They lodge a report with anti-graft agency claiming the field was still gazetted as reserve land when it was sold to a property developer.
KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Bandar Tun Razak (BTR) here are fighting back against a decision by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to sell their beloved football field to a developer who wants to build a 41-storey apartment block on the site.
In the first round last Thursday, they were unsuccessful in their pleas to keep the 40-year-old field when DBKL rejected them at a briefing on the proposed development plan.
Today, accompanied by their lawyer Zulhazmi Shariff, a group of the residents lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) alleging possible “misdeeds” in the sale of the field located at Jalan Jujur in BTR.
Zulhazmi claimed there were discrepancies concerning the procedure of the land acquisition by DBKL and the process of selling the land to the developer while it was still gazetted as reserve land.
“We filed the report to MACC as we suspect there is an element of foul play in regards to the development planned on the football field, he told reporters.
Zulhazmi claimed that the land was still gazetted as reserve land when DBKL opened it for sale to the developer in April 2016.
According to documents he provided, the 2.098ha football field had been reserved for public purposes as an open space through a Government Gazette dated Nov 24, 2005.
The reserved land status was revoked by the Federal Territory Land Executive Committee, chaired by chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa on Dec 22, 2016.
Upon cancellation of the reserved title, the field was then handed over to Kuala Lumpur Datuk Bandar Amin Nordin on June 4, 2017. DBKL then sold it to local developer Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd.
“How can DBKL open the field for sale to the developer when it was not theirs to begin with?” asked Zulhazmi.
During the June 8 briefing for the residents, DBKL economic planning and development department director Azmi Hamid maintained that construction of the 41-storey apartment block would proceed.
Named Razakmas Residency, the affordable housing units will be priced at RM198,000 each.
Also present during the media conference today to show support for the residents was Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.
Kok claimed that the development would cause a great impact on the surrounding residents in terms of traffic flow and safety.
She said green spaces such as the Jalan Jujur field should not be touched by any development.
“Kuala Lumpur will be the messiest city in the world if such uncontrolled development is pursued in the future,” she added.