Barricade row: Answers next week

Bandar Mahkota Cheras (BMC) residents would have to wait until next week before knowing if a highway concessionaire has a legal right to barricade their toll-free access road.

An independent surveying firm has been given four working days to determine if the barricade was under the jurisdiction of the state or the federal government.

Speaking to reporters today, the firm's representative Mohamad Tarmizi confirmed that highway concessionaire Grand Saga Bhd has the 'right of way' regarding the Kajang-Cheras Highway.

This includes rights to manage and repair the highway. However, time was needed to perform checks on the barricade's location. The barricade is placed on an alternate road which allows toll-free access to the residents.

"We have to check with the land department. We need to find out if the concessionaire had acquired the land," he said.

Earlier today, some 30 members of the BMC residents committee had attended a meeting with state Local Government, Study and Research chairperson Ronnie Liu and Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ) chairperson Hassan Nawawi Abd Rahman to hear the firm's report.

Accompanying the residents were Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, Hulu Langat MP Che Rosli Che Mat, Kajang assemblyperson Lee Kim Sin and Balakong assemblyperson Yap Lum Chin.

During a press conference later, Liu said the independent surveying firm's would finish their work next Tuesday and expressed hope to be able to obtain a report on Wednesday.

However, Liu stressed that at first glance, Grand Saga does not have the right to barricade the access road as they cannot prove that the land used for the barricade was under their jurisdiction.

"If Grand Saga barricades the road, the matter may be brought to court," he adds.

24-hour watch

BMC developer representative Ooi Keng Lai said that during the meeting, he had presented documents to prove that the developer had bought the land for the access road before transferring ownership to the state government.

The barricade was torn down by residents on Monday following confusion over the status of the land. This has allowed cars to use the access road and bypass a highway toll-booth since then.

Efforts by Grand Saga officials to erect a new barricade yesterday were thwarted by residents who are guarding the area round-the-clock.

Today, some 200 people had gathered near the area in anticipation of another attempt by Grand Saga to try and erect the barrier. There were left disappointed when informed that there were no concrete outcome from the meeting at MPK today.

BMC residents are arguing that the access road was part of the package offered by the housing developers and was completed in 2003. The road was sealed off by Grand Saga with a concrete barricade next to the Cheras-Kajang Highway two years ago.

Since then, BMC residents have to make a six kilometer detour and pass through a RM0.90 toll to enter the highway. Residents are complaining that the detour causes traffic jams.

Previously, the residents had held numerous protests against the barricade culminating in a protest which led to many of their leaders being arrested for participating in an illegal assembly.