Ooi: JKKK not a technical expert on development projects

A PENANG MCA leader is against a suggestion by a PKR leader that the two local councils in the state refer any new proposed development projects to the villages security and safety committees (JKKK) first before they proceed to give any approval.

State MCA assistant secretary Ooi Chuan Aik said this was because the JKKK in the first place was not a technical expert on development issues.

The local authorities have already laid down the planning guidelines for every area in Penang. It should be strictly adhered to by the developers and local authorities, he said in a statement.

He said he was concerned that referring to the JKKK might lead to more issues not related to the planning aspects.

The issues (such as squatters) need to be tackled separately, Ooi said.

On Sunday, Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff, who is also a PKR supreme council member, had proposed that the two municipal councils in Penang get feedback from the local JKKK leaders before approving any development projects.

This is necessary since hundreds of squatters are fighting against their eviction, either through appeals to elected representatives or the courts, he had said.

He claimed to have received 80 complaints since March from squatters in five traditional villagers in his constituency who were forced to relocate after their land was acquired for new housing and commercial projects.

The state cannot blame the previous administration, as it was made known to me that some of the projects were approved after the 2008 general election, he had said.

Yusmadi had said villages facing squatter problems in Balik Pulau were Kampung Bukit Kechil Sungai Pinang, Kampung Kuala Jalan Baru, Kampung Kongsi, Kampung Sungai Baru and Kampung Pulau Betong.

-The Star-