KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 — Wangsa Maju residents have lodged several police reports against Nova Pesona Sdn Bhd, the real estate company at the heart of a controversial development on the slopes of Bukit Dinding here, in a bid to stop a project they claimed could threaten the safety of homeowners around the popular trekking spot.
In one of the reports made available to Malay Mail, residents accused the company of misleading the public about how homeowners felt towards the project.
Malay Mail was made to understand that all resident associations in Wangsa Maju and Setiawangsa, a neighbouring district, are against any development on Bukit Dinding.
Residents, represented by their respective associations, also claimed the company had knowingly shared important technical reports about the project that have long expired, including an environmental impact assessment report dated 2017.
An EIA is only valid for two years. These reports, often conducted by consultants hired by developers, are sometimes made public on the Department of Environment (DoE) website.
A check on the DoE page showed the only EIA report for the Bukit Dinding project by Nova Pesona was dated 2017.
The police reports were filed on Saturday, October 15 at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters, according to a resident who requested anonymity.
Residents have demanded Nova Pesona release all technical reports for its projects around Bukit Dinding after the real estate developer insisted that it had complied with safety and environmental regulations needed to build over a thousand units of posh condominiums and villas on the foothill of the popular but landslide-prone trekking spot.
Homeowners from surrounding Wangsa Maju and Setiawangsa said the developer has so far refused to share them despite repeated calls to reveal the impact studies that have been cited to justify its development plans around the hills, which the company claimed is safe despite incidents of landslides having been reported even before construction around the area had even begun.
Making the reports public is crucial so that residents can independently audit them, said 61-year-old Izaidi Md Ismail, a resident from Section 5 Wangsa Maju and a member of the local residents’ association there. Izaidi was among dozens of homeowners who attended the meetings where they fought against the project.
The meetings were held between Nova Pesona, City Hall (DBKL) officials and residents, first in 2015 and the most recent one in September.
Bukit Dinding, while just under 300 metres high, has been a popular recreational spot for folks around the city. But the lush hill — believed to be the tallest within city limits — is also known to be landslide-prone, according to homeowners whose homes dot the surrounding areas.
Since news about the development plan surfaced, hundreds of concerned residents have mounted a drive to pressure DBKL against allowing the project, worried that the development around the steep hill could worsen existing landslide problems. Homeowners said they first heard about Nova Pesona’s plan to develop the area as early as 2013.
