As a legal battle to stop development in Bukit Gasing enters its fourth year, residents of Gasing Indah today organised a signature campaign halt earthworks by developers on its slope.

Some 100 of them gathered at a community field near Gasing Indah this morning, inking their support on a gigantic banner that read "stop greed, save Bukit Gasing, save lives".

They also erected placards that showed several landslides that took place on the steep hill slope. The last incident was in 2010 when a massive landslide hit close to Syabas pump station on the hill.

NONE The residents are unhappy that the developer, Gasing Meridian Sdn Bhd, has started cutting trees and earthworks on a part of the hill although an appeal against the development will only be heard on on Tuesday.

The developer plans to erect 68 to 71 bungalows on a 15ha plot of land.

Bukit Gasing Joint action committee chairman Gary Yeoh ( left ) said the developer recently expedited the works, worrying the residents that the hill could be severely deforested by the time the Appeal Court delivers a judgment.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, who attended the event, said the residents have been denied a public hearing and a detailed environmental assessment impact (EIA) report since the inception of the project in 2008.

"No one here has ever received a comprehensive EIA report. The residents have to be given an assurance that the slope development is safe," she said, adding that the country has a "horrendous" track record on hill slope housing project.

 Strata titles

She said Gasing Meridian has delayed the issuance of strata titles to residents of six surrounding condominiums due to their involvement in the Save Bukit Gasing campaign.

NONE "I recently wrote to the developer requesting them to come out with EIA report and strata titles, but to no avail," she said.

Nurul ( right ) said another development on the other side of the hill is encroaching a reservoir's buffer zone, but the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) claims it has no power on the matter.

"When I asked the mayor, he said he could not do anything as the project was approved by (former prime minister) Abdullah Badawi," said the PKR vice president.

Yeoh chided DBKL for its flip-flop decisions.

"In 1995 (the developer) tried to launch a project like this, but it was rejected by DBKL. But after 10 years, DBKL gives them a green light without requesting for anything. Why is the slope safe for development now?" he asked.

NONE Some 108 residents filed a judicial review because DBKL has refused to hold a public hearing on the matter. They were granted leave by the High Court in 2009.

The Court of Appeal and Federal Court subsequently upheld the leave decision following an appeal by Gasing Meridian in 2010.

The actual hearings of the merits of the case at the High Court were held in June and July 2010. On September 6, 2010, the High Court ruled against the residents.

The residents then appealed and the next hearing is fixed on Tuesday in Putrajaya.

"We are inviting all residents to car-pool with us on Tuesday to go to the court. We need your moral support," Yeoh said.