Why not wait for court to decide - Wan Saiful pans govt closing KL Tower

Summary

• Bersatu supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan chides the government for closing the KL Tower to allow the management to take over.

• The Tasek Gelugor MP says the government should wait for the court to decide on the matter before taking action.

A Bersatu leader has criticised the government’s move to temporarily close the KL Tower to enforce a takeover of its management concession from a previous operator.

Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan called it improper to shutter KL Tower as it’s an iconic monument.

“The government should allow the court to decide on the matter first before taking any action,” he said in a statement today.

Earlier, the Communications Ministry announced that KL Tower will be temporarily closed to visitors starting today to enforce the takeover.

The ministry stressed that the iconic tower belongs to the government and that LSH Service Master Sdn Bhd had taken over its operations, management, and maintenance since April 1.

It also claimed that the previous operator, Menara Kuala Lumpur Sdn Bhd (MKLSB), has been illegally occupying the premises since March 31.

"The Federal Lands Commissioner has issued two notices to MKLSB to vacate the premises in letters dated April 3 and 9.

"Thus, any business and operations that MKLSB have continued at the tower to date were done without the government's permission,” the ministry added.

‘Violent eviction’

Unimpressed, Wan Saiful described the government’s decision to evict MKLSB from the premises as a “form of violence”.

The Bersatu supreme council member also claimed that it was not the first time the government has attempted to evict one group in favour of another.

“Earlier, there was a plan to evict residents of Kampung Sungai Baru to allow KL City Gateway (KLCG) Sdn Bhd (previously known as Ritzy Gloss Sdn Bhd) to take over the place.

“KLGC is a sister company of Suez Capital, which is helmed by Ter Leong Hing.

“So, are we seeing a new trend, where the government is using its powers and agencies to favour a select group of the ultra-rich?” Wan Saiful asked.

Concession tussle

KL Tower was originally operated by MKLSB, which at conception, was fully owned by Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM).

It had been the sole operator of KL Tower since 1996 under concession contracts from the government, which were renewed every 15 years.

However, in late 2022, TM sold all of its stake in MKLSB to Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd.

When the Madani administration came to power, it proceeded to terminate MKLSB's concession and opened a request for proposal.

In May last year, the concession was awarded to LSH Service Master - which is a joint-venture firm between two companies, LSH Best Builders Sdn Bhd and Service Master (M) Sdn Bhd.

Hydroshoppe and MKLSB have sued the government for RM1 billion over the alleged wrongful termination of their concession.

On April 8, The Edge reported that the Kuala Lumpur High Court rejected MKLSB and Hydroshoppe’s application for an interim injunction to halt the award of the KL Tower concession to LSH Service Master.

Judge Roz Mawar Rozain ruled that the balance of convenience did not favour granting the injunction to the former operator.

However, she said the two companies could continue to seek remedy from the trial for their lawsuit, which the court will hear and decide on.

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