MP: Pro-developer forces trying to scuttle KL structure plan?

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar questioned whether there were attempts to scuttle the much touted Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 by forces aligned to property developers.

Nurul said the structure plan was needed to control the population density in Kuala Lumpur and prevent arbitrary development.

"We were previously made to sign a non-disclosure agreement (to view the plan) as he (Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) said it would be an important guideline (for KL's development).

"But now there appears to be hidden hands to fulfill the desires and interests of developers.

"If we do not have a guideline for (the development of) Kuala Lumpur and (allow development to be guided by) greed and the interests of developers, then surely the people will be burdened with a poor quality of life," she told journalists at Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Nurul, together with Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, Wangsa Maju MP Tan Kee Kwong and Bukit Bintang MP Tan Kee Kwong, were at DBKL to voice their objection against the possibility of dropping the structure plan.

Nurul Izzah said the people of Kuala Lumpur would suffer if development was done without the guidelines.

"Under the Kuala Lumpur plan, we would know the green zones that need to be protected.

"It will also outline the high and low density areas so the people would not be burdened by traffic congestion," she said.

The MPs were responding to a report by English daily Malay Mail titled "Ku Nan: I'll bulldoze KL draft plan".

Ku Nan trying to prevent amendments

They demanded Tengku Adnan, better known as Ku Nan, to resign for saying this.

However, in the report, Tengku Adnan did not specifically state that he was against the KL structure plan as a whole.

Instead, he took issue with a provision that would allow officials to amend the structure plan and demanded that this be amended if it is to be passed.

"If it is signed, the minister, mayor or ministry officials could moonlight (as middlemen) to facilitate changes (in the plan) for a fee.

"We cannot allow this. If it is signed into law, it must be fixed.

"Allowing a clause for the ministry or DBKL to make amendments through appeals creates opportunity for abuse... I will fight, I will bulldoze it," he was quoted as saying.

Plans to gazette the KL Structure Plan had twice been postponed, on July 1, 2012 and Feb 28, 2013.-Mkini