House owners at Sri Melaka low-cost flats in Bandar Tun Razak are unhappy with the lack of consultation and dialogue that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Federal Territories Ministry had conducted in a redevelopment project affecting them.

K Manoharan, a representative for the house owners at the flats, said that the deal being offered by the government to house owners in three low-cost housing areas in Bandar Tun Razak was not enough, and that they wanted a bigger space to live in when their flats are redeveloped.

"The first dialogue session had a question-and-answer session and we could voice our grouses, and that was back in 2012. Ever since then, there has not been any question-and-answer session in any briefings," Manoharan told Malaysiakini recently.

The project is finally set to go ahead some time this year after being in the back burner last year during the general elections.

    

The new Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, the residents said, had given a "final say" on the matter that the project will proceed, and that the government would invoke the Land Acquisition Act if some residents are unhappy.

As part of the relocation program, house owners can choose to sell their units back to DBKL for RM 154,000, or they can take up DBKL's offer for new homes plus a compensation of RM14,000.

Whilst their current units are 592 square feet, they are being offered 900-sq ft units after the redevelopment is done.

The residents are also unhappy that the government rescinded its original offer of 900 sq feet apartments for house owners, citing a cabinet ruling that all apartment units, whether it is for house owners or tenants, would be fixed at 800 sq feet.

But the residents say they deserve a bigger space, and said that they are more than happy to even stay at their current units.

Those who are renting units at the flats from DBKL are being offered to buy new 800-sq ft units after the redevelopment, or continue renting the units from DBKL at existing rates.

The Sri Melaka flats, Sri Johor flats, and the residents at Taman Ikan Emas are affected by this redevelopment project, which has been mooted since 2011, under then Federal Territories Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin ( right ).

"We as house owners want a bigger say. We want our voices to be heard," said Manoharan.

However, a majority of the tenants in the existing flats had already agreed to take up DBKL's offer.

But Manoharan said that almost half of the house owners are yet to sign the acceptance letter issued by DBKL and are hoping to be consulted more thoroughly before the government proceeds with the project.