Taman Desa Residents Protest Sale Of Police Reserve Land

---

 



Taman Desa residents have staged a protest against the sale of police reserve land to develop a condominium in the area.
About 180 people gathered this morning to object to the government’s move in a peaceful protest at the Taman Desa Community Hall, Seputeh.
In a statement, the Taman Desa Residents Association (TDRA) pointed to the Home Ministry's response in the Dewan Rakyat, stating that Lot 54780 was meant for the development of the Brickfields police station.
This was according to the 2020 and 2040 Kuala Lumpur Structure Plans, it said.
"The lot should be retained for the construction of the police station and not sold for a condominium development.
"TDRA requests the goodwill of the government to cancel the sale of the police station reserve land so that the Home Ministry and police’s original plan can be carried out," it said.
In December last year, former Federal Territories minister Khalid Abdul Samad asked who was responsible for handing over ownership of the reserve land to the developer.
“The MP and residents there didn’t know about this. All of a sudden, the reserve land has approval for development purposes,” the former Shah Alam MP had said.
The issue arose after Seputeh MP Teresa Kok discovered that a private company had received approval from the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office to develop a condominium on the land during a meeting with the Kuala Lumpur mayor.
When Kok raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat, it was discovered that the Home Ministry and police had opposed the land sale, as they intended to use the plot for a new police station to replace the ageing Brickfields station, which the authorities are renting.
Seputeh MP Teresa KokKok questioned the inconsistency in Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) decisions, particularly why they rejected the police’s request for the land but approved the condominium project, especially when residents had raised concerns about the security of the area.
Too many high-rise condos in dense area
ADSThe residents also presented justifications to show the need to build a police station for their safety rather than adding housing to the area.
Citing data from the Population and Housing Census 2020, TDRA said the population in Taman Desa was 36,029 people.
“We expect the population of Taman Desa to reach 70,000 people in the next five years.
“Taman Desa and its surrounding areas are only regulated by a police station located on the side of the road at Batu Tiga, Jalan Klang Lama and a police pondok (beat base) in Taman Danau Desa.
“With the rapid increase in population, a new police station with complete facilities which can accommodate more police officers should be built to maintain the safety of the residents of Taman Desa,” it added.
It further pointed out that since 2018, there have been 11 condominium and affordable housing development projects with 8,299 units approved or under construction in Taman Desa.
The residence association, which represents more than 40 housing areas, also stressed that the transfer of the land to the developer was inappropriate as the area was already saturated with high-density housing projects.
The 0.35ha lot is also close to the 40-storey Kensho Residence, which is still under construction, along with other high-rise buildings such as Danau Permai condominium, Desa Impian condominium, Desa Idaman condominium and Danau Desa Business Centre, it added.
“We hope the government will listen to the complaints and objections of the residents of Taman Desa and return the police reserve land to us for the sake of sustainability and the well-being of the residents,” the association said. - Mkini

---