PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh
KUALA LUMPUR: Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) should be made into a statutory body free from political interference, says Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
This was among the recommendations of the bipartisan watchdog after probing the sale of land by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), including the Rimba Kiara land.
“The measures to resolve 97 transactions by DBKL since 2011 did not refer to any SOP (standard operating procedure).
“The process was too loose, exposed to abuse of power and did not protect the interest of DBKL and residents of Kuala Lumpur, ” PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said in a statement Tuesday (Nov 17).
He said the PAC also found that the Kuala Lumpur City Draft Plan 2020, which was approved by the Federal Territories Minister, differed from what was put on public display in 2008.
He added that more than 200 development orders were issued by DBKL before the plan was finally approved.
"This resulted in changes and a negative effect to the environment, changes to commercial zones including density and plot ratio," he said.
Wong said the PAC also noted there was conflict of interest in the management of YWP.
"The minister and Kuala Lumpur Mayor held the posts of chairman and trustees in YWP, which had land dealings with DBKL," he said.
He added that YWP was registered as a private company and did not come under the scrutiny of the National Audit Department.
Wong said the PAC had recommended that Federal Territories Ministry and DBKL review the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020.
He added that YWP's function should also be reviewed to better protect the welfare of residents of the city.
"YWP's current structure and practices do not allow the involvement of the minister and mayor without a conflict of interest," he said.
Wong said the PAC also recommended that YWP be made into a statutory body for it to come under effective scrutiny by the government.
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