Datuk Liu Yaqiang, Chairman of the Selangor MCA Liaison Committee, stated that recently, a group of landowning villagers in Sekinchan approached Selangor MCA, reporting the difficulties they encountered in developing their legally owned residential and commercial land. These villagers have faced unfair treatment and suppression by the Selangor government during their long-term development processes.
"Although the villagers protested to the Sabak Bernam District Council and even requested a dialogue with the Selangor state assemblyman, the dialogue was canceled at the last minute, leaving the villagers with no one to turn to and feeling helpless."
Also the Vice President of the MCA, Datuk Liu Yaqiang pointed out that, in their desperation, these villagers turned to Selangor MCA for assistance, hoping MCA could help them uphold justice.
After thoroughly understanding the situation, he stated that MCA decided to assist the villagers in uncovering the truth and to speak up for these villagers to safeguard their legal rights.
"This incident not only relates to the vital interests of the Sekinchan villagers but also reflects the unfair and untrustworthy behavior of local governments and politicians in the governance process."
He said MCA calls on the Selangor government to take this issue seriously, stop suppressing the villagers’ lawful development rights, and provide a reasonable and fair solution.
Liu Yaqiang stated that according to the villagers, the Sabak Bernam District Council issued the 2015-2025 local development plan (Gazette No. 3720) on October 8, 2015, designating the involved 84 acres of land as a commercial and service area. The landowners (complainants) cooperated with developer Capaian Semangat Sdn Bhd to jointly apply for two planning permissions for residential development.
He indicated that on October 14, 2016, the development planning department of the Sabak Bernam District Council approved the first planning permission application. However, on November 5, 2021, the District Council rejected the application with a C2 form. The developer then appealed to the Selangor State Appeals Board and successfully overturned the District Council’s decision, continuing with the development plan.
"Despite the developer paying the requested development fee of 440,000 ringgit to the Sabak Bernam District Council on July 27, 2022, and the Selangor Housing and Property Board confirming multiple times without objection and supporting the proposal, Selangor State Executive Councillor Datuk Huang Rui Lin suddenly wrote to the Sabak Bernam District Council president on March 6, 2023, and May 30, 2024, asking to amend the 2035 local development plan to reserve the 84 acres of land for paddy field and agricultural use."
He continued that following Huang Rui Lin’s letter to the Sabak Bernam District Council president, the Sabak Bernam District Council once again rejected the second planning permission application on June 12, 2024.
"Furthermore, on November 14, 2024, the Sabak Bernam Land and District Office rejected the developer’s application to return and reissue the land."
He noted that these landowning villagers and nearby residents have repeatedly submitted letters to the District Council and launched protest activities, but have not received any response. The originally scheduled local inquiry committee meeting and the hearing of the 2035 local development plan draft on December 20, 2024, were also postponed for unknown reasons.