MPAJ's Highland Towers demolition bid stalls in lower court
MPAJ deputy president Hasrolnizam Shaari said the High Court's permission is now required since the landowner, Highland Properties Sdn Bhd, has been wound up.
He added that the Magistrate's Court directed MPAJ to escalate the matter to the High Court for further decision, The Star reported.
MPAJ began pursuing demolition plans last year in response to repeated complaints from nearby residents over safety and nuisance concerns.
Then-MPAJ president Dr Ani Ahmad had said notices would be served to the property owners as part of the legal process.
She also said the demolition would follow Sections 87, 88, and 89 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974, which address public nuisances and unsafe structures.
The cost of tearing down the derelict buildings was then estimated at RM6 million to RM7 million.
The Highland Towers tragedy occurred on December 11, 1993, when one of three apartment blocks collapsed, killing 48 people and prompting the evacuation of the remaining towers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
16 hours ago
- The Sun
Man arrested, RM17.8 million drugs seized in Kuala Lumpur raid
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested a man and seized 439.7 kilogrammes of syabu and ketamine worth over RM17 million in a raid on a house in Sri Hartamas. The operation, conducted at 2.10 pm last Thursday, followed a month-long intelligence effort by Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department. Director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan confirmed the seizure as one of the largest this year. A search of the terrace house uncovered 224 packets of syabu weighing 234kg and 200 plastic packets of ketamine weighing 205.7kg. The total drug value was estimated at RM17.78 million. 'The 30-year-old suspect acted as a coordinator and transporter for the syndicate, earning RM6,500 to RM7,000 monthly,' Hussein said during a press conference at Kuala Lumpur police headquarters. Preliminary investigations revealed the rented house served as a storage facility before local distribution. 'All drugs were smuggled via land routes from a neighbouring country. The suspect received instructions to deliver them on demand,' he added. The man, with a prior weapons-related offence, tested negative for drug use. He has been remanded for six days under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. Police also seized two cars, three wristwatches, and jewellery worth RM93,350, bringing total confiscations to RM17.9 million. In a separate case, four individuals, including three Vietnamese nationals, were arrested in Taman Kuchai Entrepreneurs for distributing cannabis. Authorities found 42.3kg of cannabis flower in 91 plastic packets during the raid. 'The syndicate used the apartment as a storage site before local and international distribution,' Hussein said. The suspects, aged 26 to 30, were remanded for seven days under the same act. - Bernama
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
High Courts acquits two men of murder charge
Lawyers Datin Freda Sabapathy (left) and Sarawana Kumar together with the accused local Jaya Kandan Madachamy,47, (second left) and Sri Lankan Rathis Thas Ganapakiyam, 42. JOHOR BARU: Two men, including a local sales assistant, have been acquitted by the High Court in a murder case dating back six years, escaping the death penalty. Jaya Kandan Madachamy, 47, and Rathis Thas Ganapakiyam, 42, walked free without having their defence called. Rathis is a Sri Lankan national.
The Star
18 hours ago
- The Star
Cops seize drugs worth almost RM18mil in raid on KL house
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have seized RM17.78mil worth of drugs in a raid on a terrace house in Taman Sri Hartamas here. The syndicate involved is believed to have used the house to store the drugs before marketing them locally and overseas. A 30-year-old local man, suspected of being the syndicate's coordinator and transporter, was also detained in the July 29 raid, police said. Bukit Aman Narcotics Crime Investigation Department (NCID) director Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said they seized 234kg of syabu and 205.7kg of ketamine, disguised in packages labelled as containing tea. "The drugs worth RM17.78mil could have been supplied to 1.8 million drug abusers," he told reporters at city police headquarters on Monday (Aug 4). The suspect was reportedly paid RM7,000 per trip to transport the drugs, he said. "We believe he made 10 trips before being caught. "The house was also rented by the syndicate for RM6,000 a month for a year," he added. Comm Hussein said initial investigations found that the syndicate has been active since June. "We believe the drugs seized had just arrived from a neighbouring country... by land," he said. He said the NCID planned and executed the operation within a month of receiving credible intelligence. "Given the amount of the drugs, the syndicate is huge with a good network overseas," he added. Comm Hussein said the NCID is tracking down remnants of the syndicate, including its head. "We also seized RM93,350 worth of the syndicate's assets, including two cars, three luxury watches and a mobile phone," he added. In another case, 42.3kg of ganja buds worth RM1.48mil have been seized, also on July 29, from an apartment in Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park. "We detained a local man along with a man and two women from Vietnam. "The local man was the syndicate's transporter and coordinator, while the foreign suspects arrived in Malaysia on July 8. "The Vietnamese women also worked as guest relations officers (GRO)," Comm Hussein said. The drugs seized were meant to be distributed in the Klang Valley and the syndicate is believed to have been active since last month, he added. Comm Hussein said the NCID would continue to combat the drug menace, but needs the cooperation of the public. "We urge anyone with information to contact the NCID hotline at 012-2087222," he said.
