Developer in Kg Chubadak Strike, But The Kg folks are Ready With New Method of Defences

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/8/1/central/11759122&sec=central

Wednesday August 1, 2012

Settlers unhappy with constant development in village

By CHOONG MEK ZHIN
mekzhin@thestar.com.my
Photo by YAP CHEE HONG

THE third generation settlers of Kampung Chubadak Tambahan in Sentul are shocked to find developer of residential project Bayu Sentul — Arus Embun Sdn Bhd — clearing a small portion of the land as well as hoarding up the 1.21ha site.
Residents’ Association chairman Ramlee Ahmad said there were uniformed and plainclothes police in the area and they were unable to do much to stop them.
He highlighted Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) failure to put up any notices to get residents’ objection to the high-rise residential development as well as the developer’s failure to put up any information board at the site.
Ramlee said the Appeals Court had made a decision in 2000 that stated their rights to the land where about 200 residents still live and grow fruit trees.

 

Work in progress: Workers putting up hoarding around the site where the high-rise residential Bayu Sentul will be built.

“In the decision, they had referred to the most recent documentation about ownership of the land from 1962 made by the Selangor Executive Committee who granted us ownership rights while in 1974, the Chief Minister had said we would be given a land grant,” he said.
Ramlee also said their ancestors were given the land in 1916 when Federation of Malay States issued a gazette to make a 202.34 ha plot of the land a Malay Reserve area.
“Sometime between 1930 and 1955, two companies took large portions of the land for mining.
“This land was revoked years later and the then Kuala Lumpur district officer made a layout plan for the former mining land to be divided among the settlers,” he explained.
Ramlee said they had the land grant for the original area, before it was mined.
“We have been applying for a new grant since 1985 but it was rejected for reasons unknown to us.
“Development has taken place in the area. The village is now only about 20.23ha in size,” he said.
The last development project took place a few years ago.
“Since then, a few high-rise residential developments have been completed.
“Though the name of the developer for this new project is different than the one that built the others, the address points to the same parent company,” Ramlee said.
He added that residents had lodged many police reports and complaints to DBKL as well as submitted a memorandum to the Federal Government.
Arus Embun Sdn Bhd is a member of the Melati Ehsan Group which was reported in 2006 to have taken over Sentul Murni Sdn Bhd, the developer of Bandar Sentul Utama project.
Sentul Murni Sdn Bhd project director Mohd Zainuddin Badarudin said Melati Ehsan was seen as the ‘white knight’ which came in to complete the abandoned project.
“When we stepped in, the project was at phase two.
“It involved the construction of the Sentul Utama Condominium which has already been completed,” he said.
He added that Bayu Sentul was part of the overall project and would take up 1.21ha of land.
“There are more plans for the area including a People’s Housing Project, condominiums and a commercial area.
“But, we will need to address the matter of squatters still living on the land before we can proceed,” said Mohd Zainuddin.