PJ development project status unclear

The developement plot ratio of the land where the iconic A&W along Lorong Sultan sits on is in contention.

THE development plot ratio of the land formerly occupied by the A&W restaurant in Lorong Sultan, Petaling Jaya, is hanging in the balance.

A ratio of 1:8 was aproved by Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) at its One-Stop Centre (OSC) committee meeting last month.

“We do not know what will happen to this development yet as we are still awaiting instructions from the Selangor Mentri Besar who has been briefed on the issue,” said Petaling Jaya councillor Billy Wong after the OSC meeting.

Wong, who is an OSC committee member, said the issue was briefly discussed during the recent meeting and Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain did not want to comment on the matter as he was waiting for the state government’s response.

Last month, StarMetro reported on the fiery debate surrounding the issue during MBPJ’s full board meeting.

The debacle, which lasted nearly 30 minutes, ended with auxiliary police escorting two councillors out of the room while eight councillors followed with a walk-out and journalists were also asked to leave the room.

After the event, three assemblymen – R. Rajiv, Yeo Bee Yin and Lau Weng San – lodged a formal complaint to Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali over the events that transpired in the meeting.

“The Mentri Besar then wrote to the mayor and asked for a full report of the meeting. We are waiting for the next course of action,” said Wong.

The development approval, which was first given during January’s OSC meeting, was for a single 20-storey office tower block on the 0.4ha land.

MBPJ councillor Derek Fernandez, who is also part of the OSC committee, confirmed the matter.

“The mayor informed us that he will fully abide by any directive given by the state on this matter,” said Fernandez, who added that he was not present at the previous OSC meeting as he was outstation.

A check with MBPJ showed that planning permits had not been issued to the developer, and it will not be issued until a decision is made by the state.