KUALA LUMPUR — Ampang Jaya residents granted leave by the High Court to challenge their local authority’s development plan have welcome the decision, calling it a significant step forward for local community rights.
The residents’ action group, TOLAK RT2035, was granted leave by the Shah Alam High Court on October 23 to initiate judicial review proceedings against the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Local Plan 2035.
The 12 residents who filed the court action say that the local plan, gazetted on Feb 6, 2025, contained fundamental flaws and unpublicised land-use conversions.
“We believe that the local plan currently permits high-intensity developments in environmentally sensitive areas on hilltops and hillslopes, and established disaster-risk zones.
“Unsustainable developments threaten terrain stability, escalate risks of severe landslides and flash flooding, and destroy the remaining natural environment,” the group said in a statement, Bernama reports.
They further claimed that the local plan did not incorporate residents’ objections raised during a 2022 public objection hearing.
If the plan remains unchallenged, it would erode the public’s statutory right to object to future projects under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, they added.
It said the court allowed the leave application, filed in May last year, after finding that the challenge raised arguable questions of law and fact warranting a full judicial hearing.
TOLAK RT2035 identified Bukit Antarabangsa, Taman Hillview, Ukay Perdana, Taman Melawati, Kemensah, and Taman Ukay Heights among high-risk zones facing pressure from proposed intensive and mega developments.
The hearing for the substantive judicial review application has been set for Nov 25.
The Selangor government government gazetted the 2035 local plan for Ampang Jaya on Feb 6 last year. – October 26, 2026