There will be no acquisition of properties on Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Aziz said today.

NONE However, several units of heritage property on Jalan Sultan would be torn down for the construction of the MRT and these would be "rebuilt" once the project was completed, Nazri said.

"This was agreed at a meeting with MRT chief executive officer Azhar Abdul Hamid when I met him on Monday. This was the proposal Azhar made to the landowners.

"There will be no realignment or acquisition of land on Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang. It is only on Jalan Sultan, where some of the properties will be dismantled and rebuilt once the MRT project is completed," he added.

Nazri said the MRT has agreed to pay compensation to the owners of properties on Jalan Sultan that would be dismantled for their loss of business.

So, he said, it was entirely up to the landowners to decide whether to accept this proposal.

Nazri said he was not the minister in charge of the project but was merely assisting the affected landowners in the issue.

There has been speculation that parcels of land along the two roads would be acquired for the MRT project, resulting in landowners filing an application for a judicial review to challenge the project.

Related stories

MRT Co: Accept plan or face acquisition

MRT: No demolition on Jalan Sultan, vows gov't