Cemetery, temple and school face demolition in DBKL sanctioned LRT project

Cemetery, temple and school face demolition in DBKL sanctioned LRT project
Saturday, 26 March 2011 00:00

There seems to be no respite for the residents of the Bukit Jalil estate even though the Kuala Lumpur High Court has temporarily stopped the alleged illegal eviction pending a full hearing.
Earlier this week, High Court Judge Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof had ordered KL Mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail and Federal Territories Urban and Well-Being Minister Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin and the residents to be present for a hearing on Apr 27 to clarify the eviction matter.

However, the residents' happiness was short-lived when they spotted workers drilling bore holes at their ancestors' burial grounds last Sunday (Mar 20).

The residents recently took Klik4Malaysia (K4M) to visit its ancestors' burial grounds (pic left), approximately 500m away from the village.

At least 5 boreholes were found in the cemetery, raising fears that their ancestors' remains would be dug up for a development project.
It was learnt that the boreholes (pic right) were done to collect soil samples for further studies in a project related to a 5-station extension of the Bukit Jalil LRT line connecting the Bukit Jalil station to a station that is situated near IOI Mall in Puchong.

On top of the LRT line extension project, a 132ft wide highway would be constructed beneath the lines, and would be running across the cemetery and an Indian temple located just outside the village. The gravel path shown in the picture below is the approximate location of the LRT line.



Sources revealed that the Bukit Jalil LRT line extension project would consist of 45 pillars, and the development work was sub-contracted to 5 construction companies whereby each company would be in charge of 9 pillars and part of the highway within the 9 pillars' range.

The residents were upset that the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL) were systematically taking away their land, depriving them of their basic and civil rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

In the meantime, a police report had been lodged at the Sungai Besi police station on Mar 24, regarding the trespassing by the construction workers.

"We hope the police will investigate the matter and take action against the construction company for trespassing. We also want the police to investigate DBKL for violating their own written commitment to the villagers," S. Thiakarajan told K4M.

"DBKL had issued us a letter on Dec 29, 2010, assuring the villagers that the Indian school, Indian temple and the burial grounds would not be relocated. It is barely three months but the DBKL has forgotten about their commitment," he added.

The residents expressed disappointment with the apathy of DBKL, saying that the Mayor was disrespecting the deceased while disregarding their contributions to the rubber industry.

They added that the Mayor was also disrespecting the living as the revised LRT line would mean that the temple and the school would be demolished.

It was learnt that the cemetery, school and temple no longer exists in the revised KL Draft City Plan that was amended some time in June 2010.



The Bukit Jalil LRT extension line to connect Puchong was scheduled to complete by the end of 2012.

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