Taman Desa Phase 1 RA granted leave for judicial review over guarded neighbourhood scheme
KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has halted plans to remove unauthorised barriers and facial-recognition equipment from public roads in Taman Desa while legal proceedings over the neighbourhood’s guarded scheme are underway.
A DBKL spokesperson confirmed that City Hall had received a legal letter from the association’s lawyers and paused the removal.
“I have been informed by our Legal Department that since this is now a legal matter, we have to wait for the court’s findings,” the spokesperson said.
Taman Desa Phase 1 Residents Association (TDP1RA) said in a circular dated Oct 12 that the Kuala Lumpur High Court granted leave on Oct 1 for its judicial review application over the guarded neighbourhood scheme.
The move follows DBKL notices ordering the association to remove obstructions and unapproved structures from public roads.
After the association’s original two-week deadline expired on Sept 10, enforcement officers put up six notices under Section 46(1)(a) of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133) on Sept 14, giving a final seven days to comply. That period has also lapsed.
DBKL Urban Transportation Department director Muhammad Azri Abdul Aziz previously said the removal decision followed a meeting with the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office and feedback from police and the Fire and Rescue Department.
“All three agencies agreed that the obstructions must be removed because they were installed without approval,” he had said.
Muhammad Azri had warned that DBKL would remove the obstructions if the association failed to comply with the notices.
He said such schemes required the consent of at least 81% of residents, while an automatic boom gate using facial recognition required 100%.
Association president Frank Yeh previously said the association followed the required procedures and had the support of 81% of residents.
On Aug 18, DBKL ordered the association to reopen guard posts 2, 5 and 6 to vehicles, remove unapproved structures and restore access to affected public roads.
On Aug 24, more than 40 residents protested against the restricted access at guard post 5 in Jalan Desa Ria.
They said the closure forced morning walkers to take a longer route along a busy road to reach a public park.
They also raised privacy concerns over the facial-recognition system and said the barriers could delay emergency vehicles.
On Aug 27, DBKL officers pasted notices on facial-recognition scanners at guard posts 1 and 4 and placed enforcement tape around the scanners and boom gate equipment.
The notices, issued under Section 70 of Act 133 stated the structures were built without the Kuala Lumpur mayor’s approval.
In its latest circular, the association said residents would be briefed on the case at a town hall at Taman Desa Community Hall, Jalan Desa Ria, on Oct 17 at 3.30pm.
The meeting will also discuss raising additional funds for the legal suit and collecting subscriptions for the 2027 security scheme.
When contacted, Yeh declined comment, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
