It is wrong for land gazetted as a recreational park to be sold for development, said a group calling for the preservation of a flood retention pond in Kuala Lumpur.
Preserve Kg Bohol Flood Retention Pond Coalition coordinator Ng See Eng explained the land there was classified as “Right of Way” when land acquisition for the Kesas Highway was carried out from 1994-1996.
“Right of Way” gives individuals a legal right to enter a property. For example, motorists would be allowed to travel on a specific road that passes through a plot of land.
The lot was later converted into a recreational park gazetted under KL Plan 2020 (PTKL 2020), he noted.
“Currently, PTKL 2040 is in the process of public objection and hearing. The government cannot change the use of the land from recreational park to housing land.
“The government’s move to sell this land lot to the developer without consulting the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), Kesas highway, the people’s representatives, and the locals is wrong,” Ng said in a statement today.
Yesterday, the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office (PTGWP) said the Kampung Bohol flood retention pond will not be converted into a housing area, but instead be upgraded to increase its capacity by 7.5 times.
This, according to the department’s land registration deputy director Mohd Firdaus Ibaruslan, is expected to reduce floods in the area down to once per 100 years, but this can be upgraded in the future to further reduce it to once per 200 years.
According to Firdaus, a private company will spend around RM40 million to upgrade the pond in exchange for approval to develop housing on government land.
‘Is there a hidden agenda?’
Ng questioned why Putrajaya could not spend RM40 million to upgrade the retention pond, and had to sell land to a developer to carry out the job, on top of approving a high-density housing project.
He cited a previous news report stating the government cancelled the development on May 8, 2023.
“We would like to ask why it is revived now and the whole process of selling this land is carried out in a quiet and quick manner?
“Does this act of land sale involve an agenda that is not publicly known?” he asked.
On Wednesday, more than 100 residents protested the proposed development of the pond. - Mkini
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