City Hall has ordered earth works to be stopped at three areas in Taman Duta, Kuala Lumpur. It has also taken action against the landowners for carrying out illegal land clearing and filling works.

City Hall director-general Salleh Yusup said the developers had also not been granted approvals for the works. “We have fined them RM50,000 each and have told them to stop work.

“We have visited the sites recently and we believe that they have complied with the City Hall order. They are now doing remedial works within the sites,” he said during a meeting with four complainants, who live near the sites in Jalan Cemerlang and Jalan Gallagher, at the City Hall building recently.

The City Hall actions came after several residents highlighted the activities in the press and sought the help of Segambut MP Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong.

During a visit to the areas, Dr Tan reprimanded the owners for showing disrespect for the law and blamed City Hall for its lack of enforcement and supervision.

Besides the fine, the owners were also directed to level back the earth and construct earth traps and drains, re-turf bare slopes, clean up the drains filled with earth from the site and submit their building plans to the Planning and Building Control Department.

If the owners failed to do so within two weeks, City Hall would carry out the job and bill them for the costs incurred. The local authority also assured the residents that it would repair and remedy the damages caused to the infrastructure beyond the sites within a week.

Department director Mahadi Ngah said Datuk Bandar had decided to strengthen City Hall's flying squad to check on sites where illegal developments were being carried out.

“Together with the Public Works department, we will be provided with more vehicles for the purpose,'' he said.

“At the moment, we do not have enough to move around and man the sites 24 hours,” he said, adding that the city was divided into seven areas with an officer responsible for each of them for better supervision.

When a resident expressed his hope that Taman Duta would remain a low density housing area like the ones in Kenny Hill and Ampang, Mahadi said it had been City Hall's intention to control the density of Taman Duta as only three-storey apartments were allowed in the area.