Flood mitigation pond sold for luxury condo project, says MP

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has questioned why land on which a public flood-mitigation pond (above) was situated was sold to private developers for a luxury condominium project.

He has also claimed that the area was sold at below market rate without an open tender process.

The pond in question is the Jinjang flood waters retention pond located in Taman Wahyu in Kuala Lumpur. It is presently in the process of being partially filled with sand.

“This pond was once a flood mitigation pond, a big one. But now it is being filled in to build 14,000 condominium units.

“[...] the project is solely for posh condominiums. Not affordable housing, no schools, nothing,” Lim told a press conference held by the pond this morning.

According to him, the original 36 acres the pond was situated on was part of an 80-acre parcel of land sold to a company back in Nov 2015 for RM237.1 million or at RM68 per square feet.

The company, whose name is being withheld pending verification, later allegedly sold the entire plot to another developer which is now developing the site, in a joint venture with a with China-based company.

Lim claimed the company was owned by “an Umno member” though he did not offer any names.

“The land was sold without (open) tender directly to an Umno-linked company.

“I have received yet-to-be-verified information that the premium for the land has not even been paid in full yet but I don’t know which developer (has not paid),” he said.

Previous media reports indicate that the company is mainly involved in property development and general trading.

Umno-owned media company Utusan Malaysia previously had a stake in the firm.

Malaysiakini is attempting to contact the company for comment.

Ali Hamsa given instructions?

Accompanying Lim (above) today was Kepong Community Service Centre president Yee Poh Ping who furthered questioned why the previous BN administration had approved the sale of the pond which was intended to mitigate flooding.

“What was the policy and agenda of the (former) government to give the developer the right to build a condominium here? This pond is to prevent floods.

“I am baffled as to why a land grant could be issued for a pond but when we asked the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office (PTG), they said they approved it,” he said, holding up written correspondence he previously received from the office.

Lim demanded an answer from the chief secretary to the government, Ali Hamsa, who oversees the Federal Territories PTG.

“We will wait for Ali to explain, he has to come clean and come forward (to explain).

“As an employee, he just takes instructions so (we want to know) who gave him those instructions,” he added.

Malaysiakini has contacted Ali for comment.

Apart from filling in some sections of the pond, checks by Malaysiakini found that posters for the project were also displayed on the metal fence around the construction site.

A showroom by the pond was also in the midst of being constructed. -Mkini