Joint committee to be formed to resolve Taman Rimba Kiara issue, says FT Minister

Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad (pic) will discuss with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) over the proposal to set up a joint working committee with Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) residents to resolve the controversial development involving Taman Rimba Kiara in Kuala Lumpur.

The suggestion was mooted by Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh during a town hall session titled Hopes of TTDI Residents - A New Malaysia dialogue held at Women's Institute of Management, Jalan Haji Abang Openg in Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Nov 23).

"We will discuss with relevant parties in regards to the task force," said Khalid during the press conference after the dialogue.

"In fact, the matter had been brought up to the 'higher authorities' in the Pakatan-led government.

"Even the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad knows about the issue," he added.

The joint-working committee would include representatives from the TTDI Residents Association, Bukit Kiara Longhouse residents as well as Yeoh, DBKL, YWP and FT Ministry officials.

During the dialogue, Yeoh hoped that the setting up of the joint-working committee would be finalised next week with DBKL and YWP agreeing to it.

Also present during the dialogue were Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan as well as several DBKL executive directors.

The dialogue, however, failed to reach a conclusion over the Taman Rimba Kiara issue.

Khalid said it was difficult to come out with an amicable solution for all parties.

"For the moment, there are no offers to take on the project from the current developer who told me that they would give up the project if they were compensated RM155mil.

"We also need to find a workable solution that the current developer would agree upon, if not, we will have to settle the problem in court.

"It would have high financial implication to the government if that happen and bear in mind, the RM155mil was only the cost of the project so far.

"We have to take into account the loss of profit which could amount to a ridiculous sum if the government was to compensate the developer," he said.

In 2016, TTDI residents objected to a proposed nine-block high-end serviced apartment of 42 to 54 storeys, including building a 29-storey block of 350 units of affordable housing for the Bukit Kiara longhouse residents.

The residents then filed a judicial review application with the High Court to quash the conditional planning permission and a development order granted by Kuala Lumpur City Hall but was denied by the court in December last year.

The hearing for the case was set for Nov 28 and 29.