The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has declined a request from Setiawangsa residents for impact assessment reports of a condominium project they are opposed to.

The residents of Desa Putra Condominium had previously demanded the reports as they had concerns about the proposed 46-storey service condominium to be erected next door.

DBKL City Planning department director Nurazizi Mokhtar said, however, that there is “no need” to furnish residents with the project's traffic impact assessment (TIA) report.

“There is no need to (give them the TIA report)...We do everything following the rule of law, and at the moment there is no such requirement,” he told Malaysiakini.

The proposed project, Nurazizi clarified, had not fulfilled the conditions needed for a social impact assessment (SIA), development impact assessment (DIA) or an environmental impact assessment (EIA).

He pointed out that residents could still request for the TIA report during the public hearing for the project, but maintained this was still subject to approval from the official chairing this hearing.

“It will up to the chairperson (of the hearing) on that day to ask the developer and its consultants to show residents the TIA report,” he said, adding that such hearings are usually chaired by DBKL Planning executive director Mahadi Che Ngah or himself.

Public hearing set for Oct 16

Nurazizi also confirmed that the public hearing for the proposed project  – in which the public will be able to present their concerns to DBKL – has been scheduled for Oct 16.

Although no time has been set for the hearing, he said, invitations are due to be mailed to residents soon.

“Sometimes, we have to inform (surrounding residents) a little late because it’s hard to get the chairperson to attend the hearing.

“Sometimes, we can only do it four days before the hearing,” he admitted.

The DBKL official said, however, that the proposed project should not have come as a surprise to the residents of Desa Putra.

“The developer (of the new project) is the same developer that developed their apartment. The developer must have shown them the future building plans for the area back then.

“So when they bought their units, they (should have) known that the plot next to them would be developed later."

The residents previously held a press conference with Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to object to the project and demand more transparency from DBKL.

Their primary concern was how the new project, expected to consist of 382 condominium units, would worsen existing traffic conditions – especially with two separate high-density condominiums also being constructed in the area.

Residents had also alleged that the 0.77ha plot of land had its status surreptitiously changed from residential to commercial without them being consulted.