MBPJ full-board meeting ends with walkout over project approval

 

A Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) full-board meeting today abruptly ended after 19 out of 24 councillors walked out over a disagreement surrounding procedures involved in the approval of a development project in Lorong Sultan.

English daily The Star reported that a heated argument had taken place during the meeting led by Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Azhan Md Amir.

According to the report, the 19 councillors disagreed with Azhan’s statement that the councillors were not decision-makers in the One-Stop Centre (OSC) discussion, and they were only there to give input on social and political aspects.

MBPJ councillor Terence Tan reportedly said the OSC had earlier rejected the project due to the proposed plot ratio being higher than the city’s permissible limit at the time of consideration.

“The developer then filed an appeal with the State Appeal Board.

“Meanwhile, the state came up with a new guideline on the plot ratio,” said Tan.

“The developer submitted another application to the OSC for consideration, following the state’s new guideline.

“At the OSC meeting last month, three out of the four councillors, the majority at the meeting, requested that the developer withdraw its appeal before the new application can be considered.

“So when the OSC meeting minutes were being read out for endorsement at the full board meeting, many councillors questioned the manner in which the approval was being given,” he was quoted as saying.

Tan also said that he and many of the other councillors who walked out were not against the development but merely wanted MBPJ to follow procedure.

“The matter is still with the State Appeal Board. It is not right for the OSC to make a decision,” he added.

Their walkout had reportedly led to the full-board meeting ending abruptly due to a lack of quorum. - Mkini