The plan to demolish Bukit Bintang Plaza (BB Plaza) to make way for the multi-billion ringgit mass rapid transit (MRT) project has been shelved following last week's protest by the traders.

A joint statement issued by MRT Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) and Uda Holdings Bhd (Uda) this evening says a revised station design will avoid direct integration of the MRT with the shopping mall and therefore, the need to demolish BB Plaza.

However, the new design would allow for integration if BB Plaza is re-developed in the future.

"Thus, based on the revised standalone design, neither BB Plaza nor the Uda office building need to be demolished to accommodate the construction of BB Sentral Station," the statement says.

MRT Corp and Uda said the underground station would now be built in the public area in front of BB Plaza and Bangunan Yayasan Selangor and would affect several business outlets.

Uda has forwarded compensation proposals to MRT Corp for the affected businesses, which include  Gloria Jeans' Coffees, Hot and Roll, Mado Ice Cream and part of Starbucks Coffee.

They added that the construction would not affect the safety of BB Plaza as “very minimal ground movement is expected” during the work below the road level.

“At all times during this construction, pedestrian access into BB Plaza from the front entrance will remain open,” the statement says.

Request for delay until Ramadan rejected

The operators of the kiosks affected have also requested that the MRT works be deferred until after Ramadan, but this request has been declined.

“Following the dialogue with traders today, we have agreed to allow the kiosks to remain open until midnight on Sunday,  July 8, 2012. An appropriate and reasonable compensation will be negotiated with the operators,” the statement adds.

About 200 BB Plaza tenants last week demonstrated against the demolition, which they claimed would rob them of their livelihood. 

The stall operators claimed that about 60 percent of the BB Plaza tenants were Malay traders. Most of those trading along another affected area – Jalan Sultan – are Chinese.

MRT Corp has backed down on its earlier intention to acquire private land along Jalan Sultan that the MRT is to run under, but refused the alternative alignment Jalan Sultan property owners suggested, saying it needed to link Pasar Seni with the proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower.

Landowners are still unhappy that in return, they will have to temporarily  vacate  their premises and give temporary land rights to MRT.

azlan