Taman Rimba Kiara development issue will be brought up in Cabinet, says FT minister

VIEWS from all sides, including Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents in regards to the Taman Rimba Kiara development issue will be heard by the Cabinet, says Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad.

“I had told Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh that the residents can come out with their views which will be submitted together with my Cabinet papers.

“The Cabinet papers are being finalised and it will be ready by the end of May or early June.

“So whatever decision that comes out of it, I hope it will be final, and I will accept Cabinet's decision,” he said during a press conference at Menara DBKL on Tuesday (April 30).

In March, Khalid announced that he will bring the Taman Rimba Kiara development issue to the Cabinet.

During the press conference, he added that he had decided to present it to the Cabinet as the issue was getting “heated” and “personal”.

“What I am doing is to let a neutral party decide,” he said.

Khalid also clarified that he is handling the issue in a transparent way following reports that Yeoh was not invited to a site visit to the Bukit Kiara longhouse.

“It was in fact a meeting between Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan and the developer at the Bukit Kiara longhouse site.

“So, why should I invite anybody?

“It is not something secret and we did not block anyone who came.

“I have been very frank on the Taman Rimba Kiara issue, if I were to cancel it, DBKL has to bear the (compensation) cost.

“So I came out with another proposal, which is to scale-down 50% of the project,” he said, adding that the project will not encroach into the fence and the gates of the park.

Previously, StarMetro reported that Khalid had proposed a scale-down plan for the development near Taman Rimba Kiara.

The revised plan includes a 17-storey block of 204 affordable housing units for the Bukit Kiara longhouse folk, and four blocks of 41- to 45-storey condominiums, comprising 1,082 units in total.