KUALA LUMPUR – There will be no new housing project development in Taman Kelab Ukay, Bukit Antarabangsa, Ampang, for now, as the planning permission issued to develop the area expired on October 13, last year.
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president, Dr Ani Ahmad, said that if the developer, Lembah Langat Development Sdn Bhd, wishes to proceed with the project, it will need to re-apply for the planning permission, to allow all aspects of development in the hilly area to be studied.
“If the developer wants to continue the development, the company has to go through the same process all over again, among which it has to submit a development proposal to the Environmentally Sensitive Areas Development Technical Committee Meeting (JTPKSAS), and make a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) report, approved by PlanMalaysia@Selangor.
“Only after the process is done and all the conditions are complied with, it (the development proposal) will be brought back to the MPAJ One-Stop Centre (OSC) meeting, for us to look at all aspects before granting approval, However, thus far, the developer has yet to reapply,” she said at a press conference, after chairing the MPAJ monthly meeting today.
Ani was commenting on a report in a local newspaper yesterday, which highlighted the concern of the surrounding residents about the possibility of landslides and disasters if the housing project is to go ahead as planned.
According to the report, the proposed development of the project includes the construction of 54 units of three-storey townhouses for the first phase; a three-storey apartment block totaling 84 units (phase two) and 29- and 37-storey apartment blocks, a total of 610 units (phases three and four, respectively).
Ani said that the development proposal had been approved by the JTPKSAS meeting on September 24, 2019, followed by the approval of the Social Impact Assessment Report (SIA) on November 5, 2019 and OSC approval on December 23, in the same year.
The planning permission approval was issued in 2020, covering a period of one year from October 14, 2020 to October 13, 2021, before it was extended for another year from October 14, 2021 to October 13, 2022.
However, until October 7, 2022, no development work has started on the site, even though the developer submitted a Notice of Commencement of Earthworks (Form B) to MPAJ, resulting in the approval issued expiring on October 13, 2022, according to Ani.
“In fact, for any development to be implemented in any area, especially those involving sensitive areas such as slopes, MPAJ will not issue an approval on its own.
“On the contrary, it will be approved first by JTPKSAS, which is made up of various technical agencies, including the Slope Engineering Branch, Public Works Department; Department of Irrigation and Drainage and Department of Minerals and Geoscience, to look at all aspects, including the status of soil and rock in the area involved,” she said. – August 29, 2023