Taman Rimba Kiara: YWP did not alienate land to developer

Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (YWP) said it did not acquire and alienate the Taman Rimba Kiara land to developer Memang Perkasa. In a statement today, the foundation said the land was alienated to YWP by the Kuala Lumpur Land Office for mixed development. “Only upon tendering and getting the right technical proposal, did YWP appoint Memang Perkasa and subsequently entered into a JV agreement. “YWP being the owner of the land, must assist our developer in obtaining all the requisite development approvals,” the Office of YWP CEO said in a statement, released in response to Astro AWANI’s Consider This program titled ‘Taman Rimba Kiara: Behind the Victory’ with Hannah Yeoh and Datuk Dr Gurdial Singh Nijar on Friday. It further explained that YWP is not the CSR arm of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). Instead, it is a limited by guarantee company and one of the ways for the foundation to raise funds is through land development. “YWP watched the programme (Consider This) and would like to mention that some information was wrongly given or misinterpreted by both panels. “Among them are; YWP is not the CSR arm of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur but limited by guarantee company, incorporated in 1986, under the Companies Act 1965. "Just like any other state-level foundations chaired by their Menteri Besar or Chief Minister, likewise YWP too is chaired by its Minister of Federal Territories. “YWP has an obligation to uplift the lives of the poor and needy in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan as required by its Memorandum and Articles of Association,” it said. “YWP can develop and turn to account any interest in immovable property acquired by YWP or in which YWP is interested, and in particular in laying out the same for building purposes, construction and so forth." “When the land was alienated to YWP, there were already 100 families of longhouse settlers living thereon for more than 38 years. “Thus, it is the corporate-social-responsibility of YWP to provide replacement housing for them,” it said. On January 27, The Court of Appeal allowed an appeal by Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) resident against the government’s plan to develop Taman Rimba Kiara. Judge Mary Lim ruled that there is an “appealable error that warrants an appellate intervention”.