DBKL given reprieve of two-weeks to hold public townhall, explain flood masterplan

KUALA LUMPUR: A group threatening to sue the Federal Territories Ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall has given both parties a two-week reprieve to hold a townhall session to explain flood mitigation plans slated for the federal capital.

Lim Wei Jiet who represents the group of residents, which include former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan confirmed that his clients would hold off filing a legal suit until the session was held.

“We are happy to organise a townhall meeting in the next one to two weeks between our clients, as well as other Kuala Lumpur residents, and yourself,” his law firm said in a letter addressed to Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim today.

It said that the session would provide an avenue for both parties to have a two-way discussion on the information which was sought in the residents letter of demand dated September 19 this year.



“We believe it is important for this discussion to take place openly and in public, as everyone is entitled to such information,” it read, adding that they were now waiting for a response from the parties concerned.

The letter, made available to the New Straits Times had also been forwarded to Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah.

On Sunday Shahidan extended an olive branch to the group of eight residents who had directed their demands for details on the mitigation plans to him and Mahadi. He said he was prepared to meet them and explain the plans in detail.

The demand followed the Auditor General’s report that only eight out of 104, or 7.7 per cent, of the flood mitigation measures proposed in DBKL’s flood master plan, had been implemented and or were in the process of being carried out https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/833050/kl-residents-threaten-…

The group had also dug their heels in and stated that they would press on with the suit after their letter of demand expired on Monday https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/09/834182/dbkl-be-taken-court-ov… when DBKL in a follow up statement indicated that the group should refer to their 2022 Flood Action Plan.

Meanwhile the firm also called on the ministry and DBKL to assist them in providing a venue for the townhall meeting.

“On our end we require a minimum of one week (notice) for arrangements to be made.”

The firm also clarified that the letter of demand was not initiated to seek publicity as implied by some netizens.

“Only with information, can public policies be scrutinized and improved, which in turn will reduce the impact of the coming year-end floods on millions of Kuala Lumpur residents.”

NST

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button

Adblock Detected

Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker