A general view of Taman Rimba Kiara, Taman Tun Dr Ismail. - FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
SEGAMBUT MP Hannah Yeoh took to social media to celebrate winning the court battle in the Taman Rimba Kiara development order issue.
“We won today for its preservation as a public park! A battle that has taken us more than five years and can finally be put to rest.
“For me, this is also a battle against the might of those with deep pockets and we prevailed. A big thank you to our lawyers," she said in a social media post Tuesday (April 18).
The long-drawn legal tussle on the Taman Rimba Kiara issue finally came to a conclusion when the Federal Court upheld a ruling by the Court of Appeal, quashing a development order by DBKL for Taman Awam Bukit Kiara (as Taman Rimba Kiara is now known as).
In a unanimous decision, a three-member panel led by Federal Court judge Justice Nallini Pathmanathan, along with Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah and Justice Rhodzariah Bujang, affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal.
The verdict by the Federal Court marked the end of an eight-year saga involving the stakeholders in the Taman Rimba Kiara issue.
It began in 2016 after news broke that a development comprising eight blocks of serviced apartments and one block of affordable housing was planned there.
Legal battles ensued between residents with DBKL, YWP and the developer, while a series of negotiations to find a compromise failed.
In 2017, TTDI residents filed a judicial review against DBKL and the mayor, seeking to quash the development order.
The High Court subsequently denied the request, after concluding that no elements of illegality were found in the order's issuance.
In December 2018, TTDI residents filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal to challenge the High Court’s decision.
In January 2021, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s verdict, effectively quashing the development order.
DBKL, YWP and the developer then filed an appeal with the Federal Court to reinstate the order for the land to be developed.
