Save TRK campaign

Chronology of events

Overall choronology

Court case developments

June 2016

DBKL issued notice of the Proposed Development on a portion of land that is situated within the larger area known as Taman Rimba Kiara.

The Proposed Development involves among other things:

(a) building of 8 blocks of42-54 storey high-end serviced apartments (High-End Apartments);

(b) building one 29-storey block comprising 350 units of affordable housing, for current residents of the longhouses (Longhouse Residents) adjacent to the Sri Maha Mariammann Bukit Kiara Hindu temple;

The Proposed Development would add 2000+ units of housing, and at least 8,000 to 10,000 new residents, to Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI).

26 June 2016

TTDI residents organised a peaceful protest against the proposed development at Taman Rimba Kiara. The protest attracted extensive media coverage and many articles were published about the issues surrounding the proposed development.

29 June 2016

Taman Tun Residents' Association (TTDIRA) submitted 5,600 signed petitions to DBKL, documenting objections to the proposed development.

In connection with the objections, the community petition also highlights long-standing promises of permanent housing for the longhouse residents:

“We are cognizant at the same time that the proposal includes affordable housing for longhouse residents who have been living adjacent to the Kuil Maha Mariaman. The commitment to provide long-term permanent housing for the longhouse residents is a long-outstanding commitment which should have been fulfilled by the authorities a long time ago. We do not object to a modest, well-considered, environmentally-friendly development on the site which fulfils that commitment to the longhouse residents. However, such commitment can be achieved in a very modest way without the Proposed Development in question.”

21 August 2016

TTDIRA organised a Save Taman Rimba Kiara Merdeka Picnic to continue highlighting the community's objections to the proposed development.

29 August 2016

DBKL convened a meeting which was attended by the TTDIRA and certain other representatives from the TTDI community. The community's multiple and varied objections to the proposed development were expressed at the said meeting.

--- 2017 ---

17 February 2017

Federal Territory Minister claims that 'development order' has been issued for project at Taman Rimba Kiara.

28 February 2017

DBKL issues conditional planning permission to the developer Memang Perkasa. No notification of such conditional permission is given to the community.

31 March 2017

TTDIRA and apartment complexes adjacent to Taman Rimba Kiara write to DBKL reiterating their objections to the proposed development and requesting updates on the matter.

3 & 4 April 2017

DBKL replies to apartment complexes advising that proposed project is 'still under evaluation'. DBKL does not reply to TTDIRA.

7 May 2017

TTDI Townhall meeting. Save Taman Rimba Kiara working group organises a community meeting to share information on the proposed development and discuss next steps. Meeting is attended by more than 700 people.

21 May 2017

Parks for People event at Taman Rimba Kiara. Save Taman Rimba Kiara working group organises follow-up event to 7 May TTDI Townhall meeting. This event is organised in conjunction with Earth Day and highlights the importance of Taman Rimba Kiara, plus the threat posed by the proposed development. Save Taman Rimba Kiara working group announces the appointment of lawyers to represent the community.

June / July 2017

Lawyers for the community repeatedly request DBKL for updates on the proposed development. DBKL does not reply.

13 July 2017

DBKL issues Development Order to Memang Perkasa. No notification of the Development Order is given at this point to the community.

10 August 2017

The Federal Territory Minister, in a reply to a Parliamentary question submitted by Segambut Member of Parliament, provides first public confirmation that a Development Order has been issued. It is only at this point that the community learns of the issuance of the Development Order.

11 August 2017

TTDIRA, the management bodies of five condominiums and four TTDI residents (Applicants) file an application for a judicial review against DKBL and the KL mayor.

23 August 2017

KL High Court grants the Applicants leave to pursue a judicial review against the DBKL and the KL mayor, in relation to the decisions to issue conditional planning permission and the Development Order. Applicants also request a stay order from the Court, to freeze any work under the Development Order, pending full disposal of the judicial review.

12 October 2017

Court case postponed due to applications by Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan, developer Memang Perkasa and the Sunderam longhouse residents association to intervene in the case.

3 November 2017

Bicara Rakyat @ TTDI. The Federal Territories Minister, Tengku Adnan, attends a townhall meeting with TTDI residents to discuss issues in TTDI. At the townhall meeting, the Minister promises to meet again separately with the community, specifically for an in-depth discussion of Taman Rimba Kiara. Despite immediate & repeated follow-ups by the community, the Minister fails to keep the promise and no separate meeting takes place.

6 November 2017

DBKL grants the developer Memang Perkasa approval for a property sales gallery to be built on the site.

15 November 2017

KL High Court allows the landowner Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan, developer Memang Perkasa, and the Sunderam longhouse residents association to be intervenors in the case. TTDI community discovers DBKL's approval of the sales gallery.

26 November 2017

Protest by residents at Taman Rimba Kiara.

13 December 2017

Hearing of the stay application by KL High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Kamaludin Md Said.

14 December 2017

KL High Court dismisses the stay application and orders the Applicants to pay RM40,000 in costs to the respondents. Fixes schedule for process leading to full substantive hearing of judicial review.

17 December 2017

TTDI Run and Family Carnival at Taman Rimba Kiara.

19 December 2017

Federal Territory Minister issues press statement attempting to make various assertions about Taman Rimba Kiara. TTDIRA issues rebuttal statement.

--- 2018 ---

16 January & 13 February 2018

Case management of judicial review application. Parties in process of exchanging affidavits in relation to substantive hearing of the judicial review. Next case management scheduled for 18 April 2018.

