Annuar Musa: Metal poles erected in Taman Awam Bukit Kiara just a demarcation exercise

KUALA LUMPUR: Metal poles placed at Taman Awam Bukit Kiara, previously known as Taman Rimba Kiara, is only a demarcation exercise by landowner Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to mark legal boundaries.

Federal Territories Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said the demarcation was being done in accordance with the land title.

"However, local residents must not be restricted from using the park – at least for now.

"This is to ensure continuous engagement between the owner, residents association and local MPs," he said after visiting the park on Thursday (July 30).

Annuar said an instruction had also been issued barring any construction to take place in the area pending the Court of Appeal's verdict.

This was after the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Residents Association contested the legality of a development order by DBKL for the development of a high-rise project at a 3.24ha site there.

The project initially involved building 350 units of affordable housing for 100 longhouse residents in Bukit Kiara and eight blocks of luxury condominiums.

This was later scaled down to include a 17-storey block with 204 units of affordable housing for the longhouse folk, and four blocks of 41 to 45-storey condominiums consisting of 1,082 units in total.

Separately, Annuar said the renaming of the park was "merely a suggestion" by DBKL.

"I informed DBKL that there is a procedure that must be followed before the name can be changed.

"The suggestion must be submitted to a special committee that is headed by the ministry's secretary-general and that has not been done," he said, adding that the ministry had no problem if the locals wished to retain the name of the park.

This was after DBKL announced on July 29 that the park had been renamed to Taman Awam Bukit Kiara from Taman Rimba Kiara.

It said the renaming was to avoid confusion with Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara in Jalan Abang Haji Openg that is managed by the National Landscape Department.

Also present during the minister's visit was mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan chief executive officer Zaizalnizam Zainun and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh.