MRT might not need TTDI land, says SPAD

February 25, 2011

A resident of TTDI holding a Form A Notice that land is likely to be acquired by the Suruhanjaya Pengangkutan Awam Darat. Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) houses do not need to be acquired for the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as they are beyond the 20-metre buffer zone minimum, say the project regulators.The Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD)s assurances came after TTDI residents complained about notices they had discovered in their neighbourhood recently, informing them that their land would likely be acquired for the MRT Sungai-Buloh Kajang (SBK) line.At this moment, the proposed alignment as suggested by Prasarana, project owners of the Klang Valley MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang line, does not require acquisition of residential homes in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, said SPAD in a statement yesterday.

Furthermore, the affected houses are situated beyond the narrower buffer as required under section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960, it added.Residents of Jalan Pinggir Zaaba in the affluent suburbs had found the notices, dated February 10, stuck on trees and lamp posts along the streets last week.They accused SPAD of being unprofessional and disrespectful for using such methods to inform them of the apparent impending acquisition.In its defence, SPAD stressed that the Land and Mines Office was responsible for issuing land acquisition notices.To clarify, any acquisition of land for any purpose and the resulting issuance of notices falls under the ambit of Pejabat Tanah dan Galian (Land and Mines Office) and the Land Acquisition Act 1960, said the public transport regulator.The Commission does not make any decisions related to project execution, SPAD added.

SPAD also pointed out that noise dampers and barriers could be erected to mitigate noise pollution that will likely plague residents living near the tracks.There are technologically-advanced measures to control noise such as noise dampers and barriers, which will be adopted in accordance to the independent consultants recommendations, after an in-depth study is conducted in areas that require intervention, said SPAD.SPAD added that the MRT project required approval from the Department of Environment (DOE), failing which a stop work order could be issued.Malaysias largest infrastructure project has yet to receive (DOE) approval, despite groundworks for the SBK line being scheduled this July 16 and slated for completion in 2016.SPAD stressed that the proposed alignment is not finalised until public feedback is collected at the end of the public display of the SBK line on May 14.All feedback will be thoroughly evaluated and presented to the government before the final decision on the proposed alignment and location of the stations is adopted, said SPAD.The end result is to make travelling on the Klang Valley rail network (including KTM Komuter and LRT) seamless and convenient for the rakyat, it added.According to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study on the MRT, occupants of 473 lots of land totalling 97 hectares will have to make way for the RM36.6 billion project.They include those in diverse areas such as TTDI as well as Malay reserve land located along the 51km rail line.Of the lots that are set to be acquired, 103 are located within the Sungai Buloh-Semantan stretch, 163 over the underground section between Semantan and Maluri in Kuala Lumpur, and 207 along the Maluri-Kajang segment.The SBK line will start from the Sungai Buloh KTM station and make its way through the capital city and four other municipalities before ending at the Kajang KTM station, where the report said there would be a loss of social cohesion, sense of community and current lifestyle for long standing communities whi! le land owners would suffer as the value of property may decline if only part of the lot is acquired.

A snapshot of Pinggiran Zaaba. Picture by Choo Choy MayResidents affected by the acquisition and relocation could potentially endure problems such as temporary disruption to lives and loss of social cohesion unless they relocate within the immediate neighbourhood.In the case of businesses, there will be potential loss of customers particularly businesses that rely on the local neighbourhoods, said the projects environmental consultant ERE Consulting Group in the EIA report.The Klang Valley MRT will have 35 stations along its 51km line that stretches from Sungai Buloh to Kajang, with 13 proposed park-and-ride stations and four interchanges.Eight of the stations between KL Sentral and Maluri will be underground as 9.5km of the line will be built under the capital city.The MRT is an entry-point project identified for the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley National Key Economic Area under the Economic Transformation Programme.Its proposed alignment map for the SBK is up for public viewing until May 14 at seven locations across the city.They are Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Petaling Jaya City Council, Shah Alam City Council, Selayang Municipal Council, Kajang Municipal Council as well as the Bangsar LRT station and the SPAD office in Menara Dayabumi.The public can provide their feedback on the project via email to feedback@kvmrt.com.my or through the SPAD toll-free line at 1-800-82-6868.