I welcome the decision by the Federal Department of the Director General of Lands and Mines (JKPTG) to cancel the lease agreement for Lot 54836, the former site of Sekolah Kebangsaan Danau Perdana in Taman Desa, which had been leased to a private company.
Although this decision ultimately restores the land to its original intended purpose, the case exposes serious weaknesses in the decision-making process concerning the management of government-owned land in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) had previously recommended that the Government establish a Standing Committee to oversee matters relating to land alienation and land development in Kuala Lumpur, with the participation of Members of Parliament from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (WPKL).
Sidang Media PAC berhubung pembentangan penyata berhubung pembangunan tanah Kuala Lumpur
Had the PAC’s recommendation been implemented, the views of elected representatives who understand the needs of the local community could have been taken into consideration before such a decision was made.
In this case, it is clear that Members of Parliament representing the Federal Territory were not consulted before land reserved for educational purposes was leased to a private company for commercial use.
I therefore urge the Government to implement the PAC’s recommendation without delay by establishing a Standing Committee involving Members of Parliament from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur to oversee matters relating to land alienation and land development in Kuala Lumpur, so as to prevent similar cases from occurring in the future.
Teresa Kok
