A group of residents living near an under-construction kindergarten in Wangsa Maju has protested against the project, citing concerns over potential traffic congestion and the conversion of residential land for commercial use.
Section 5 Wangsa Maju Residents’ Association chairman Sri Utami Dewi Kasman urged Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif and federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to cancel the project, saying a commercial development should not be allowed on land originally designated for residential purposes.
Utami Dewi said 150 residents living around the construction site had signed a petition calling for the project to halt.
“The number of residents in this area is already growing. Adding a four-storey international kindergarten expected to accommodate 200 children will only worsen traffic congestion,” she told reporters at a protest near the site today.
She called on Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to explain its decision to approve a commercial project on a developer-owned plot that had previously been used as a recreational area.
She also urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the land procurement process.
“We have been using this plot as a playground for our children in this gated neighbourhood since the 1990s. How can it simply be sold and turned into a commercial development?” she said.
According to a document sighted by FMT, the kindergarten is being built on a 1,276 sq m plot of land.
The site borders a small recreational and green reserve area and is flanked by two roads. A secondary school is also located nearby.
Utami Dewi said some residents had formally objected to the project when it was first announced in 2017.
However, they were caught off guard about two months ago when surveyors approached them to conduct inspections, informing them that a development order had been approved by DBKL.
Setiawangsa PKR chief Afdlin Shauki, who was present, said he would mediate discussions among the residents, DBKL and the developer.
“DBKL said the procurement process followed the law. However, I also see grounds for the residents’ complaint. We will mediate the situation and see what can be done,” he said.
FMT has reached out to DBKL for comment.
