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WHEN Subang Jaya Municipal Council
president Datuk Adnan Md Ikhsan chaired a
public hearing on a planning application on
Nov 13, 2007, he moaned and groaned that
he had been working on an empty stomach
– and kept repeating the fact that he had not
had a drink all morning, that the people do
not understand him and lamented that his job
was a difficult one.
Having treated residents with utter con-
tempt by keeping them waiting for an hour,
he then went to “lecture” them on who is
qualified to attend. He viewed the residents
as “nosy parkers” who were hell-bent on
preventing politicians and their cronies from
plonking a 15-storey commercial complex on
where the balai raya in SS15 stands. Only a
telephone call from the chief secretary to the
government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan,
jolted him back into reality and realising
that he works for the people, that their views
have to be heard and that their needs have
to be met.
Mohd Sidek has a proclivity for going by
the book and in the next few days, no would
be surprised if Adnan is cited again for what
is now becoming known as the “Telekom
land scandal” in USJ6.
Some background to the case: A piece of
land was sold to Telekom Malaysia Berhad
(TM) in 1988 by the developer, UEP at
that time, later Sime-UEP and now Sime
Darby Properties, for a telecommunication
facility. When Sime submitted the layout plan
to the state planning committee, it remained
so, and TM has since built an office on part
of the land. Sime developed the area which
is now called USJ6 and those who bought
the houses were given a layout plan which
showed the existence of the TM building.
In 1989, the use of the land was changed to
“commercial” and the residents believed that
it would be used as an exchange or an office
by TM.
No one would apportion blame on Adnan.
He was not part of the decision-making body
and neither were his fingerprints anywhere
on or near the documents. But the events
TELLING IT AS IT IS
Managing Editor: Chong Cheng Hai
Consultant Editor: Zainon Ahmad
Executive Editor: Lee Boon Siew
Deputy Editor: Patrick Choo (Production),
Editor: R. Nadeswaran (Special Reporting and Investiga-
tions)
Theft of public land
is no petty crime
that followed have hallmarks
of heavy-handedness by MPSJ
officials. In November 2005,
MPSJ rejected an application by
TM to sub-divide the land on the
grounds that it would remain as
a reserve for TM’s use. In Febru-
ary the following year, an appeal
was filed but turned down as it
was described in the records as
“ditolak dengan alasan tapak
tersebut merupakan tapak kemu- CitizenNades March 12.
dahaan awam (rezab telekom)”.
by R. Nadeswaran
Despite that, another applica-
tion was submitted and on June
17 last year, a public hearing was held on
the application where residents and those
affected objected on the grounds that no
traffic impact assessment (TIA) report was
submitted. Those present questioned the
legality of the change in the land use. No
answers were forthcoming. After the March
8 elections, no council meetings were held
until July when the new councillors were
sworn-in. So, the public hearing was held
without any endorsement of the councillors
or the full council or the one-stop-centre
(OSC). (Note the dates because the timings
are crucial.)
In June, the OSC (without councillors
sitting as members) was again asked to look
at the application and it referred it to the state procedures in the Mentari case. Residents
planning committee. The new councillors
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took office on July 1 but at no time
were they told that the application
had been rejected THREE times.
Neither were they told that the
previous decisions were valid and
even the appeal had been rejected.
But the planning committee ap-
proved the application, and MPSJ
informed the applicant accordingly.
Residents protested and the issue
was raised at the state assembly on
What is worrying is that the facts
of the case were hidden from the
state planning committee when
it decided to give the approval. Who with-
held vital information such as the previous
rejections when the committee met?
According to the minutes of the meeting,
there is neither mention of the rejections nor
the requirement of the TIA report. Ironically,
the TIA report surfaced in May this year,
nine months AFTER the approval was given.
How could the approval be given without the
TIA report? Shouldn’t the residents have a
right under the Town and Country Planning
Act to view the report and then make their
objections known?
Perhaps, MPSJ has not learnt the lesson
that its neighbour, the Petaling Jaya City
Council (MBPJ) is paying for not following
of Taman Desa Ria successfully sued when
letters
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All together now
AROUND this time last year Umno was split over
the need for a new president. Supporters of the
then Umno President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi said he should stay for the sake of party
unity. Supporters of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak
said he should take over for the sake of Malay
dignity.
