Will Ku Nan keep his promise to TTDI folk?

Residents doubt that green lung Taman Rimba Kiara will be preserved, says Segambut MP.

PETALING JAYA: Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng has questioned whether Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor was making an election promise that he won’t keep when he told Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) residents that the Taman Rimba Kiara recreation area would be preserved.

Speaking to FMT, Lim said there were obvious signs that a housing project in the area would go ahead.

Tengku Adnan, also known as Ku Nan, made his promise last Friday at a town hall session with TTDI residents who are objecting to the proposed construction of nine high-rise blocks in their neighbourhood.

“I tell you, I’ll never touch Taman Rimba,” a news report quoted him as saying. “I will never do it. I will make sure Taman Rimba will remain Taman Rimba for the people’s recreation. Your park will still be there.”

Lim, who has previously joined TTDI residents in protests against the high-rise project, said both he and the residents hoped Ku Nan was indeed sincere.

“I hope what he promised the residents will be a promise kept,” he said. “I sincerely hope this will not turn out to be just a promise made in the face of a coming general election.”

He claimed, however, that he had learned through Facebook and Whatsapp messages that many of the residents were having difficulty believing the minister’s statement about the preservation of one of Kuala Lumpur’s green lungs.

He said the sceptical residents noted that there were signboards around the park area with information about the project. 

“These are not miniature buildings,” Lim said. “These are at least nine blocks of high rise condominiums. So if it’s true that they wont touch the park, the residents would like to know where exactly the developers plan to build them.”

The project comprises eight tower blocks of service apartments, some as high as 54 storeys, and one 29-storey block of 850 sq ft flats.

The block of “affordable” flats, composed of 350 units, is mainly meant for the rehousing of former plantation workers who lost their estate homes 30 years ago.

According to news reports, 100 units, to be sold at RM25,000 each, are earmarked for estate families. Eighty-three other units will be sold to other families at RM150,000 each. The rest will be sold to the general public at market rates.

While the estate families are pleased that they are being rehoused, TTDI residents are unhappy about plans for the eight other tower blocks and worried over the likelihood of a steep increase in population density. -FMT