.

Thus, this was why a task force was formed to look into the matter.

"Therefore the issue of resignation does not arise because Pakatan's stance is that we do not want projects that threaten (heritage sites).

Earlier, Liu had also taken a swipe at the federal government for declaring that the project would be scrapped if BN wins Selangor in the next general election, in reference in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's visit to Batu Caves on Deepavali Day.

"We want to do things professionally, not like the politicians on the other side who declare to scrap it without justification.

"If the prime minister and his minister are sincere about cancelling it, they could have used their (federal) powers to do it by revoking the developer's licence or cancelling its sales and marketing permit," he said.