I congratulate the local communities of Setiawangsa and Wangsa Maju in having mobilised some 8,400 residents in opposition to the proposed condominium development at Bukit Dinding.
The authorities must impartially and thoroughly investigate the several police reports that residents have lodged over false statements that most of the people in Section 5 Wangsa Maju agreed to the project.
Bukit Dinding is more than just a recreational area—it is a major geological feature with thousands of people living in its vicinity.
The DBKL had in 2014 declared that the hill was at “high risk” of landslides. In fact, there was a major incident of this in 2012 as well as minor ones throughout the years, including in 2021.
Maintaining the stability of Bukit Dinding’s slope—and hence the safety of the residents—must be the primary and only priority.
I have consistently advocated for the interests of my constituents in Setiawangsa in this matter, including joining them to press for crucial documents on the project’s impact to be shared by the authorities like DBKL.
Technical consultants should be commissioned by the authorities, not the developers as practised in Kuala Lumpur today. This will ensure their independence.
The people of Setiawangsa and Wangsa Maju have a right to know what is going to happen to their neighbourhoods given that it could impact on their very lives.
The Bukit Dinding issue is also a sign that Malaysia’s environmental policies must keep up with the times.
Too often, crucial decisions affecting the environment—especially in Kuala Lumpur—are centralised to the Federal government and its bodies, with little independent oversight or accountability.
Crucial lessons are hence often learnt too late if at all.
The voters of Setiawangsa and elsewhere are hence completely right to regard the Bukit Dinding and other environmental questions as key issues in the GE15.
NIK NAZMI NIK AHMAD
KEADILAN VICE PRESIDENT
SETIAWANGSA MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT 2018-2022
