Teng had claimed that the reason for evicting the restaurant was because it was situated within the neighbouring highway’s buffer zone as well as because the state government needed to use the land to build a second retention pond to address flooding issues the residents were facing.
At a press conference held at the Berkeley Corner restaurant along Persiaran Rajawali in Taman Berkeley, Klang today, restaurant owner Muthusamy Thirumeni asked Teng to reveal the original plans for the area to prove that it was meant to be a highway buffer zone.
“We also want Teng to show which exact area and how large in metres is the buffer zone,” he said.
As for the claim that the state government needed to build a second retention pond in the area, Muthusamy claimed that the one retention pond the neighbourhood already had was enough to address the flooding issues.
“If and when there is a flood, it is because there are problems with the one retention pond we already have.
“So we’d like Teng to explain to us the rationale for building a second retention pond when the best way to solve the problem is to ensure that the first retention pond is always running smoothly,” Muthusamy said.
Teng, who is also Sungai Pinang assemblyman, had recently denied being directly involved in the decision to tear down the popular restaurant citing the fact that it was not located in his constituency.
He admitted, however, that as a state exco, he may have been indirectly involved but said it was unfair to single him out as it had been a state government decision.
Muthusamy, however, said as the exco member in charge of local councils then he was solely responsible for the decision.
He said he had also received inside information that in October 2011, an exco meeting had decided along with the Klang City Council to approve a three-year lease on the land to Berkeley Corner for RM10,000 a month.
“We never received this offer. In fact, in 2014, authorities came to demolish our premises but this was stopped by Kapar MP G Manivannan.
“Following this, the land office offered us a piece of land at Batu 12 Kapar and though the land was not suitable, we accepted.
“To our surprise, the authorities came again to demolish our premises at 3am and again this was stopped by Manivannan.”
Wisma 99 Speedmart on private land
Muthusamy also accused Teng of failing to forward the offer of the three-year lease in 2011, as he was the exco in charge.
“If Teng says he was not directly involved in the decision then who is?”
When Teng was 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.”
Muthusamy, however, pointed out that it had become crowded since the Wisma 99 Speedmart went up.
Berkeley’s Corner is giving Teng 72 hours to respond to these questions.
Previously, Muthusamy had said the restaurant’s temporary occupation licence (TOL) had been in the process for 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.
Teng had pointed out that the land was state land and therefore the state government had the right to evict anyone occupying it.
Muthusamy admitted the land did not belong to the restaurant but said the only thing the restaurant was asking for was to begin negotiations.
“Even if someone is renting your home and refuses to leave, you don’t destroy the house.
“All we want is to negotiate a win-win situation. Why is that so difficult?”
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.
Muthusamy questioned why the authorities had come to demolish the building a day before a court hearing on the matter and who had given the order.
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 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.
The restaurant owner has yet to meet Azmin.
“We’re trying to set up an appointment. The MB is a very busy man,” Muthusamy said.
When contacted, Teng said he did not wish to comment on the matter.
Not my call to tear down Berkeley Corner, says Selangor exco
Selangor govt to meet restaurant owners over eviction notice