'Heritage shops sacrificed for underground MRT'
Saw Yee FungPublished: Aug 9, 2011 4:57 PM | Updated: Aug 9, 2011 5:21 PM
More than 40 owners of heritage shops on Jalan Sultan in the centre of Kuala Lumpur gathered at a hotel along the street this morning, protesting against the government's move to acquire their properties for the mass rapid transit (MRT) project.
Owners of heritage shops on Jalan Sultan are against acquisition of their properties.
More than 40 owners of heritage shops on Jalan Sultan in the centre of Kuala Lumpur gathered at a hotel along the street this morning, protesting against the government's move to acquire their properties for the mass rapid transit (MRT) project.
Joined by several Federal Territory Pakatan Rakyat MPs, they said the MRT project around Jalan Sultan was planned to run underground, so there was no rationale for MRT builder Prasarana Negara to expropriate 34 shoplots on Jalan Sultan under the Land Acquisition Act 1960.
The MPs who joined the protest were Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Petaling Jaya North MP Tony Pua (left) and Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai.
"The MRT is to be built 100 feet below the surface. So, what is the purpose of the government in wanting to expropriate the land above the railway?" asked Pua, who is with the DAP.
"This is clearly because the government realises that after the project completed, the value of the land will increase by three to four times," he added.
Pua said the government used a similar tactic in Bandar Utama, claiming a lack of space and therefore expropriated private land around the area for car parking space.
"But who knows whether commercial buildings will suddenly appear, years later?" he asked,.
Nurul Izzah (right), who is also a PKR vice-president, said this situation has also taken place in Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum, opposite the Mid Valley shopping mall.
"The government acquired the land and resold it. The land has since been taken over by Yayasan Gerak Bakti, which is said to belong to Umno Youth," she said.
Fong pointed out that the area around Jalan Sultan hosted a number of heritage structures - buildings that came up with the early development of Kuala Lumpur.
"These shoplots are more than 100 years old and make up one of the important characteristics of Kuala Lumpur. This includes Petaling Street, and one can easily notice that lots of tourists visit these places," Fong said.
"Taking away heritage sites will not only affect the livelihood of the shop owners, but will also affect the country's tourism."
Joined by several Federal Territory Pakatan Rakyat MPs, they said the MRT project around Jalan Sultan was planned to run underground, so there was no rationale for MRT builder Prasarana Negara to expropriate 34 shoplots on Jalan Sultan under the Land Acquisition Act 1960.The MPs who joined the protest were Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, Petaling Jaya North MP Tony Pua (left) and Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai.
"The MRT is to be built 100 feet below the surface. So, what is the purpose of the government in wanting to expropriate the land above the railway?" asked Pua, who is with the DAP.
"This is clearly because the government realises that after the project completed, the value of the land will increase by three to four times," he added.
Pua said the government used a similar tactic in Bandar Utama, claiming a lack of space and therefore expropriated private land around the area for car parking space.
"But who knows whether commercial buildings will suddenly appear, years later?" he asked,.
Nurul Izzah (right), who is also a PKR vice-president, said this situation has also taken place in Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum, opposite the Mid Valley shopping mall."The government acquired the land and resold it. The land has since been taken over by Yayasan Gerak Bakti, which is said to belong to Umno Youth," she said.
Fong pointed out that the area around Jalan Sultan hosted a number of heritage structures - buildings that came up with the early development of Kuala Lumpur.
"These shoplots are more than 100 years old and make up one of the important characteristics of Kuala Lumpur. This includes Petaling Street, and one can easily notice that lots of tourists visit these places," Fong said.
"Taking away heritage sites will not only affect the livelihood of the shop owners, but will also affect the country's tourism."
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