Speaking to FMT, Teng, who is also the Sungai Pinang assemblyman, said the restaurant was not even located in his constituency in the first place.
“Just think logically. The place where the restaurant is situated is in the Shah Alam federal constituency and in the Kota Anggerik state constituency. It’s not my constituency.”
He admitted that as a state executive councillor, he may have been indirectly involved but said it was unfair to single him out as it had been a state government decision.
“If you’re saying that I’m indirectly involved, then as an exco member, sitting at the exco meeting, deciding on this matter, the answer is yes.
“All excos, as well as the menteri besar, were involved, so why single me out? All of us were at the meeting.
“If I’m indirectly involved, then everyone else is too.”
When asked why a Wisma 99 Speedmart was allowed to go up next door to a restaurant that the state government wanted to evict, Teng said the status of the two pieces of land were different.
“The land Wisma 99 Speedmart is occupying had been zoned as private land for commercial purposes a long time ago.
“The land Berkeley Corner is occupying is state land and is situated in the buffer zone between the Federal Highway and the Taman Berkeley residential area.
“You can’t draw similarities between the two. That land is state land reserved by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
“What right has the restaurant owner got on that piece of state land where he rented the place? The licence was terminated more than 10 years ago.
“Imagine, you rent my house and the tenancy is terminated but you keep staying on. Now, you tell me that my house has become yours?”
Berkeley Corner restaurant owner Muthusamy Thirumeni said the restaurant’s temporary occupation licence (TOL) had been in the process of renewal back in 2007.
“But in 2014, the land office suddenly decided not to proceed with the renewal just after a 12-storey high Wisma 99 Speedmart went up a few metres opposite the restaurant.”
Muthusamy, who is also president of the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas), said he had previously asked the land office to explain why it had denied the restaurant’s application to renew its TOL but received no response.
When asked why Berkeley Corner was allowed to rent land that was reserved as a highway buffer zone in the first place, Teng said it had been the decision of the previous Barisan Nasional-led government.
“The land was rented during BN’s time and it was Zakaria Deros who allowed them to rent that area in the first place.”
The late Zakaria Deros was the former Port Klang state assemblyman and Klang municipal councillor from 2004 to 2006.
Zakaria gained infamy in 2006 when he had a run-in with the law for not submitting the building plans for his mansion.
He was also found not to have paid the assessment for a property for 12 years. His family meanwhile was caught operating an illegal satay restaurant on government reserve land.
Zakaria died at the age of 62 after suffering a heart attack in March 2008. He had been discussing over dinner the dismal results of the just-concluded 2008 election.
Teng said in addition to the land being reserved as a highway buffer zone, the state government wanted to reclaim it to build a retention pond to address long-standing flood issues in the Berkeley area.
“There’s no other solution but to build another retention pond, and the state government is allowed to do that because it’s for public amenities purposes.”
On Aug 28, authorities had come to Berkeley Corner with the intention of tearing down the building housing the restaurant, but a huge crowd gathered there in protest.
After negotiating with Kapar MP G Manivannan, two lawyers representing the restaurant, the authorities and the land office agreed to a two-week postponement of any action to demolish the building pending a court hearing.
Present to support the restaurant were Klang MP Charles Santiago and Sri Andalas assemblyman Xavier Jayakumar.
Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali had also sent a text message to Santiago agreeing to meet with the restaurant owners to discuss the fate of Berkeley Corner.
“Discussions will take place between the owners and the state government and I’m sure these will bear fruit,” Manivannan had said, adding that it was the third time the authorities had tried to demolish the restaurant.
Selangor govt to meet restaurant owners over eviction notice