Sentiasa mencari kebenaran

Kemampuan kakitangan MPAJ yang menakjubkan Mac 28, 2008

Saya tidak faham bagaimana sebuah kerajaan boleh menggubal undang undang dimana mereka boleh didenda, dengan jumlah yang tidak termasuk akal, jika mereka tidak luluskan pembangunan yang dicadangkan oleh sebuah syarikat hartanah swasta. Jika ianya benar, iaitu terdapat peruntukan denda berat keatas kerajaan, ini bererti kerajaan yang ada sekarang telah menggali lubang kubur nya sendiri. Jika demikian halnya maka harapan kita kepada sebuah kerajaan yang boleh menjaga kepentingan awam adalah seperti pagar makan padi.

Apabila seorang pemimpin dengan terang terang melanggar undang undang, seperti yang dilakukan oleh allahyarham Zakaria Deros, boleh dikatakan beliau terlepas daripada denda yang setimpal. Tetapi MPAJ pula, mengikut kata mereka sendiri, takut terjebak dengan denda yang besar akan menimpa mereka jika mereka melanggar undang undang.

Mengikut precedent undang undang, MPAJ boleh mendapat perlindungan(immunity) jika terdapat kemusnahan harta dan nyawa awam akibat pembangunan hartanah, seperti yang diputuskan oleh mahkamah berhubung dengan kes Highland Tower. Sementara itu pemilik rumah di Zooview juga nampak nya tidak mendapat hak seperti yang diberikan kepada syarikat pembangunan hartanah. Tetapi mengapa pula secara tiba tiba immunity yang telah diberikan kepada MPAJ oleh mahkamah tinggi telah lesap begitu sahaja. Ini membuktikan yang misi utama MPAJ ialah untuk menjaga kepentingan oligarch dan kroni.

Didalam kes pembangunan bukit disekeliling Taman Hijau, MPAJ telah menjelaskan bahawa hujah penentangan oleh penduduk sekeliling adalah tidak jitu. Dengan lain lain perkataan penduduk setempat telah tidak mengemukan lapuran teknikal untuk membuktikan kelemahan projek yang dicadangkan. Sungguh malang bagi rakyat Malaysia, kerana MPAJ telah membuktikan bahawa misi mereka bukanlah untuk melindungi penduduk dikawasan tadbirnya. Hujah mereka ialah penduduk mesti menjaga hak mereka sendiri: buat kajian teknikal sendiri dan pergi ke mahkamah dengan hasil kajian itu dan berdoalah semuga mahkamah akan dapat memberikan keadilan kepada mereka (tetapi adakah kita percaya dengan ketelusan mahkamah berpandukan kepada perisitwa VK Lingam?).

Berikut ialah jawapan yang diberikan oleh MPAJ berhubung dengan peristiwa yang saya tulis terdahulu:

Residents can still oppose hillside development
PETALING JAYA (March 27, 2008): The two hillside developments in Bukit Antarabangsa – which falls within the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ)’s jurisdiction – were approved by the local authority, after an initial approval by the state government’s Environment-Sensitive Committee chaired by the State Secretary.

However, all hope is not dead for the residents who can still oppose the endorsement plan at the Selangor Appeals Board within the 30-day time frame stated in the notice disseminated by MPAJ.

The council’s Urban Planning Unit director Awang Mustapha Mohd Yunus said the projects – one involving 194 bungalows and 410 shops and office units in Taman Hijau and another involving 21 terrace houses and a pump station in the Taman Kelab Ukay vicinity – underwent thorough standard procedures after the state government’s initial approval.

“The procedures involve the application for the proposed development to undergo studies and inspections by the technical departments before an approval by the One-Stop-Centre (OSC),” he said, in a telephone interview, today.

Awang Mustapha added that objection hearings for neighbouring residents were not excluded from the mechanism.

“However, we approved the projects because there was nothing concrete to reject them but if the residents nearby feel upset with our decision, they can raise their objections at the Appeals Board, which is chaired by a judge,” he said.

Residents were concerned about its location of the Taman Hijau 24.945ha development proposed by Malaysian Alliance Assurance (MAA) , seeing the need to protect green lung.

“The project was vetted through by technical departments like the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Public Works Department’s Slope Unit, the Mineral and Geoscience Department and even Public Works Institute (Ikram).

“If MPAJ rejects the proposal without substantial reason, we can be served by MAA with a Notice of Purchase and MPAJ would have to pay RM290 million – three times the council’s annual income,” Awang Mustapha explained.

The second project which was proposed on a 0.748ha plot of land, he clarified, did not involve bungalows but terrace houses.

“The residents raised concern on the level of pollution and the fact that it involves an oxidisation pond but the Lembah Langat Development Sdn Bhd clarified that there is buffer between the areas,” he said.

However, Awang Mustapha said, the council and technical departments agreed that there was no substantial reason to reject the application.

“The ball is now in the residents’ court for them to raise substantial objections at the Appeals Board,” he added.

On Thursday, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim questioned MPAJ’s approval of the developments right after the general election.

Khalid said the new state government will review them in line with its policy on hillside developments and the concerns of the residents were being considered.