On-site visit: Khalid, accompanied by Selangor reps, being greeted by Bandar Mahkota Cheras residents during a visit to the site yesterday. Some 30 residents of Bandar Mahkota Cheras brought their case to Parliament, wielding banners urging the Works Minister to reopen the access road to the housing area.
KUALA LUMPUR: An enforced "truce" is in place between Grand Saga Sdn Bhd and Bandar Mahkota Cheras residents over free access to the Cheras-Kajang Highway.
One day after police urged Grand Saga not to put up barricade, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim summoned the Kajang Municipal Council to completely remove the remnants of the barricade.
Abdul Khalid, who visited the site yesterday, also urged Grand Saga and Bandar Mahkota Cheras developer Narajaya Sdn Bhd to solve the impasse, saying residents should not be victimised in their dispute.
Residents claimed they were promised free access to the highway by Narajaya but Grand Saga said they were never a party to such an arrangement. A court case is now pending.
Abdul Khalid said a letter had also been sent to Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed, requesting him to look into the problem.
"We hope all parties will be patient and try to solve the problem amicably.
"I don't want any trouble or fight over this issue."
Residents and Grand Saga have been engaged in a contest of wills as residents would remove the barricade only to see it replaced almost immediately.
On Tuesday, residents claimed they were assaulted by thugs while trying to remove the barricade.
Grand Saga has denied using thugs.
Meanwhile, Selangor MCA chief Datuk Ong Tee Keat said he has evidence that secret society members were involved in Tuesday's ruckus which ended up with five people injured.
He said he would provide the information to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan soon.
NST online
30/05/08
End to Cheras saga today?
KUALA LUMPUR: A solution is in sight to the Bandar Mahkota Cheras access road issue.
Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed is expected to visit the site today and make an announcement, according to highway concessionaire Grand Saga Sdn Bhd.
In a statement yesterday, Grand Saga executive director (business development and corporate affairs) Zainal Abidin Ali said they met Mohd Zin yesterday to discuss the issue.
“After the meeting, we believe that a solution is in sight. The Minister will issue an official statement tomorrow,” said Zainal Abidin.
Grand Saga has in the past few weeks tried to re-erect a barricade to prevent residents from by-passing the toll booth, claiming that the access road was illegal.
However, a statement from Bandar Mahkota Cheras developer Narajaya Sdn Bhd reiterated that it had been granted approval for the access road.
“We wish to place on record that when we launched the BMC housing project, we were granted approval by the relevant authorities to build an access road connecting to the then Cheras-Kajang Highway.
“That approval was obtained before the Government granted Grand Saga the concession over the highway.
“Therefore, in building the access road to connect to the highway, we were merely fulfilling our obligation as required by the authorities,” the statement said.
Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who visited the site yesterday, has asked the parties involved to reach an amicable solution in two weeks.
“I would appreciate if they can put an end to this long-standing fracas,” he said, to applause from residents.
“This has been going on for too long and there must be an amicable solution.
“There is a road, so why close it?” he asked.
Khalid said the problem had to be solved soon or else the state government, as a stakeholder in Grand Saga, could ask for an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the matter.
Every attempt by Grand Saga to block the access road has been thwarted by angry residents, who tore down each new barricade.
One resident, who sustained injuries during a fracas between residents and an unidentified group of people on Tuesday, said he was happy that the issue would soon be resolved.
“However, we are disappointed that it took so long, especially after so many residents were injured (on Tuesday), and two are still recuperating in hospital,” said the man who requested anonymity.
As at 6pm yesterday, the situation at the access road appeared normal although there was a massive traffic jam caused by boulders that had fallen onto the middle of the road under the bypass between the Bandar Mahkota Cheras and Bandar Tun Hussein Onn access roads.
Star Online
30/05/08
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