PROBE PROJECT, A-G, MACC URGED
Federal Territories minister has conflict of interest, says Yeoh
SEGAMBUT member of parliament Hannah Yeoh has called for the Attorney-General’s involvement, as well as an explanation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the controversy surrounding the Taman Rimba Kiara development project.
She also believes that Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad has a conflict of interest in the issue, as he is also chairman of Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP), which owns the land earmarked for development.
She said the A-G should be consulted over the development as the issue involved government funds.
Remarking on Khalid’s previous statement that the government would have to compensate the developer if the project was cancelled, Yeoh said the A-G should be roped in to decide on the next course of action.
“Since this involves government funds, the A-G should rightfully be consulted,” she said at the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) here yesterday.
Present were C4 executive director Cynthia Gabriel, human rights advocate Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and several members of the Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) Residents’ Association.
Yeoh and Khalid have exchanged salvos ever since the latter renegotiated the deal with the developer and presented a scaleddown version of the project, instead of ending the project as demanded by TTDI residents.
The Taman Rimba Kiara project was meant to host luxury service apartments, as well as one apartment block to accommodate longhouse residents who would be displaced by the development.
This project is a joint venture between YWP and developer Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd.
“We are not against the longhouse residents having new housing, but do not encroach into Taman Rimba.
“Do not use the longhouse residents to justify greed and encroachment into the green lung. We are against it and we will not just sit down,” she added.
On the proposal expected to be tabled to the cabinet soon on the matter, Yeoh explained that her papers were ready for submission and that the cabinet was waiting for Khalid to finish his.
Commenting on Khalid’s position as the chairman of YWP, which is the registered proprietor of the land earmarked for the development, Yeoh said this position was a conflict of interest in Khalid’s part.
“Previously, TTDI residents and former Segambut member of parliament Lim Lip Eng had lodged a report with the MACC.
“I also lodged similar reports but why is there no action? Clearly, there is a conflict of interest.”
Yeoh said that she would hold a townhall at the TTDI community centre on Saturday where updates would be give to residents. Echoing a similar opinion was Ambiga, who urged the government to put the people’s interest first by roping in the A-G to look into the possibility of voiding the development project due to its potential “illegality”.
TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Abdul Hafiz Abu Bakar called for procedures to be followed.
“The procedures to changing a land title, among others, demand for the stakeholders to be consulted first. Should the residents agree, the next step would be holding a public tender, but neither of this was done and it is disappointing,” he said.