Kohilan Pillay and 3 MIC reps approved the Batu Caves condo project...

It’s official - all 19 members who attended the full board meeting of the Selayang Municipal Council voted in favour of approving the Dolomite Avenue Park project in Batu Caves in 2007.

Despite earlier denials and assertions by some councillors that they were neither party nor privy to the approval process, minutes of the meeting held on Nov 29, 2007 - obtained by theSun - show otherwise.

Deputy foreign affairs minister Datuk A. Kohilan Pillai(right), who was a councillor between 1997 and 2008, had voted in favour of the project.

So did the three councillors from the MIC – Rajakupal Sinnathamby, Jayakumaran Govindasamy and Rajandran Muniandy.

Both Gerakan, of which Kohilan is a member, and the MIC, have recently accused the current Pakatan-led Selangor government of approving the project.

On Oct 26, former MIC president and works minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, spearheaded a demonstration at the Sri Subramaniar Temple at Batu Caves - which is beside the project site - calling for a stop to the project.

Kohilan, who had joined the scores of protesters, has since vehemently denied his involvement in the project's approval, claiming that only a “planning permit” was issued during his tenure. Such a permit is also referred to as a “development order” which allows immediate development.

Kohilan has reportedly claimed that the application from Dolomite was basic and did not indicate details.

But documents show that the application was submitted with detailed layout and building plans.

The minutes also show that approval was given for dual-development - 18 units of three-story shop-lots and two tower blocks – one of 25-storeys and another of 29.

In a twist of irony showing that local councils can work efficiently if they want to, council president Datuk Zainal Abidin Azim issued the go-ahead on Nov 30 – just 24 hours after the full board endorsed the approval.

The minutes also showed that approval was “subject to conditions” and these included those recommended by the Geosciences and Minerals Department which has since briefed the state government on non-compliance.

It is learnt that the department indicated that the developer had failed to comply with some of the conditions set, especially the construction of the Geobrugg that should have been done before the work on the shop lots had begun.

Yesterday, theSun reported that the council had also defied objections from the Selangor Department of Environment (DOE) which had expressed its reservations on development which is in close proximity to the limestone hills.- theSundaily

 Selangor may cancel Batu Caves condo approval...

The Selangor government may cancel approval for the controversial Dolomite Park Avenue condominium in Batu Caves for ignoring the objections of the state Department of Environment (DOE), says state executive councillor Ronnie Liu.

The reserve land area between the 29-storey condominium project and the iconic Batu Caves is too narrow, and this could lead to fatal rockfalls and land instability, Liu told Malaysiakini yesterday.

"The project is very near to the caves and there have been insufficient safety measures to prevent rockfalls. Now, we can knock out the project," he said.

"We have the right to correct the past."
Liu said the previous BN state government should not have approved the project in the first place.

He said this when asked about a report in English daily theSun on Monday that the Selangor DOE in a Jan 24, 2007 letter to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) pointed out MPS had approved the project in 2007 over the DOE's objections.

The letter, a copy of which was also provided to Malaysiakini, clearly states that the DOE does not support the project.

The development proposal report submitted does not provide for sufficient land reserve between the proposed condominium project and the hill, which is required under the state government policy.

"Therefore, this department does not support this development as it has the potential to create landslides and other problems," the DOE letter states.

Reservations from Geoscience Dept as well

Another letter from the Minerals and Geoscience Department in Selangor, a copy of which was also made available to Malaysiakini, expresses its reservations to the project and lists five construction conditions to be fulfilled by the developer.

The plan for the massive condominium project near the historic Sri Subramaniar Temple grabbed the spotlight after the temple committee, backed by MIC top guns including former president S Samy Vellu, led a protest against the Selangor government.

The issue arose after the MIC-backed temple committee led a protest against the project in late October.

However, Liu subsequently revealed documents to show that the BN government had in 2007 approved the condominium project - considered by many to be an eyesore - when it controlled Selangor.

Liu was reported as saying that Senator A Kohilan Pillay of Gerakan and Hulu Selangor parliamentarian P Kamalanathan of MIC were among those responsible for approving the project.

However, both Kohilan and Kamalanathan have denied the accusation and lodged police reports on the matter

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has announced that an independent task force will study the matter.

The members of the task force are expected to be announced today, after the state executive council meeting.- malaysiakini

 Kohilan Pillay dan 3 lagi wakil MIC lupa 
yang depa sokong projek Kondo di Batu Caves...

Minit mesyuarat Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) pada 29 November 2007 mengesahkan, projek kondominium bersebelahan Batu Caves turut disokong oleh ahli majlis dari MIC.


Antara ahli MPS yang menyokong cadangan pembinaan kondo itu adalah timbalan Menteri Luar, Datuk A Kohilan Pillay yang menjadi ahli majlis dari Gerakan antara 1997 hingga 2007.

Turut menyokong adalah tiga wakil MIC dalam MPS iaitu Rajakupal Sinarthamby, Jayakumaran Govindasamy dan Rajadran Muniandy, lapor muka depan akhbar harian The Sun hari ini.

MIC dan Gerakan baru-baru ini menyalahkan kerajaan negeri Selangor di bawah Pakatan Rakyat kononnya mereka yang meluluskan pembinaan itu.

Bekas Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu 26 Oktober lepas memimpin tunjuk perasaan membantah pembinaannya dengan alasan akan merosak alam sekitar Batu Caves yang menjadi kuil hindu itu.

Minit mesyuarat yang diperolehi oleh The Sun itu mengesahkan bahawa permohonan untuk pembinaannya turut disertakan dengan pelan lengkap layout dan bangunannya.

Minit itu juga mengesahkan, kebenaran telah diberikan kepada pembinaan 18 unit rumah kedai tiga tingkat dan dua bangunan menara, satu 25 tingkat dan satu lagi 29 tingkat.- harakahdaily



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