KL MPs say it will be too expensive to buy back plots sold
According to Tan Kok Wai, an MP, rectifying the sale of government-owned land in Kuala Lumpur to developers will be a major challenge for the unity government. Wai stated that it is difficult and costly to solve this issue, as it is unreasonable to expect Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to repurchase land sold to third parties. He also mentioned that the process of repurchasing lands from developers is expensive and could open the floodgates for other residents who want their parks, open spaces, and fields back.
Wai’s comments came in response to the sale of 10.1 hectares of land in Taman Rekreasi Ayer Panas in Setapak for a mixed development project. Part of this land consisted of a community park.
As a seven-term MP, Wai called for more transparency and accountability from government agencies like DBKL and Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur Land and Mines Office (PTGWP). He expressed concern over numerous cases of government land, green lungs, and open spaces being sold for mixed development projects. Wai hopes that the KSN (Chief Secretary to the Government), who is the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Land Exco (JKTWPKL) chairman, will explain why government land is being alienated and sold even when the city lacks green spaces.
In a previous report, StarMetro highlighted that 52 plots of land in Kuala Lumpur, some reserved as green lungs and open spaces, had been alienated and leased to developers and businessmen between 2020 and 2022. It was reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary, Azman Abidin, stated that this issue was inherited from previous administrations.
Addressing the specific case of the Setapak land, Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan emphasized the need to respect the court verdict. He suggested that moving forward, it would be best to ensure sufficient green space is included in the development masterplan and that the area is accessible to the public. Hassan proposed that DBKL could impose such conditions in the development order or, if not possible, the developer could take it on as a corporate social responsibility project.
In 2018, former Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad announced the establishment of a task force to investigate 97 questionable land deals in Kuala Lumpur. As a result, 19 deals were canceled, 15 were renegotiated, 20 were subjected to further scrutiny, and 43 were given the go-ahead.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
