Police report filed against Kohilan

An NGO accuses the deputy minister of providing 'false and confusing information' with regard to the controversial condominium project in Batu Caves.

BATU CAVES: The police has been asked to investigate Deputy Foreign Minister A Kohilan Pillay over his “confusing information” on the Batu Caves 29-storey condominium project.

S Surendran, deputy chairman of the People’s Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power), lodged a police report with the Batu Caves police station this morning.

Kohilan had claimed that he did not approve the condominium project but only approved the preliminary planning proposal of the Dolomite township project during his tenure as a councillor in the Selayang Town Council (MPS) in 2007.

Kohilan had blamed the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor state government over the condominium approval after he attended a protest held by the Batu Caves temple committee last Friday.

However, Selangor exco Ronnie Liu provided evidence showing Barisan Nasional’s hand in approving the proposed condominium.

At a recent a press conference, Liu had exposed a planning approval issued on Nov 30, 2007 that detailed the height, size and type of the development slated on the land.

He explained that the building approval, which was issued in March 2008, was the work of BN councillors.

He said this was because Pakatan councillors were only sworn in during July 2008.

“So, it is crystal clear that Kohilan has confused the Indians with ‘false information’,” said Surendran.

“Thus, it is the police’s duty to investigate the deputy minister,” he added.

Last week, the Sri Mahamariamman Devasthanam chairman R Nadarajah raised concerns over the proposed 29-storey project to be built adjacent to the temple.

He said the matter might be referred to the courts if there was no sign of a permanent stop work order against the developer, Dolomite Properties Sdn Bhd.

Today Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim Selangor said the state has ordered a temporary halt to the project pending the findings of an independent state-level task force.