The group has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, informing him of the importance of the project and expressing its disappointment over his order to postpone the redevelopment project.

Malaysiakini previously reported that Anwar ordered the postponement of the redevelopment project pending renegotiations.

Subsequently, Titiwangsa MP Johari Ghani warned that the latest delay could see residents having to wait over a decade for the redevelopment project to be completed.

He told FMT the long-drawn saga was complex and many did not understand the issue.

In their memorandum, the residents said Anwar’s decision to order a postponement of the project had caused them distress as it did not address their predicament.

“Our homes in Kampung Sungai Baru are dilapidated, old and no longer safe to live in,” said the group’s representative, Adam Abdul Aziz, in the memorandum sighted by FMT.

“We hope this redevelopment project will change our lives and we would like to leave behind a comfortable and valuable home for our children and grandchildren.”

The delay in the project centres around a minority group of landowners who did not agree to the redevelopment plans when it was presented to stakeholders in 2016.

Years of negotiations with the minority group proved fruitless and they still opposed the redevelopment project, leading to the developer seeking a land acquisition order.

Adam said media coverage of the issue had always favoured the minority group which had already received compensation under the Land Acquisition Act 1960.

“We, the majority group of landowners, feel that our rights and our voices have been ignored by the government and that no one is listening to our plight,” he said.

He said they had no issue with the government’s desire to look after the welfare of the minority group but it should not be at the expense of those who agreed to the redevelopment project.

“As such, we urge for the implementation of the redevelopment project without any more delay. We want justice and we hope the voices of the majority will be heard,” he said.