Written by Meena Lakshana, fz.com (contributor to theedgemalaysia.com)
Friday, 11 October 2013 10:45
KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 10): Were the necessary approvals obtained from the National Heritage Department for Tunku Park to house the Warisan Merdeka development project?
This was the question posed by Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming and Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun today during a press conference at the site.
Ong said according to a reply in Parliament from Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, Tunku Park, also known as Merdeka Park, is protected as a heritage site under Section 25 (1) of the National Heritage Act as it falls within the 200m buffer zone of Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara, both of which are heritage sites.
“Under the section, a site which does not have national heritage or cultural significance can be designated as such due to close proximity to other national heritage sites,” said Ong.
“It is a way to protect the nearby national heritage sites,” he added.
He said Section 40 of the same Act stipulates that the Heritage Commissioner shall coordinate and advise the local planning authority before any planning permission or development order is granted involving a heritage site.
Ong said this provision requires local authorities to seek approval from the Heritage Commissioner before any development order is issued on the site.
The clearing work at the park has already taken place, he added.
Meanwhile, Fong said City Hall has set several conditions for developer Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) to fulfil before the development order is issued.
“PNB had all but one condition,” he said, adding the PNB has yet to fulfil the criterion involving the provision of access routes.
Fong said the entire area should be protected from the encroachment of any development as it is an important historical site of the country.
“This was the birthplace of the country. This is where Independence from the British colonial rule was declared,” he said.
“It is a very important site that all Malaysians should cherish and protect. This entire area has witnessed such an important part of our history,” he added.
He said the city already has so many unoccupied office spaces and the project will only be an addition to this.
It was reported in July this year PNB is in the final stages of getting the authorities’ approval for the redevelopment that includes a 118-storey tower Menara Warisan in the historical Stadium Merdeka and Stadium Negara area.
The RM5 billion redevelopment project will not only see the tallest skyscraper in Malaysia once it is completed but also a four star hotel as well as two blocks of 40-storey condominiums.
Several interest groups have criticised the project, arguing the project is a waste of money and would only add to the traffic congestion in the area.
PNB had acquired the 19-acre plot of land from Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Berhad in 2000 for RM310 million or RM220 per sq feet but has since been estimated to increase in market value to RM800 per sq feet.
The development will sit on the car park and land adjacent to Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka.
The Edge Financial Daily had reported in 2010 that PNB group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah said the redevelopment project is a way for PNB to diversify the investment’s group asset portfolio.
He had said PNB expected between 8% to 10% of annual returns from the redevelopment project.
He had also said the government will not be funding the project, and PNB has the capital to finance the project gleaned from profits gained over the past three decades.
PNB has formed the PNB Merdeka Ventures as a wholly-owned unit to undertake the project.
Republished from: http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/in-the-edge-financial-daily-today/258310-has-the-clearing-of-merdeka-park-been-approved.html
Reclaim Merdeka Park 