TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Abdul Hafiz Abu Bakar. ― Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — Groups opposing a condominium project near Taman Rimba Kiara said they showed Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor evidence the development would harm the park, after the minister reiterated his denial today.

The groups also disputed the Federal Territories minister’s description of the park as only being 13 acres large, again insisting that they demonstrated this to Tengku Adnan before.

Recalling a town hall meeting on November 3, they said the minister was shown that the offending project would occupy nearly half of Taman Rimba Kiara, which was earmarked as a green lung in both the gazetted Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 and the Draft City Plan 2020.

“It was (also) highlighted to the minister that there is ample evidence showing that the original footprint of Taman Rimba Kiara is 25 acres and not 13 acres.

“After being shown the evidence, the minister kindly offered to meet and discuss the matter at his office. However, our email seeking an appointment remains unanswered until today,” the groups said in a statement.

The groups conceded that the Draft City Plan was not gazetted, but said it should still be adopted given the sum spent to develop it.

The minister said in a statement earlier today that Taman Rimba Kiara was not gazetted as a public park and that the project would not encroach on its 13 acres.

He also distinguished Taman Rimba Kiara from the Large Scale Public Park (TABB) of Bukit Kiara gazetted on April 3, 2013 under the care of the National Landscape Department, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry.

On August 11, TTDI Residents’ Association chairman Abdul Hafiz Abu Bakar, the management bodies of five condominiums and four other TTDI residents filed for judicial review against Kuala Lumpur City Hall and its mayor over the approval of the condominium project.