(From left) Edmund, Muhamad and CH showing the extent of their land. – AHMAD IZZRAFIQUE/The Star
But households along Jalan Bukit Desa want space returned to them and road widened instead
KUALA LUMPUR City Hall (DBKL) is set to initiate legal proceedings to acquire portions of private land on Jalan Bukit Desa in Taman Desa, where a public road was constructed decades ago.
The move comes in response to a long-standing land encroachment issue that was highlighted when a resident, Datuk Edmund Lim, blocked a section of the road in response to what he claimed was DBKL’s inaction over numerous complaints that the road was built on part of his land.
A total of 14 households along the road are affected by the encroachment issue, and the affected homeowners want DBKL to return their respective portions.
ALSO READ: Man blocks road over DBKL’s inaction
Edmund’s action was supported by the other angry residents who hope the matter can be resolved.
StarMetro highlighted the issue in a Nov 2 report titled “Man blocks road over DBKL’s inaction”.
In response, City Hall’s corporate communications unit issued a statement, revealing that the decision to acquire the land was made following discussions at its One-Stop-Centre (OSC).
A surveyor’s drawing with red lines that indicate where the public road encroaches into private land on Jalan Bukit Desa.
DBKL said it will apply under the Land Acquisition Act 1960 with the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur Land and Mines Office (PTGWP) soon.
The act governs land acquisition, compensation assessment and other related land matters.
The local authority said it is committed to addressing the land encroachment issue, acknowledging residents’ concerns and the necessity for a solution.
Edmund, 56, placed construction barriers on the main road in front of his house in mid- October to show that the road was built on his land.
Edmund, who raised the issue with DBKL almost six years ago, said he did it out of frustration after his many pleas for a solution was ignored.
Other affected homeowners, Muhamad Jaafar, 38, and CH Lim, 47, said that they were unaware of the encroachment until they carried out surveys on their land.
“We want DBKL to return the land to us and widen Jalan Bukit Desa.
“There is ample space for DBKL to do so,” said Muhamad.
“There is an upcoming project opposite our homes and this would be a good opportunity for DBKL to widen the road,” said CH.
Flashback to StarMetro’s report on Nov 2.
The residents said they wrote to DBKL last week, requesting a meeting.
They will also be contacting Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and the Taman Desa Residents Association to inform them of their stand.
“We hope that the residents here will understand why we are doing this,” Edmund said, adding that the road barriers would remain in place with a notice explaining the reason for their action.
It all started when Edmund bought a 4,634.7sq ft residential property in Taman Desa about six years ago.
After moving in, Edmund, noticed that his plot, which fronted a public road, was smaller than expected.
He hired a land surveyor to measure his property and discovered that it was 1,009sq ft smaller than it should be, as a result of miscalculation by the housing developer. The road encroached on his land.
“I wrote to DBKL, providing all the drawings and papers.
“I asked for a solution but was ignored,” Edmund said.
He first protested in March last year by placing a 3.04m x 6.09m steel container on the road for two weeks and cordoned off the site with traffic cones.
This led to many complaints from residents and motorists.
A statement from DBKL last year said its land surveyors had measured the land and acknowledged that Edmund was right.
“The officers asked me to remove the obstruction and promised to come back with a solution, but that did not happen,” Edmund said, referring to the last time he heard from DBKL.
