The Housing and Local Government Ministry said Pakatan Rakyat councillors could not fully absolve themselves from the controversial Batu Caves condominium project as they were partly responsible for approving the project.

NONE Its minister Chor Chee Heung said investigations found that while the Selayang Municipal Council's (MPS) One Stop Centre approved the project's building plan on March 24, 2008 - two weeks after the 12th general election - this was subsequently endorsed by the Pakatan-elected councillors four months later.

"The project was approved by the Pakatan councillors ... on July 10, 2008. The councillors at that meeting were appointed by the present state government," said Chor in a statement on Friday, which was posted in his Facebook page.

The minister said the issue of the 29-storey project - widely considered as an eyesore as it is located near the iconic Batu Caves - was brought up at the cabinet meeting last week where he provided the chronology of the approval given to condominium developer Dolomite.

Chor said there were two stages of approval - the planning permit and the building plan.

In his Facebook posting, the minister appended the various stages of approval of the project where the condominium is slated to sit next to the Batu Caves temple complex.

NONE On Deepavali, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had promised BN would stop the project if the coalition recaptures the Selangor government which it lost in 2008.

It was reported that the condominium project was approved by MPS when the previous BN administration was in power. The Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government has since put the project on hold pending a review.

Chor reiterated Najib's vow to terminate the project if BN regains Selangor.

"Najib's promise is made without consideration on whether the BN or Pakatan had approved the project which involves the construction of the 29-storey condo," said the minister.

Chor's chronology

The following is Chor's chronology:

Sept 27, 2007 - MPS' One Stop Centre committee approves the project's planning permit.

Nov 29, 2007 - The Selayang Municipal Council full-board meeting gives conditional approval to the planning permit.

Nov 30, 2007 - Final approval to the project where all the plans are certified.

March 8, 2008 - The 12th general election.

March 24, 2008 - The One Stop Centre committee gives conditional approval to the building plan.

June 26, 2008 - Final approval to the building plan given, where the plans are certified. (However, new councillors of the MPS have yet to be appointed.)

July 10, 2008 - The One Stop Centre committee, with councillors are from Pakatan, again gives conditional approval to the building plan.

um pro-m talk 05022010 03 lee khai loon In an immediate response to Chor, MPS councillor Lee Khai Loon ( right ) told Malaysiakini that June 2008 was part of the transitional period and Pakatan-appointed councillors were only appointed in July that year.

Lee, who was appointed as councillor in 2009, said that Chor was trying to split hairs on the matter.

While the One Stop Centre under Pakatan may have given conditional approval to the building plan of the project, he said that "they may not know much then as they were newly appointed".

The main issue, he said, was that the key approval to the project was given in 2007 under BN and the approval of the building plan was just a formality.