(Petaling Jaya, Friday): Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MPPJ) is again criticised for ignoring wills and opinions from local residents approving Planning Approval (Kebenaran Merancang).

Residents residing around Jalan 20/24, Paramount Garden, Petaling Jaya has complained to DAP Selangor that MPPJ has granted Planning Approval to a person named Quah Peng Chin @ Quah Paik Sze to build a service centre and office on a piece of vacant land along that road.

They were notified by MPPJ in a letter dated 6th February 2006 [Reference Number: (34) dlm.MPPJ/JPB331/T/P23/S21/1819/2003]. What is not accepted is that the residents had objected to the project twice in 2003 and 2004.

MPPJ’s decision to continue with the project had been a disappointing one as it is not in accordance with the principles of democracy, transparency and good governance whereby MPPJ should uphold and respect the decision of the local residents. Our first request from DAP Selangor towards MPPJ is that MPPJ should clarify under which legal allocations for MPPJ to decide autocratically and unilaterally, bypassing the objections of the residents. Why MPPJ does not specify it’s reasons in granting the approval as promised in Paragraph 4 of in it’s letter addressed to the residents dated 30th September 2003 [Reference Number: (11) dlm.MPPJ/JPB331/T/P23/S21/1819/2003].

It is compulsory for public or private funded construction projects to come out with a sign board revealing the details of the project. Though DAP Selangor found that Quah Peng Chin @ Quah Paik Sze had already cleared the land without putting up any sign board. If it is a MPPJ project, then MPPJ has to explain why a sign board is unnecessary.

It is also questionable whether the owner of the project has submitted any building plan for MPPJ to be approved. DAP Selangor is surprised to notice that land clearing had been done when MPPJ only issued a Planning Approval which itself is subjected to specific reasons as shown in the latest letter from MPPJ [Reference Number: (34) dlm.MPPJ/JPB331/T/P23/S21/1819/2003].

MPPJ will have to clear all these queries as local authority should adopt integrity and responsibility in work as their working culture. Injustice suffered by Residents of Taman Desa Ria on November 2005 should not repeat on this group of residents in Taman Paramount.