By AKMAR ANNUAR
THE Bukit Kiara longhouse settlement will limit redevelopment to about 2.33 hectares, with the remaining land to be returned to the government and gazetted as public open space.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the arrangement showed that housing needs and environmental protection could be addressed together through a settlement that prioritises public interest.
The settlement also preserves Taman Rimba Kiara, an issue that had drawn years of concern from residents’ groups and environmental advocates.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government had to respect the legal process before moving to settle the long-running dispute.
“If we respect the legal process, then once a decision has been made, we must find a way to resolve it. We cannot breach it anymore,” he said on June 15.
Anwar said the case should not be viewed as a blanket precedent for similar developments, as it involved a long-standing promise, earlier agreements and court proceedings.
“This is not an example to develop squatter houses and then simply give rights without following the legal process. The judges had examined all aspects and heard all views,” he added.
Under the settlement, a joint audit involving the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Friends of Bukit Kiara and the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) will be conducted to manage, preserve and protect trees within the development area.
Yeoh said some trees may be relocated into Taman Rimba Kiara instead of being removed.
“There are trees that may need to be moved. We will ask FRIM to come in together to see which ones are suitable to be relocated into Taman Rimba Kiara so that we do not have to remove those trees,” she said.
The existing temple site will also be retained and officially zoned as a non-Islamic house of worship site, with Yeoh announcing a RM100,000 allocation for the temple.
Parking bays for visitors to Taman Rimba Kiara will also be increased to 150 lots from 80 lots under the scheme.
Yeoh said the settlement was reached after years of discussions involving residents, the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Residents’ Association, Friends of Bukit Kiara, community representatives and other stakeholders.
She said the case underlined the need to protect green areas in Kuala Lumpur through proper gazettement to prevent similar disputes from recurring.
“This case happened because Taman Rimba Kiara was given to Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan.
“This was green space that was given up to a company for development,” she said.
Yeoh said the Federal Territories Department has since formed a task force to gazette green spaces under its jurisdiction.
“After this, with the task force, I hope we will gazette all the green areas that we have. We are running against time now, and every month we are doing this,” she said.
Yeoh also said the outcome proved that urban development need not come at the expense of community interests or the environment.
She said the settlement was made possible through consensus, discussions and cooperation between various parties over several years.
Meanw, Anwar said the Bukit Kiara settlement should serve as an example of how development, justice and public welfare can be balanced when policy direction is clear.
“If the policy is clear and the leadership is committed, we can build a new Malaysia and guarantee happiness for all,” he said.
Source: The Malaysia Reserve
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