Much debate and argument occupied main-
stream media space, cyberspace as well as
coffee shop and gerai space. Malays of all ages
and affiliations intensely defended their loyalties
and their political heroes. Equally animated were
the attacks on political foes. We said we did it for
the sake of bangsa, agama dan negara! No one
would admit they did it for selfish ends!
The Umno general assembly in March saw
efforts to consolidate the party and to come
to sensible compromises. The new line-up was
accepted grudgingly by some and heralded as
holding new promises by others. Impassioned
speeches accompanied by much hugging and
hand kissing ended the assembly in true Malay
style.
Once again the promise of Malay unity within
Umno would help to alleviate what has always
been Umno’s platform, ie the Malay agenda.
With renewed vows comes the promise of new
vigour. Except that this time the Malay agenda
must go hand in hand with the national agenda
of ensuring that the other ethnic groups are not
marginalised in the equation true to the spirit of
the Federal Constitution.
The prime minister has vowed that he is
going to be a people’s PM. Najib has promised
that 1Malaysia will be his clarion call and his one
outstanding vision for the country. The national
goal of a united people made up of diverse ethnic
groups and cultures manifested in the cries of
Thumbs down for new bus station
I FORESEE problems with Pontian’s new bus sta-
tion. The all-concrete building is not a pleasing
sight and there are no trees to provide shade.
The roads leading to the bus station have not
been well conceived and as a result daily traffic
jams are likely.
The carrying capacity of this small area also
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the council called for a public hearing three
months AFTER issuing the development
order.
In this case, the damage can be repaired
by revoking the development order and
the state acquiring the land for a public
purpose, in this case a recreational facility
for the residents. However, that is not the
point. This is not the first time land meant
for public amenities has been hijacked for
commercial purposes. It has happened before
in Bandar Utama. But the state government
has remained silent with folded arms as
those responsible keep creaming off what is
meant for the public.
The theft of public land must stop. We
are told this is the modus operandi of some
politicians and their cronies aided and
abetted by civil servants in using public
land for private purposes. Layout plans with
the land demarcated for public amenities
are approved, only to be changed later by
concealing facts and figures from the
authorities. The same methods are used all
over the state to take over land meant for
the public. This is an act of fraud and those
responsible must be punished.
For a start, Adnan has a duty to explain
why no one was informed of rejection of the
three previous applications. They were kept
secret to all and sundry – from the mentri
besar down to the ordinary ratepayer. The
usual excuse would be: “I left it in the hands
of the town planner.”
The buck stops with the boss and he must
take responsibility for such errors and omis-
sions. He has a duty not only to explain to
the chief secretary but also to the thousands
of ratepayers in Subang Jaya. Anything less
would be unacceptable.
R. Nadeswaran says stealing from the people
is no petty theft and wants the perpetrators
of fraud on the people to be brought to book.
He is editor (special and investigative
reporting) at theSun. He can be reached at
citizen-nades@thesundaily.com
Merdeka, in the tenets of Rukun Negara, in the
conglomerate of a Bangsa Malaysia and in the
construct of a fully developed Wawasan 2020
echoes throughout the nation again in the
concept of 1Malaysia!
However, the very people responsible for
translating the vision into reality, into meaningful
policies and projects, that is the MPs and state as-
semblymen seem oblivious to this call. They pay
lip service to it in their rhetoric but fail dismally in
their political ploys and stances.
Now PAS is seriously divided after their muk-
tamar as Umno was before the general assembly.
And the “contentious” issue is that of Malay unity
and by extension whether we like it or not, na-
tional unity. While one group led by president Hadi
and deputy president Nasharudin has proposed
unity talks with Umno, another group led by spir-
itual leader Nik Aziz is dead against it. Once again
there is a split within a major Malay political party
and the bigger Malay political community.
Once again the Malays and Malaysians will
be preoccupied in great argumentations about
right and wrong, truths and untruths, moral and
immoral, sincerity, trustworthiness, uprightness,
justice – all ingredients of integrity. Now the
questions will be: who has better integrity Umno
or PAS? Who is more sincere in helping the
Malays? Who is more correct in their interpreta-
tion of Islam and in their translation of Islam’s
tenets? Who is more just and fair in its dealings
with Malaysia’s other ethnic groups? Meantime,
the other political parties in the BN versus PR
equation will join in the foray in the true spirit of
togetherness inherent in 1Malaysia!
Halimah Mohd Said
Kuala Lumpur
cannot accommodate the new shophouses.
Finally, at the edge of the bus station, erosion
has already taken place. A pedestrian walkway is
also missing.
Housewife
Pontian