Land acquisition must continue - Kampong Bharu Development Corp

The land acquisition for the Sungai Baru, Kampung Baru redevelopment project must continue as it has met legal requirements under the Land Acquisition Act (APT) 1960, although some owners are against it.

Kampong Bharu Development Corporation (PKB) said in a statement issued yesterday that if the acquisition is discontinued, the government must bear all losses incurred by the developer and owners involved.

According to the statement, the losses include an RM50 million land acquisition deposit payment to the Director-General of the Lands and Mines Department (JKPTG), RM30 million for providing transit and rental houses to residents until the replacement houses are completed, relocation costs for residents returning to their original homes and for the costs of repairing houses that have been abandoned for six years.

PKB said that based on APT 1960, no percentage of landowner consent is required before any land acquisition is implemented.

"However, in the Kampung Bharu redevelopment programme, the ministry has stipulated that redevelopment can only be considered if the developer managed to obtain a threshold value of at least 50 percent of the property owners' consent to safeguard the interests and welfare of the residents involved," read the statement.

According to PKB, the land acquisition for the Sungai Baru redevelopment project was gazetted under Section 8 of APT 1960 on June 21, 2021, involving 37 terrace lots, 72 flat units and one Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) electrical substation lot.

“To date, a total of 291 lots (27 terrace lots and 264 flat units) representing 88.72 percent have agreed to this redevelopment project.

"At the same time, the developer also continued to hold engagement sessions with the 37 terrace house lot owners but has failed to get their cooperation," PKB said.

Earlier, former federal territories minister Khalid Abdul Samad reportedly set up a committee comprising lawyers to challenge the gazette on the acquisition of residents’ land in Kampung Sungai Baru, Kampung Baru, in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Kampung Sungai Baru Property Owners Association chairperson Zulfakar Wahid requested that the second hearing on the land acquisition, which was postponed since December last year, be continued so that the over five-year wait to return to live in the heritage village would end soon.

Zulfakar said it was unfair to “entertain” the voice of the minority who only represented 11 percent while the other 89 percent who gave their approval were required to wait longer to move into a new house.

“We, who have agreed, have been living in the transit houses (at the Kerinchi Residence) for more than five years. It is unfair for us to wait any longer just because the 37 units do not agree,” he said.

Meanwhile, developer Ritzy Gloss Sdn Bhd director Abdul Hadi Ahmad denied the allegation that the compensation offer was not competitive and that the owners were not given the chance to negotiate.

"There is no issue of shortchanging the owners... in fact, through land acquisition, they can only get five percent (compensation value), but the developer was generous enough to offer what they have agreed on," Ritzy said, adding that all procedures were in accordance with the law.

- Bernama