“The decision has been made to prioritise the construction or upgrading of the Kampung Bohol flood retention pond before any development order is issued.

“This is a mandatory condition,” she said during a special briefing session here today.

Deputy director of the federal territories land and mines office Firdaus Ibaruslan said the move will result in significant government savings, adding that the upgrade would have cost the taxpayer RM40 million but this cost would now be borne by the developer.

“We have also increased the government’s revenue by RM41.7 million from land premium payments,” he said.

Firdaus also said the pond will be re-gazetted to allow for a 2.1ha expansion, increasing its area to 63.5ha.

He said the concerns about potential traffic issues with the development of the six residential plots would also be addressed as all development plans must comply with Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s guidelines.

“This includes traffic and social impact assessments. We will ensure that all required standards are met by developers,” he said.

Yesterday, local residents voiced opposition to the degazetting of the pond for a proposed housing development.

The residents called for transparency in the approval process and to suspend the development, arguing that the development would increase traffic congestion and the risk of flooding in the area.

The Star previously reported that despite the government’s commitment last year to scrap the deal,  following opposition from  residents, stakeholders and MPs, it was now pushing ahead with its plan to develop the land.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers published a notice in the federal gazette on May 8, announcing the move under Section 64(2) of the National Land Code.

The area was originally designated for flood mitigation and officially gazetted on Nov 4, 2010, but is now earmarked for residential development.