BY NORBAITI PHAHARORADZI

ollective voice: Shahrir (second from left) and Velasamy (fourth from left) showing the protest signatures.

JOHOR BARU: About 300 property owners of Kim Teng Park are protesting a plan to acquire their properties under the Johor Baru City Centre Transformation Plan.

Kim Teng Park Residents Association chairman S. Velasamy said they were kept in the dark over the proposed development project.

“We only came to know about it after seeing several people taking pictures in the area recently.”

He said prior to that, they had only heard rumours that their area would be affected.

“We want the authorities to inform us fully about the project instead of keeping mum,” Velasamy said during a briefing on the proposed acquisition of the properties.

He said residents wanted the developer to engage with them on the matter.

A long-time resident who only wanted to be known as Madam Tan, 88, said she was clueless about the plan to acquire her property.

“I have been living here since the 1960s and am renting my shop to a tenant.

“I am worried that we will not be properly compensated and that I will not receive the market price for my property,’’ she said.

Housewife Siti Dewi Mohd Yusof, 40, said she just bought her semi-detached house six years ago and had spent RM200,000 renovating the place.

Meanwhile, Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad said the Johor State Gazette Notification dated May 21, 2015 showed that thegovernment intended to acquire the housing area for a public project.

“I’ve requested the RA to gather feedback from residents who want to remain in the area and those who are willing to allow the developer to acquire their properties if offered reasonable compensation based on market value.

“Although this area is to be developed under the Johor Baru Transformation Plan until now there has been no official statement from the state authorities.”

He added that a letter had been sent to Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin on July 29 on the matter.