The Committee to Preserve Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang (PJSJBB), which had claimed that landowners were told to vacate their business premises by the end of April to make way for Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) tunnelling works, has been given breathing space.

NONE Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz ( right ) has assured the landowners that they are not required to vacate their property until Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak decides on the matter.

PJSJBB co-chairperson Yong Yew Wei conveyed this to reporters after a 40-minute meeting with Nazri at Parliament House this morning.

According to Yong, 34 premises on Jalan Bukit Bintang have received notification from MRT Corporation, while only several business operators in Jalan Sultan got a similar letter.

Responding to Deputy Finance Ministry Awang Adek Hussin’s claim that all but two property owners in Jalan Sultan have opted for the government’s compensation package, Yong said: “We have to clarify today whether owners in the affected areas - Jalan Inai, Jalan Sultan and Jalan Bukit Bintang - have not signed any mutual agreement with MRT Corp.

“The owners have signed a point of agreement with MRT Corp which we all know is not legally binding.”

NONE Yong ( right ) brushed aside Awang Adek’s assertion that “compensation will be paid in full” and that it will be like a “ paid holiday ” for the landowners, saying the statement was “irrelevant”.

Yong pointed out that the six-month compensation offer does not resolve losses from suspended businesses during the period.

MRT Corp has asserted that the tunnelling works will not result in any damage to the century-old buildings, specifically those in Jalan Sultan.

Referring to statements by Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd last August, Yong said the spokesperson had conceded that there was no guarantee that the buildings will not be damaged when the tunnelling works begin.

Yong also urged Najib to look into the social impact assessment report and the soil investigation report before ordering landowners to vacate their property.