I had the solution for Kg Baru which you ignored, Johari tells Khalid

 

Titiwangsa MP candidate Johari Ghani (left) says rival Khalid Samad was not attuned to the issues at play in Kampung Baru in November 2018.

PETALING JAYA: Johari Ghani has furiously denied claims he was silent on the Kampung Baru acquisition issue and slammed Amanah’s Khalid Samad for politicising it in the lead up to the 15th general election (GE15).

“Khalid’s allegations are totally untrue. From the very beginning, I was opposed to using the Land Acquisition Act 1960 to recover the land from its owners.

I had repeatedly aired my views on the subject when I was a member of parliament,” he said.

Johari said there was sufficient proof that Kampung Baru could be redeveloped successfully, referring to the development of UDA Legacy which did not require the use of the controversial legislation.

UDA Legacy, also known as Legasi Kampung Baru, is a condominium complex developed by UDA Property, then under the purview of Johari. It was completed in 2020. Its units, which currently boast values between RM700,000 and RM2.8 million, were offered to residents who accepted the redevelopment proposal made to them.

Speaking to FMT, Johari pointed to an agreement between a developer and PKNS flat owners in Kampung Sungai Baru in November 2018 which troubles him to this very day. Located near the Saloma bypass, the flats were 42 years old and in decrepit condition.

The agreement, sighted by FMT, was dated Nov 3, 2018, when Khalid was the federal territories minister.

Johari said Khalid and his predecessor Rina Harun were not attuned to various issues surrounding the agreement at the time it was entered.

“Khalid and Rina, who were both Cabinet ministers at the time, failed to protect the interests of unit owners. Under their watch, 89% of them signed the joint venture agreements with a developer whose credibility was suspect,” he said.

According to Johari, the developer then got the government to forcibly acquire units from the remaining 11% of occupants who did not sign joint venture agreements with them by using the Land Acquisition Act.

There would have been no need to resort to forcible acquisition if Khalid and Rina had paid greater attention to the matter from the very outset, Johari said, adding that copying the UDA Legacy project blueprint would have struck a fair balance between the interests of residents and developmental needs.

Johari said that in 2017, when he was Titiwangsa MP, a developer stepped forward to propose a joint venture with flat owners to redevelop the area.

“At the time, I did not agree as I was not convinced of the developer’s capabilities and financial standing to undertake the proposed development.

“As an MP, I felt that I was responsible for the Kampung Baru area, and I managed to advise many of the flat dwellers against signing the agreement with the developer,” he added.

However, after Johari lost at the general election in 2018, the developer returned and successfully convinced 89% of the flat owners to sign on. The developer then forcibly acquired the remaining 11%.

Johari added that the agreement entered into between the developer and residents was signed in November 2018, after which the residents were moved into temporary housing. At the time, the developer promised to complete the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru within five years.

Unfortunately, four years and eight months later, no work has begun.

“Khalid was the minister in charge at the time and had the power to intervene. Instead, he himself considered the use of the legislation. How can he now accuse me of keeping silent?” Johari asked.

“I give my commitment that, if given the mandate, I will resolve this matter in a fair and just way.

“In the UDA Legacy project, we already have a model that has succeeded. We can repeat that success,” he said. - FMT