NST: Controversial hilltop project in Bukit Antarabangsa to be brought before NPPC

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KUALA LUMPUR: The controversial proposed hilltop projects in Taman Kelab Ukay, Bukit Antarabangsa will be brought to the National Physical Planning Council (NPPC) for a safety compliance detail review.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari who chairs the State Planning Committee has confirmed the matter.

"The proposed project (in Taman Kelab Ukay) will be tabled to NPCC to detail the safety compliance considering the location of this proposal," he said briefly to the New Straits Times.

This is following the NST's series of reports which revealed that the projects were given approval despite not going through NPPC even though it is an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA).

Under Section 22(2A)(C) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, State Planning Committees would need to seek advice from NPPC should they plan to develop on an ESA.

This is because NPPC is the council that is responsible to provide check and balance for environmental protection and sustainable development.

The proposed project which includes a 37-level high rise apartment in a landslide-prone area has left residents feeling uneasy fearing potential disasters in the landslide-prone area.

It is understood that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) had issued a blanket approval to developer Lembah Langat Development Bhd on Dec 23, 2019, to develop three projects in four phases.

NST then sighted a letter from PlanMalaysia which said the project proposal for the development was not brought to the NPPC despite being required as it was located on an environmentally-sensitive hillside area.

However, PlanMalaysia Selangor's own planning manual did not state the need to refer developments on hilltop or hill slopes to the council.

The manual was used by MPAJ when issuing approval for three projects in Taman Kelab Ukay.

PlanMalaysia also revealed it had no authority to compel the state to refer the proposal to them as land matters were under the state's jurisdiction even though the need to seek NPPC's advice is listed in the Act.

MPAJ president Dr Ani Ahmad said there was no need to bring the proposed project approval to NPPC as they had received approval from the Selangor ESA Development Committee.

The status of the project was brought into question when Ani, in the same press conference, said the project approval had expired on Oct 13, 2022.

Ani said despite a work notice received on Oct 7, 2022, no development works were carried out before the expiry date and as such, in line with Section 24(1) of the Town and Country Planning Act, the approval had expired.

She said should the developer, who is also the land owner, want to restart the work, it has to reapply and go through the approval processes all over again.

This was contested by Petaling Tin Bhd, the parent company of Lembah Langat, which said it had started work, including the installation of construction hoarding.

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