Ampang Park judicial review hearing set for June 30

KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-two registered strata title owners of Ampang Park Shopping Centre are contending that Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) has “pure commercial interest” in their judicial review proceedings. Their lawyer Yee Jun Hong said the strata title owners are now appealing against a High Court order which allowed MRT Corp to intervene as a party in their judicial review.  

“We say MRT has pure commercial interest which does not warrant its intervention in our judicial review. It has no legal interest,” he told reporters here after the parties met the judge in chambers over case details.  

The High Court had in April allowed MRT Corp to be a party in the judicial review proceedings by some 62 registered strata title owners of Ampang Park Shopping Centre to stay an ongoing land acquisition bid for an MRT project. Yee said the merits of the judicial review would be heard before High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Hanipah Farikullah on June 30 and that all documents were in order for the hearing proper.  

He said that the strata title owners have continued to operate their businesses as usual at the shopping centre until the disposal of the judicial review following the recent granting of a stay order by the High Court against land acquisition proceedings.  

He said the Court of Appeal has also set Aug 10 for case management over their appeal on MRT Corp being allowed to be an intervener in the case. The strata title owners claimed that Ampang Park was the first shopping centre in Malaysia and needs to be protected, especially due to its “historical value”.  

They obtained leave on Jan 20 to initiate judicial review proceedings to protect the shopping centre.  

By M. Mageswari (The Star)