Bandar Mahkota Cheras toll dispute
Encyclopedia
The Bandar Mahkota Cheras toll dispute occurred at a bypass road in the 11th mile of the Cheras-Kajang Expressway in the town of Bandar Mahkota Cheras
, Selangor
, Malaysia since October 2005, and more recently in a dramatic turn of events between April 2008 and early-June 2008.
, an access road connecting the new township and the Bandar Tun Hussein Onn Interchange was built by the developer to provide access to Bandar Mahkota Cheras from Cheras-Kajang Highway and vice-versa. The access was closed by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga, under the direction of the Malaysian Highway Authority
(MHA) due to disputes between Grand Saga and the developer of Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Narajaya, on compensations since the link road would allow motorists to bypass the 11th mile toll plaza on the expressway. As a result, residents travelling to Kuala Lumpur
are required to enter the expressway via Bandar Sungai Long
or vice-versa, while having to pay fares for both the 9th mile and 11th mile toll plaza. Over the years, the access road became a source of dissatisfaction and gripes by the local residents of Bandar Mahkota Cheras.
Several protests were held over the years against the barricading of the access road, but to no avail. It was not until the 12th Malaysian general election, the state government, which owned 30% of Grand Saga fell under the control of the opposition government following the defeat of Barisan Nasional
in Selangor.
In the following days, it was a cat-and-mouse game between the residents and the concessionaire, as the barrier was repeatedly rebuilt by Grand Saga only to be dismantled by the residents shortly after. In some instances, residents pooled hundreds of dollars to hire trucks and heavy machinery to bring the barricade down.
On 8 May 2008, residents clashed with the Police while they were protecting the access road from being rebuilt by Grand Saga. Segambut
MP
Lim Lip Eng
was allegedly assaulted by the Police and was hospitalised. Several accusations of police brutality
were made.
The residents attempted to obtain an injunction against Grand Saga to rebuild the barrier on the access road. On 13 May 2008, the court denied the injunction and Grand Saga vowed to put up another barrier.
On 27 May 2008, a five-foot wall was erected by Grand Saga. Some residents and journalists (including mainstream newspapers) at the scene were attacked by unidentified men who were armed with sticks, pipes and helmets, sitting on the walls to prevent them from being dismantled. They also smashed the windows of a few nearby vehicles. Police reports were lodged and residents accused Grand Saga of hiring thugs to ensure that the wall remained in place, a charge that the concessionaire vehemently denied. The next day, the barrier was torn down once again.
Members of the opposition state government tried to bring up the issue on the Malaysian Parliament, only to be shot down by the speaker. A few days later, the Federal Government ordered that the access road was to stay open until the court makes a final decision on the dispute.
On 4 June 2008, the Malaysian Highway Authority
and Grand Saga were ordered to install traffic lights on the junctions of Bandar Mahkota Cheras to ease the traffic flow of the residents.
Bandar Mahkota Cheras
Bandar Mahkota Cheras is a township in Cheras, Selangor, Malaysia.It was developed by Narajaya Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Lion Group. Construction commenced in late 1999 or early 2000 on a freehold plot of about 365 hectares. Mostly consisting of two-storey terraced houses, the population is...
, Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
, Malaysia since October 2005, and more recently in a dramatic turn of events between April 2008 and early-June 2008.
Background
In October 2005, during the construction of the Bandar Mahkota CherasBandar Mahkota Cheras
Bandar Mahkota Cheras is a township in Cheras, Selangor, Malaysia.It was developed by Narajaya Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Lion Group. Construction commenced in late 1999 or early 2000 on a freehold plot of about 365 hectares. Mostly consisting of two-storey terraced houses, the population is...
, an access road connecting the new township and the Bandar Tun Hussein Onn Interchange was built by the developer to provide access to Bandar Mahkota Cheras from Cheras-Kajang Highway and vice-versa. The access was closed by the toll concessionaire, Grand Saga, under the direction of the Malaysian Highway Authority
Malaysian Highway Authority
The Malaysian Highway Authority or Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia is a government agency under the Malaysian Ministry of Works...
(MHA) due to disputes between Grand Saga and the developer of Bandar Mahkota Cheras, Narajaya, on compensations since the link road would allow motorists to bypass the 11th mile toll plaza on the expressway. As a result, residents travelling to Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
are required to enter the expressway via Bandar Sungai Long
Bandar Sungai Long
Bandar Sungai Long is a main township in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. The Tunku Abdul Rahman University operates a campus in Bandar Sungai Long. It is currently under the administration of local council Majlis Perbandaran Kajang ....
or vice-versa, while having to pay fares for both the 9th mile and 11th mile toll plaza. Over the years, the access road became a source of dissatisfaction and gripes by the local residents of Bandar Mahkota Cheras.
Several protests were held over the years against the barricading of the access road, but to no avail. It was not until the 12th Malaysian general election, the state government, which owned 30% of Grand Saga fell under the control of the opposition government following the defeat of Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional
Barisan Nasional is a major political coalition in Malaysia, formed in 1973 as the successor to the Alliance . Along with its predecessor, it has been Malaysia's federal ruling political force since independence...
in Selangor.
The dispute
On 21 April 2008, local residents took the dispute into their own hands and dismantled the barricades for the first time by hand, temporarily allowing traffic to and from the township to directly enter and exit the expressway for three weeks. A few days later, the Hulu Langat land office confirmed that concessionaire Grand Saga had no rights over the access road.In the following days, it was a cat-and-mouse game between the residents and the concessionaire, as the barrier was repeatedly rebuilt by Grand Saga only to be dismantled by the residents shortly after. In some instances, residents pooled hundreds of dollars to hire trucks and heavy machinery to bring the barricade down.
On 8 May 2008, residents clashed with the Police while they were protecting the access road from being rebuilt by Grand Saga. Segambut
Segambut
Segambut is a sub-district and a parliamentary constituency in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.From the high-end condominiums of Mont Kiara and Sri Kiara to the middle-class areas of Taman Sri Segambut and Bandar Manjalara, and the rural areas of Segambut Dalam and Kampung Sungai Penchala, the Segambut...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Lim Lip Eng
Lim Lip Eng
Lim Lip Eng is a Malaysian politician and is currently the Member of the Parliament of Malaysia for the Segambut constituency in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur...
was allegedly assaulted by the Police and was hospitalised. Several accusations of police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
were made.
The residents attempted to obtain an injunction against Grand Saga to rebuild the barrier on the access road. On 13 May 2008, the court denied the injunction and Grand Saga vowed to put up another barrier.
On 27 May 2008, a five-foot wall was erected by Grand Saga. Some residents and journalists (including mainstream newspapers) at the scene were attacked by unidentified men who were armed with sticks, pipes and helmets, sitting on the walls to prevent them from being dismantled. They also smashed the windows of a few nearby vehicles. Police reports were lodged and residents accused Grand Saga of hiring thugs to ensure that the wall remained in place, a charge that the concessionaire vehemently denied. The next day, the barrier was torn down once again.
Members of the opposition state government tried to bring up the issue on the Malaysian Parliament, only to be shot down by the speaker. A few days later, the Federal Government ordered that the access road was to stay open until the court makes a final decision on the dispute.
On 4 June 2008, the Malaysian Highway Authority
Malaysian Highway Authority
The Malaysian Highway Authority or Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia is a government agency under the Malaysian Ministry of Works...
and Grand Saga were ordered to install traffic lights on the junctions of Bandar Mahkota Cheras to ease the traffic flow of the residents.