In this series, FMT takes a look at what was promised by PH in its 14th general election (GE14) manifesto, what it accomplished and what it didn’t in its first 100 days in power, according to each ministry.

This article analyses the federal territories (FT) ministry, which has been riddled with accusations of “dubious” land deals and swaps, delays in the gazetting of KL City Plan 2020, and concerns about its “double role” alongside the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

What is the FT ministry?

Created by then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2006, the FT ministry oversees three federal territories in Malaysia: national capital Kuala Lumpur, administrative city Putrajaya, and Labuan island off the coast of mainland Sabah.

The FT minister is tasked with coordinating the development and upkeep of these three territories.

There have only been three FT ministers in Malaysian history: Isa Abdul Samad, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, and current minister Khalid Samad.

What are some of the ‘hot topics’ surrounding this ministry?

‘Double role’ functions between the FT minister and DBKL mayor

Previously, Seputeh MP and Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said the FT minister undermined the role of the DBKL mayor as the mayor would have to refer to the ministry before making any decision regarding the city and its future.

“The ministry drives DBKL, and the previous federal territories minister influenced the running of DBKL too often when he was supposed to be neutral,” she was quoted as saying, referring to Tengku Adnan.

Kok said this was the stance of DAP as well.

When Khalid clocked in on his first day as FT minister, however, he said his ministry needed to continue as it was relevant.

“If you don’t have a ministry, I don’t see how all the MPs in their personal capacity can work and function unless you put them under DBKL’s authority,” he said, adding that Kok was probably just “disappointed” in previous FT ministers.

Delays in gazetting KL City Plan 2020

The Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 includes directions for city planning and development, plot ratio and ways to resolve city congestion and improve road systems.

It was gazetted in 2004 but the more detailed version, which was announced in 2008, has yet to be gazetted.

After 10 years, DBKL is still amending the draft based on feedback from stakeholders.

In the past, Kuala Lumpur residents had raised concerns over the delay in gazetting the plan, blaming it for the “unliveable conditions” in the city.

Because there was no plan in place to guide Kuala Lumpur leaders and MPs, the city eventually became a congested city riddled with issues.

In 2017, Kok warned that without the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 in place, DBKL would further mess up city planning and Kuala Lumpur would become the most unplanned and congested city in the world.

DBKL, however, said that it was pointless to gazette the latest version of the plan as it was due to expire by 2020.

Land deals, swaps, sales

Contentious land deals in Kuala Lumpur, which is home to some of the most expensive properties in the country, have angered the majority of its 1.7 million population.

Many have urged the PH government to cease land swaps and nullify previous land deals made by the FT ministry when BN was in power, over concerns of environmental and heritage destruction.

Take Federal Hill, for example – a 20-hectare plot of land near KL Sentral, and one of the few green lungs left in the city.

The property was acquired in 2012 by SP Setia Bhd in a land swap. This was in return for building a replacement facility for the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the developer’s township in Setia Alam, Shah Alam.

It was reportedly gazetted for institutional purposes only, but several Public Works Department bungalows are already in the process of being demolished.

Similarly, residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail have long been protesting against the development of the Taman Rimba Bukit Kiara over felling of its trees and proposed housing development in the area.

MPs Hannah Yeoh of Segambut and Lim Lip Eng of Kepong have also filed official complaints to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over the alleged sale of 64 land plots by DBKL.

The plots were allegedly sold without going through the process of open tender during the administration of former FT minister Tengku Adnan.

Has PH accomplished what it promised for the FT ministry?

No promises were made relating to the FT ministry in PH’s 10 promises to be accomplished in its first 100 days of power.

However, according to promise 25 of Buku Harapan, which PH said would be accomplished within the next five years, the roles of local authorities would be “developed further”.

No specific promises have been made on this, apart from amending relevant laws to make this happen.

Concerns have been raised in the past that FT residents do not have the opportunity to elect their representatives for their “state” government.

The DBKL mayor is appointed by the government, not elected by locals.

What has the FT ministry done so far?

Khalid has announced that the KL City Plan 2020 will be gazetted by year-end, and a 2020 to 2040 plan is already in the works, to be gazetted by 2020.

In a parliamentary reply, Khalid, who is Shah Alam MP, said the PH government would take full responsibility for the gazetting of the plan even though there were only a couple of years left before 2020.

Council meetings will be held between all 11 Kuala Lumpur MPs, DBKL, and Khalid at least once every two months to discuss problems and solutions relating to issues in the FTs. MPs from Putrajaya and Labuan have also been extended an invitation to join.

On overlapping land title claims in Kampung Baru, Khalid said he would look into it after speaking with the residents.

On the matter of reversing controversial land deals initiated by the previous government, Khalid said he would consider it but only “if the reasons were good enough”, as there would be consequences if these matters were not studied in depth.

Khalid said he was not familiar with concerns raised by Taman Tun Dr Ismail residents that the Taman Rimba Kiara project was encroaching on the green lung.

He also said the River of Life project, launched in 2011 to turn the Klang and Gombak rivers into waterfronts, was not moving as fast as expected. He has urged for the project to be fast-tracked.

Khalid has also agreed to meet concerned residents over their objections to a project taking place at the foot of the Federal Hill in Kuala Lumpur.

On having local council elections in Kuala Lumpur, where the DBKL mayor will be elected rather than selected, Khalid said he would have to study how this could be done, adding that it was not an urgent matter.

“Political appointees” in DBKL’s advisory council have been advised to resign, while NGOs, experts and political parties have been asked to throw their names into the ring as replacements.