LETTER | We refer to the news report on Residensi Desa Satumas land sale in Taman Desa.

Seven lots of government land in Taman Desa area have been sold to Garuda Searah: lots 52958, 52959, 52961, 58430, 58431, 58433, and part of Lot 55139.

The express condition of five of these parcels was for usage as chalet, water theme park and recreational park.

The above mentioned lots were sold for the purpose of mixed development, and not only for Federal Territories Housing Scheme (Rumawip) purposes. The entire development has been named Desa Valley by the developer, Aset Kayamas.

The seven blocks of 3,002 units of Rumawip developed by Aset Kayamas is on “sebahagian lot 58433” (part of lot 58433).

As such only a portion of the land sold to Garuda Searah Sdn Bhd is earmarked for Rumawip.

The remaining lands will be developed as 1,148 units of service apartments, 48 units of shoplots, and 168 office units, with the uses of the remaining lots still unknown.

The total land will be developed in six parcels, consisting of Parcel 1A (1,346 units of Rumawip), Parcel 1B (1,656 units of Rumawip), Parcel 2 (commercial), Parcel 2A (commercial), Parcel 3 (residential) and Parcel 4 (residential).

If the above land was sold for the sole purpose of building Rumahwip, there is then justification to sell it below fair market value as mentioned by Eric See-to.  

However, those are not the actual facts of these transactions.

Only a small portion of land will be used to build extreme high-density Rumawip and the remaining land will be used to develop shop lots, office units, service apartments and also other high-end developments.

Therefore, his statement that “despite its strategic location near the city centre, this Taman Desa land cannot be used to build anything else - not luxury condominiums, offices nor malls,” is a fundamental contradiction of the facts of the matter.

Firstly, the seven blocks of Rumahwip are all over 30 stories high. Secondly, immediately adjacent to the site of the seven blocks are high-end landed residences.

Thirdly, the developer Aset Kayamas is building high end properties on land that he claims that cannot be used to build anything else.

We therefore ask See-to categorically explain what he is referring to when he says the land cannot be used to build anything else.

Nevertheless, if See-to insists that he is right, we urge him to present the facts and the transparency of the entire transaction – why would a developer build something at a loss and why do we build homes for people on land that cannot be used for anything else, as he claims?

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, on the other hand, appears not to have a full understanding and

appreciation of the entire development. She is focused on the 3,002 units of Rumawip, when in reality, only a small portion of the land that will be used for development.

It is obvious she only sees the trees but not the forest.

The real issue here is how did the entire transaction take place?

Where is the transparency of the transaction? Was the land sold to the highest bidder as claimed by the mayor?

Desa Valley is being developed around the Smart Tunnel storm water retention pond, which is a former tin mining pool, with a lake that is purportedly one of the deepest in Kuala Lumpur, if not the deepest.

It is regrettable to note that being the Seputeh MP since 1999. she has failed to be proactive and initiate affirmative action to prevent this kind of development from taking place.

Many times we have seen her closing the barn doors after the horse has bolted.

To both sides of the political divide – you plan to fail when you fail to plan.

You both have failed the people of Kuala Lumpur by not gazetting the Kuala Lumpur Master Plan 2020.

For whatever reasons it is not gazetted, Kuala Lumpur cannot possibly be a world class city when it does not have a Development Master Plan in place.

We would like to listen to See-to who is a strategist explain the strategy of development in Kuala Lumpur without a Master Plan.

We would also like to see the key result areas of the Seputeh MP with regards to Taman Desa since 1999.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.