KUALA LUMPUR – Kg Sg Baru residents are being offered legal assistance by Amanah to mount a challenge against a project developer over compensation disputes.
Amanah communications chief and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said the party is ready to help pay for legal fees if the residents want to take the developer to court, should a consensus not be reached on the compensation rates.
“Though I am a Shah Alam MP, I will make sure the residents of Kg Sg Baru get fair treatment. I hope the government will not take further action if the case is brought to court.”
In a press conference at party headquarters here, he also accused the government of taking the developer’s side even though the residents said the land acquisition compensation did not commensurate with the private assessment made by them.
Previously, he had urged the government to stop abusing the Land Acquisition Act 1960 to usurp residents’ rights for the benefit of private developers in the case of Kg Sg Baru residents.
Khalid, who was former federal territories minister, had said when Pakatan Harapan was in power, it offered landowners there RM1,000 per sq ft as compensation.
This was higher than the RM500 per sq ft offered presently by the Lands and Mines Department, a far cry from private assessors’ valuations at between RM1,500 and RM2,000 per sq ft, not including the buildings.
On August 29, Kg Sg Baru residents held a press conference to announce plans to file an objection with the Lands and Mines Department over the low compensation offer.
Despite negotiations since 2016, the offer failed to appeal to the owners of 37 terrace houses and 72 flat units.
Following this, the developer applied to acquire 37 terrace houses and the remaining flat units under the Land Acquisition Act, while 34 terrace houses were excluded from the move.
There are 98 terrace houses and 264 flat units in total. – The Vibes, September 10, 2022
