Dbkl Has Plot Of Land That Can Fit 12k Affordable Homes

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“Indeed, city councils like DBKL are now seemingly run like private, for-profit companies that prioritise developers’ interests without considering residents’ welfare and interests.
“The Pakatan Harapan government will work hard to empower democracy and transparency in DBKL systematically. This effort will ensure that all Malaysians can elect reliable, inclusive representation that represents the interests of the people, not the developers.”
- Pakatan Harapan manifesto, October 2022
These prophetic words, first spoken and then written, gave hope to millions of Malaysians, who were “victims” of the many Little Napoleons in local councils.
It would be wrong to assume that I am yet again reminding the government of one of the many promises it made during its campaign to wrest the government from BN control.
But why would the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) be singled out for mention? It was then and is still the country’s most significant and richest local authority.
Pakatan Harapan’s short stint in government from 2018 to 2020, before they were unceremoniously betrayed by what is now known as the backdoor government, gave insights into the operations of all local councils.
PAC revelations
Still, DBKL stood out as a sore thumb, being named in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports.
The then government-in-waiting was aware of the shenanigans, monkeyshines, and tomfooleries taking place, and a democratically elected set-up to administer the federal capital was the answer to end these once and for all.
It was known that the PAC flagged DBKL in 2019, saying that 97 land sale transactions were carried out without referring to any SOPs since 2011.
The then-Kuala Lumpur mayor, Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan, and a few DBKL directors were called before the PAC to give details on its structure and the jurisdiction of the federal territories minister, including the city hall’s position on the 97 land deals.
PAC’s then-chairperson, DAP’s Wong Kah Woh, said it found the process too lax, exposed to abuse of power, and lacked protection for DBKL and Kuala Lumpur residents.
He said PAC found that DBKL had no SOPs to dispose of or sell its land. It had also entered into lopsided joint venture agreements to develop land it owned.
More than five years later, today, those manning DBKL have not only become more brazen in their trickeries and deals at the expense of the people, but have spread their malevolent tentacles even further.
If government regulations had been followed, as the prime minister often touted the Rule of Law, more land would have been available for affordable housing.
Land alienated, idle for decade
Recent reports on land being alienated, sold, or gifted to cronies have made the headlines.
Take the joint venture (JV) between DBKL and Warisan Tradisi Sdn Bhd, for example.
The deal was signed in 2015, but nothing happened until 10 years later, when that company, now under a different group, relaunched the project.
This project would have been considered “sick” because construction work had been delayed by more than 30 percent compared to its scheduled progress, or if its sale and purchase agreement (SPA) had lapsed.
Nothing happened, and it was never classified as an abandoned project because of reasons better known to the Housing and Local Government Ministry.
Under Section 11(1) of the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act, the minister is empowered to certify that the developer has abandoned the development.
An abandoned housing project refers to a construction project that is not completed within the agreed-upon timeframe outlined in the SPA, with no significant construction activity for six consecutive months.
The issues of sick or abandoned housing projects have caused significant hardship for thousands of homebuyers and destabilised the property market.
Buyers continue to pay for homes they can never live in, while also struggling with rental costs.
Successive ministers didn’t classify the JV as abandoned, perhaps not to embarrass DBKL, a government body.
Why not use land for affordable housing?
But DBKL too had a choice - to pull out of the JV arrangement and find a new partner. After all, it was the lawful owner of the land.
It will never address why it dilly-dallied for 10 years and kept Warisan Tradisi as a partner.
But why is DBKL entering JVs for commercial development when the land could be used for affordable housing?
Rewind to 2022, when then-prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob set up a 25-man committee on affordable housing. But what can be done if the land cost is high, especially in the Klang Valley?
Former prime minister Ismail Sabri YaakobThe plan was to build 5,000 council houses for the urban poor. The prime minister vowed to make Kuala Lumpur “inclusive” and pursue a development that leaves “nobody behind”.
In a commentary, I asked: “Where will the prime minister get the land to build 5,000 houses in Kuala Lumpur as promised, or in the other states?”
At that time, no one knew or pretended not to know the existence of the vast land banks DBKL held, and details only came to light after former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Mansor was charged with corruption.
Now that some of these land deals have become public knowledge, should these plots be used for affordable housing?
Shouldn’t it start with DBKL’s land, which previously housed a health clinic for its staff and a vaccination centre for hawkers, petty traders, and food handlers to get their typhoid jabs?
The clinic closed its doors in 2023, and despite a caveat placed on the land in 2013 by a Jakel company, Perano Development Sdn Bhd, DBKL legally owns it.
According to the National Land Code, anyone claiming title or interest in the land or beneficial title to the land can place a caveat. It lasts six years unless it is withdrawn by the caveator, removed by the registrar, or cancelled by a court order.
Shouldn’t DBKL make efforts to remove the caveat after 12 long years and provide the land, a whopping 129,100 square metres, or the size of 17 Fifa-standard football pitches?
Experts say this piece of land, about 12,000 units of houses of 600 sq ft each, can be built with a plot ratio of six.
Would this piece of land make an ideal township at a time when the prime minister is campaigning for more affordable homes, complete with recreational facilities that the public can enjoy?
Wasn’t it the government in waiting that remarked DBKL is “run like private, for-profit companies that prioritise developers’ interests without considering residents’ welfare and interests?”
Isn’t the Madani government going to correct its own perception? - Mkini
R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist who tries to live up to the ethos of civil rights leader John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.” Comments: [email protected]
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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