In view of the recent Court of Appeal landmark judgment which quashes the Development Order involving Taman Rimba Kiara, I call upon the FT Minister who is also the chairman of Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan to join me in envisioning a place where the longhouse families, both young and old, can finally call home.
The Development Order involved building one block of flats to house the 98 longhouse families. I reiterate my stand that the longhouse families deserve better and permanent housing and that it is possible to build affordable, low density and permanent housing for them on the existing longhouse footprint without having to encroach into the park. The longhouse families have built their lifelihood on the existing site for about 40 years and have enjoyed space which has fostered community ties and intergenerational relationships over time.
Volunteer professionals of Save Taman Rimba Kiara Group with knowledge of the area have drawn out a proposal where affordable landed units can be built on the existing site and this to me, is in the best interests and wellbeing of the longhouse families. They would not have to worry about service and maintenance issues including payment of monthly charges in the future.
In line with the ‘Wilayah Prihatin’ initiative, it is time for the FT Ministry and Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan to truly prioritise and give thought to the interests, well-being and welfare of the longhouse families in providing sustainable and permanent housing on the existing site with no further delay. Stop using them as an excuse to construct expensive condominiums. They deserve better.