Kuala Lumpur imposes 300m buffer zone amid Bukit Kiara development protests
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has set a 300-metre buffer zone for a proposed development near Taman Persekutuan Bukit Kiara. The decision follows ongoing protests from residents and environmental groups concerned about the project’s impact. Minister Hannah Yeoh announced the move after months of public opposition.
The controversy began with plans for two 30-storey condominiums opposite the recreational park. Local residents, particularly those in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), argued that the high-rise buildings would harm the park’s ecosystem and increase traffic congestion.
A town hall session on April 12 launched a petition demanding the buffer zone be extended to between 300 and 500 metres. Meanwhile, Friends of Bukit Kiara (FoBK) took legal action, filing a judicial review to halt City Hall’s approval process. The Kuala Lumpur High Court granted leave for the review in September, allowing the case to proceed. DBKL has yet to issue a development order, and discussions with the developer remain ongoing. The project is also undergoing an environmental impact assessment as part of the approval requirements.
The buffer zone decision aims to address concerns about biodiversity and resident welfare. However, no final approval has been granted, and the judicial review could further delay the project. The outcome will determine whether the development moves forward under the new restrictions.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
