Taman Tun residents see red over ‘land grab’ for new housing project

Wisma WIM along Jalan Abang Haji Openg in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.

KUALA LUMPUR: An intense promotional campaign for a proposed serviced residence in the busy Taman Tun Dr Ismail has raised questions on the usage of institutional land meant for non-commercial entities.

Advertisements circulating on the social media have been promoting a low-density serviced residence comprising 160 units, to be built on a piece of land along Jalan Abang Haji Openg, where several NGOs are located, with prices starting from RM2 million.

There has been speculation that the new development would be on land currently occupied by the National Council of Womens’ Organisations and Wisma WIM, which is owned by the Women’s Institute of Management.

WIM CEO Nellie Tan said to their knowledge, the land their office was on is still classified as institutional land.

“We are not going to demolish our building. Wisma WIM was constructed in 2000 on land reserved for NGOs and non-profit organisations,” she told FMT.

Tan said she was concerned that the public may be duped into paying the RM5,000 booking fee for the units.

“We hope Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) can come out and clear the air because we’ve been facing these rumours for months.”

It is understood that residents along Jalan Abang Haji Openg in TTDI had written to Kuala Lumpur mayor Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan on the matter.

They wanted DBKL to explain the status of several plots of land along Jalan Abang Haji Openg, and whether they are still classified as institutional land as gazetted in the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020.

FMT has reached out to DBKL for comment and are awaiting a response.

When contacted, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh said she had been alerted to a proposed development on a piece of land in the area.

“I have written to the mayor on our concerns,” she said, adding any proposed developments should be in line with the gazetted KL City Plan 2020.

“The area in question is currently gazetted as institutional land.”

The surrounding area and existing infrastructure, she said, would not be able to sustain a commercial development. - FMT