The Telekom land project in USJ 6 is now at the State Appeals Board. At the last full council meeting in MPSJ in June 2009, the councillors have requested for a review of the decision made in granting the development order. We have been informed that Telekom has filed an application to intervene at the State Appeals Board. Why is Telekom insisting to fight against the residents to dispose off this land to the developer for it to be developed now, bearing in mind that their previous attempts to sub-divide the land have also been rejected before?
In 2005, MPSJ rejected Telekom’s application to sub-divide the land :
Menolak permohonan Kebenaran Merancang Pecah Sempadan dengan alasan : Tapak tersebut hendaklah dikekalkan sebagai rezab kegunaan Telekom Malaysia Berhad sahaja.
In 2006, MPSJ again rejected their appeal:
Rayuan pemohon ditolak dengan alasan tapak tersebut merupakan tapak kemudahan awam (rezab telekom).
The above decisions were not revealed to us at the public hearing held last year and the application was conveniently escalated to the State Planning Committee 4 days before the councillors were appointed. The State Planning Committee approved the project without knowledge of the history above. The two decisions in 2005 and 2006 were only revealed by MPSJ after I raised this matter at the State Assembly on 12 March 2009.
Despite wide publicity on the residents’ objections, I am surprised to hear that Telekom is insisting on fighting to develop their land which is reserved only for Telekom exchange. Who is behind Telekom?
Telekom’s website reveals the followings:
The Federal Government owns 42.34% of their shares.
The 2 substantial shareholders are:
Khazanah Nasional Berhad, 41.78%; and
Employees Provident Fund Board, 14.36%.
And who is the man behind the leadership of Khazanah Nasional Berhad?
Answer : our very own Prime Minister, Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Hj Abdul Razak!
Why is our Federal Government not listening to the plea of the residents? Why is our Federal Government as the owners of Telekom, allowing Telekom to file an application to intervene the appeal made by the residents? Telekom will be engaging its own lawyers to fight this out.
What has happened to our Prime Minister’s motto : People first, performance now?
The owners of Telekom which is the Federal Government should do the right thing which is to instruct Telekom to terminate its sale of the land to Pujangga Budiman and drop its proposed 9 storey commercial development in USJ 6 and listen to the cry of the residents. Do not hide behind the guise of a government-linked company.