26 February 2018

TTDIRA and Save Taman Rimba Kiara Working Group Press Conference regarding further encroachment into Taman Rimba Kiara, and other development issues arising in TTDI.

14 March 2018

Residents discover clearing of trees has begun at Taman Rimba Kiara.

25 March 2018

Occupy Taman Rimba Kiara - a protest by residents and supporters. Defend our park with a picnic basket!

18 April 2018

Case management of judicial review application. Registrar fixed 13 June 2018 as substantive hearing date of the judicial review.

13 June 2018

Case management of judicial review before Judge Datuk Nordin Hassan. Substantive hearing date fixed for 26 and 27 September 2018.

26 July 2018

Briefing for new FT Minister YB Khalid Samad. TTDI representatives meet YB Khalid Samad in Parliament and provide briefing on TRK development. The briefing was arranged by YB Hannah Yeoh.

23 August 2018

Meeting with Tun Daim Zainuddin, chairperson of Council of Eminent Persons (CEP). TTDI representatives provided briefing on TRK development to Tun Daim.

26 September 2018

Hearing of the judicial review application had been adjourned pursuant to DBKL's request for time to pursue discussions with parties towards a mutual resolution of the matter. Judge Datuk Nordin Hassan fixed 28-29 November and 3-4 December 2018 for the substantive hearing of the judicial review application.

27 Oct 2018

YB Hannah Yeoh issues a media statement to say that she is exploring all ways of resolving the TRK development issue, including consulting with Tun Daim Zainuddin.

11 Nov 2018

A townhall was provisionally scheduled with the FT Minister and new Datuk Bandar for this date, but postponed as the FT Minister had to travel on this date.

23 November 2018

Townhall meeting with YB Khalid bin Abd Samad, Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan, YB Hannah Yeoh, Ahli Parlimen Segambut and YBhg Dato Nor Hisham bin Ahmad Dahlan, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. Title: Dialog Malaysia Baharu - Harapan Penduduk TTDI.

28 November 2018

Case had been fixed for hearing over four days (Nov 28 & 29, Dec 3 & 4) before Judge Nordin Hassan, Mahkamah 1, Rayuan & Kuasa-Kuasa Khas. Previous hearing date end September had been postponed to today to allow for mutual resolution discussions by parties.

Applicant's lawyers had requested a short postponement in view of announcements by the FT Minister and Segambut MP that the Government would be setting up a joint working committee to explore a mutually workable resolution to the proposed development at Taman Rimba Kiara. This postponement was to allow the Government the opportunity to get the process going and thereafter the lawyers would update the Court again as to next steps.

DBKL and Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan did not object to the short postponement. However, the developer Memang Perkasa (subsidiary of Malton Berhad) objected and requested that the hearing proceed. The Sunderam longhouse residents' association (one of the two RAs in the longhouses) which has been aligned to the developer, also objected. Despite evidence being presented of the Government's intention to set up a joint working committee, the Judge refused to allow any postponement of the hearing and directed lawyers to proceed with arguments.

Lawyers for all parties presented their arguments over 3.5 hours. At the end of arguments, at about 1.10pm, the Judge indicated that he was ready to deliver his judgment immediately. He proceeded to say that he did not think the development order issued to Memang Perkasa was tainted by illegality in such a manner as to merit the court's intervention. He therefore denied the Applicants' request to quash the development order. Applicants will be discussing the decision with their lawyers and stakeholders, and will update in due course.

CONCURRENTLY: YB Hannah Yeoh was in court today to observe proceedings for an hour. Post the court decision, YB Hannah Yeoh and officers from the FT Ministry have confirmed that the joint working committee will be set up, comprising inter alia her office, the FT Minister's office, Yayasan WP, DBKL, representatives from the longhouses and representatives from TTDI Residents' Association.

YB Hannah's position is that, with or without the court decision, not all stakeholders' views have been properly considered in the past in relation to the Taman Rimba Kiara development, and furthermore that the court proceedings have so far not included all relevant stakeholders. Accordingly, the Government wishes to follow through on setting up the joint working committee as had been discussed during the townhall meeting last Fri 23 Nov 2018 held in TTDI. YB Hannah and the FT Ministry will be providing further updates on this front soon.

13 Dec 2018

TTDI Applicant Group files notice of appeal with the Court of Appeal, to contest the High Court decision. The Court of Appeal has allocated a case number and initial case management is set for 30th January 2019.

17 Dec 2018

TTDIRA holds press conference calling on MACC to expedite its investigation into TRK development, including the conflicts of interest and potential abuse of power under the previous administration in relation to the transfer of TRK land and the issuance of the development order.

17 Dec 2018

First meeting of the TRK joint working committee is held. It is chaired by the FT Minister and comprises:

FT Minister
Datuk Bandar KL
Segambut MP
Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (landowner)
TTDI Residents Association
Pertubuhan Penduduk Perumahan Awam Bukit Kiara (Sunderam RA)
Persatuan Penduduk Rumah Panjang Bukit Kiara (Sivakumar RA)
Rukun Tetangga Bukit Kiara
Memang Perkasa Sdn Bhd (developer)

This first meeting was a kick-off meeting and was an opportunity for the parties to express their respective viewpoints / perspectives on the issue. The developer mooted a scaled-down proposal of the mega project; this was however rejected by YB Hannah Yeoh, Segambut MP, as the scaled-down proposal continued to encroach into green space. YB Hannah stated that the developer should re-submit a revised proposal that is limited to the 4 acres of the existing longhouse footprint, and which does not encroach into green space.