KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — The government withdrew today the Kampung Baru Development Bill after 10 months of protest by landowners from the capital city’s Malay enclave.
Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin opened this session of Parliament by pulling out the proposed law which would give Putrajaya full authority and immunity from legal proceedings with regards to developing the 111-year-old settlement.
The senator told a press conference later that he will table a new law today which will give landowners more say.
They will now have six members, including a deputy chairman, in the proposed Kampung Baru Development Corporation that will oversee the development plans.
But the corporation will have its powers to acquire land removed under the new Bill.
“We do not want to deny the voice of the landowners and heirs,” Raja Nong Chik said.
In an immediate reaction, PKR vice president Chua Tian Chang called it a “victory to Pakatan Rakyat and the late Dr Lo’Lo’ (Mohd Ghazali),” referring to the Titiwangsa MP who died in July but spent her last months fighting the Bill on behalf of the settlers.
The Malay Agricultural Settlement Administrative Board (MAS), which acts as a de facto local council, will also be retained under the new Bill instead of being dissolved to make way for the corporation.
Raja Nong Chik denied that the replacement of the Bill was due to opposition pressure, insisting that “this has nothing to do with Pakatan. Even without them we will have done the same thing.”
Kampung Baru lies within the Titiwangsa federal constituency, which has always been an Umno fortress but fell to PAS in Election 2008.
Pakatan Rakyat has been quick to capitalise on the growing anger of residents unhappy with the Najib administration’s plans to develop the area into an icon of Malay ownership in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
The Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Ministry held briefings in June on amendments to the proposed law following protests from Kampung Baru landowners.
Participants were given referendum forms asking if they agreed to Putrajaya’s proposal to redevelop the settlement, the formation of a new corporation to act as the main co-ordinator and for the development to be carried out by government-linked companies.
The Malaysian Insider understands that only 30 per cent of the forms were returned, although it is not known how many supported the proposal.
MAS honorary secretary Shamsuri Suradi told The Malaysian Insider it was “definitely” happy with the changes and was confident that “development will now take place in a fair manner” after earlier scepticism over the government’s intentions.
No comments:
Post a Comment