Fate of 253 Ampang Park strata owners lies with Federal Court: MRT Corp

KUALA LUMPUR: The fate of 253 strata owners of the Ampang Park Shopping Centre lies with the Federal Court, said Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT Corp).
In refuting allegations by a non-governmental organisation, MRT Corp corporate communications Director Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah said the company had conducted several public engagements and townhall sessions since 2015 with stakeholders over the construction of an MRT station for the Sg Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya Line (SSP Line).
He added the decision of 39 owners to bring the matter to court in 2016 had put an end to negotiations between the two conflicting parties, pending the decision of the Federal Court.
"Now it has turned into a legal proceeding. When it was brought to court, discussions had to be stopped. They were the ones who took up the case and not us," he told a press conference at MRT Corp's office at Menara I&P 1.
Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs Association of Malaysia (Ikhlas) had on Friday claimed that MRT Corp had refused to discuss with strata owners of Ampang Park regarding the issue.
The group, together with several strata owners, had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to intervene in the issue and put an end to the deadlock.
The 39 strata owners had filed a judicial review on Jan 8, 2016 at the High Court to challenge the government's decision to acquire the shopping centre.
The court's decision however was not in favour of the owners and the matter was brought to the Appeals Court which also decided in favour of the government.
The matter is now pending at the Federal Court.
Najmuddin said during one of the townhall sessions in 2015, MRT Corp had offered an alternative design for the MRT station to be shifted slightly without having to demolish the building.
However, an underground tunnel would be constructed beneath the shopping centre to connect the MRT station to a nearby LRT station, Najmuddin added.
"This option, which required the owners of all strata lots to agree to, would have saved Ampang Park from being acquired and demolished. The 100% agreement requirement is a legal requirement," he said.
He added this option was rejected by the owners as the special committee formed by the owners did not come back with any decision or alternative proposal by the agreed deadline.
The 52.2km SSP Line is expected to be completed by 2022 and will serve a corridor with a population of about two million people.