PETALING JAYA: The Kampung Sungai Baru Residents Right Action Committee has urged the government to carry out an inquiry to determine the land status of the area, and whether it should be recognised as a Malay agricultural settlement (MAS).
Group chairman Zainab Alias said the inquiry should be carried out in accordance with Chapter 4 of the National Land Code.
“This is because all documents and an official map indicate that this land is a Malay agricultural settlement,” Zainab said at the Lawyers for Liberty office here yesterday.
Also present were lawyers for the group N. Surendran and Zaid Malik.
Zainab also called for all work being carried out at Kampung Sungai Baru to be halted, pending the inquiry.
Should the result prove that the land is classified as MAS, the group demands that the developer return it to the residents.
“Any future development should involve the Kampung Sungai Baru residents.
“The government must initiate necessary negotiations with the developer on behalf of the residents.
“Failing to do so, we (the Kampung Sungai Baru residents) will hold a demonstration at the Federal Territory Ministry on May 7 to demand justice,” she said.
The group also demands the government to outright repeal Section 3(1)(c) of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in the Parliament session scheduled in June.
Surendran said the group learnt about the Kampung Sungai Baru MAS status last year.
“This is shocking as by then, the land had already been taken over,” said Surendran, who is former Padang Serai MP.
Zaid said Section 3(1)(c) of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 is unconstitutional and should be abolished, adding that the
existing law failed to protect the interests of landowners.
The Kampung Sungai Baru land acquisition, which was completed in August 2023, was done in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act 1960, involving 110 units that included 37 terrace house lots, 72 flat units and one TNB electricity substation lot.
The residents received compensation between February 2022 and January 2023 from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Land and Mines Office.
However, some of the residents held a demonstration opposing the low rate of compensation that was proposed by the developer Ritzy Gloss Sdn Bhd, which was RM450 per square foot.
