Court denies judicial review application by TTDI residents over Taman Rimba Kiara project

Residents in Taman Tun Dr Ismail have been protesting against the high-rise development project at Taman Rimba Kiara.

KUALA LUMPUR: Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents’ bid to overturn the conditional planning permission and development order by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for the controversial high-rise residential project in Taman Rimba Kiara has been denied by the High Court.

Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group committee coordinator Leon Koay said their judicial review application to the High Court was denied at the hearing on Wednesday (Nov 28).

He said the judge ruled that DBKL's decision to issue the development order was not tainted with illegality as to justify intervention by the court.

“A total of RM6,000 was awarded against us, the applicants.

“The residents are thinking of the next course of action including appealing the decision,” Koay said.

Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad had earlier reportedly said that cancellation of the project was not possible, as it would cost DBKL up to RM200mil to pay off the developer.

At a town hall session Nov 23, it was decided that a joint working committee with the residents, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) be set up to resolve the issue. 

Khalid had said that the best that he could do was to scale down the project. 

The proposed controversial housing development featured eight blocks of between 42- and 54-storey high-end serviced apartments, including a 29-storey block comprising 350 affordable housing units for the relocation of TTDI longhouse folk.