Cancel Batu Caves condo project, says Kula | Free Malaysia Today

Cancel Batu Caves condo project, says Kula

G Vinod | October 27, 2012

DAP vice chairman also urges the state government to find another strategic site for the developer as compensation

PETALING JAYA: Scrap the proposed condominium project slated near the Batu Caves temple, said DAP vice chairman M Kulasegaran.

In a statement today, he said that both the Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders and Pakatan Rakyat leaders agree that the project should be relocated to a different site.

“The temple committee and the public are okay with this. Even the Malaysian Nature Society pointed out that it was unsafe to build high rise buildings in the area,” said the Ipoh Barat MP.

About 300 people protested at the Sri Subramaniar Temple in Batu Caves yesterday, calling for the state government to scrap the proposed 29-storey condominium project.

The project, slated to be built on a piece of the land adjacent to the temple, was approved by the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) in 2007, when the state government was under BN.

“We must know who sat in the council meetings at that time. Who approved the project?” asked the temple committee chairman R Nadarajah yesterday.

He said the same approach must also be used to determine the “culprit” who issued another building plan approval in June, 2008.

Kulasegaran urged the state government to offer another strategic piece of land to the developer in order to compensate them.

BN must apologise
Training his guns against MIC, the DAP veteran challenged MIC to reveal names of its party members who were holding councillor’s positions at MPS, when the project was approved.

“Instead of blaming the Pakatan state government, the MIC and BN as a whole must apologise for their councillors’ silly mistake,” said Kulasegaran.

In related matter, Malaysian Indian Voice chairman, V Pappa Raidu, hit out at Nadarajah, saying that the Pakatan government only appointed its first batch of councillors in July 1,  2008.

“None of the Pakatan councillors were involved in the approval given in June that year,” said Pappa, who was among the first batch of councillors appointed by Pakatan.

He served at the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) from July 2008 till June 2010.

Pappa, who is also the Kota Raja DAP chairman, pointed out that new councillors have no power to undo the approval given by the previous council, without incurring a financial setback.

“If councillors needed to withdraw an approval given by previous office bearers, we must pay the affected party compensation,” he said.