The Star
IN a new development to the Bandar Mahkota Cheras access road issue, Cheras-Kajang Highway concessionaire Grand Saga Sdn Bhd has issued a warning letter to the company that owns the heavy machinery used in dismantling the barricade.
Residents of the township brought down the barricade blocking their toll-free access to the highway on Monday after mounting frustration against Grand Saga for closing the road in 2005.
24-hour vigil: Bandar Mahkota Cheras residents have erected tents for the around-the-clock watch at the tollfree access road to prevent Grand Saga from blocking it again.
The highway concessionaire issued the letter to Wing Sing Tractor Work through a legal firm based in Kuala Lumpur.
Among the contents was this phrase, “Take notice that you are to cease and desist from further causing and/or assisting in the damage and/or demolishing of the said barricade lawfully constructed/erected by our client”.
At a press conference on Thursday, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng who is one of the legal advisers for the Bandar Mahkota Cheras Open Access Road Committee said the letter would be ignored.
Another legal adviser Keppy Wong said no party could claim the legal right to erect the barricade and in doing so Grand Saga had overlooked the lawsuit filed by township developer Narajaya Sdn Bhd and scheduled for a court hearing on May 21.
Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai who chaired the press conference called on the intervention of the Federal Government because the Selangor state government had repeatedly stated its stand on the issue.
“We hope the government would review all highway concession agreements. The Cheras-Kajang Highway was built at a cost of RM286mil but toll collection to-date has exceeded RM300mil. The concession agreement is till 2027 so imagine the profits,” he said.
Residents have been maintaining a 24-hour vigil at the Bandar Mahkota Cheras-Bandar Tun Hussein Onn junction since Monday, fearing the road would be blocked again.
They also take turns to control the traffic flow.
In a special meeting held at Menara MPKj on Wednesday, the surveyor hired by the Kajang Munici-pal Council to determine who has right of way over the road and to clarify ownership of the land asked for more time to announce his findings.
“We are confident the land belongs to the state. But if the outcome proves that the land belongs to Federal government, we hope residents' civil rights would be considered and the matter put to rest with a positive outcome,” said Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu who chaired the meeting.
Another surveyor will also be appointed and the results of the report would be revealed on Apr 30.
