The other, meanwhile, is causing consternation to residents over its ambitious development plan on a relatively small plot of land.

The decision on whether both projects receive the go-ahead from the authorities now hinge on the outcome of technical reports by the Public Works Institute of Malaysia (Ikram) and independent consultants.

This is the dilemma facing residents of both Bukit Bandaraya and Medan Damansara, who have protested vehemently against the projects but who will get the final outcome soon.

Come Thursday , Medan Damansara residents will find out whether the disputed Damansara 21 project will continue or be shelved when the project developer meets with City Hall for a briefing.

Residents claim that the high-end development - which would feature 21 luxury bungalows priced between RM10 million and RM15 million each - is unsafe.

The residents association has argued that the slope gradient is unsuitable for a development of such scale.

Their fears stem from incidents such as one on June 11 last year, when an uprooted tree at the site fell and pierced through the roof of a house damaging the master bedroom.

A landslip on Aug 26 last year  caused the collapse of a retaining wall separating the project and nearby homes. A second landslip the next day caused extensive damage to the kitchen of another home. Two families were subsequently asked to evacuate after the Fire and Rescue Department identified their homes as ‘high risk’.

Following the Dec 6 Bukit  Antarabangsa tragedy, which killed six people and saw 14 houses destroyed, the FT Ministry issued a stop-work order on the Damansara 21 project.

However, it appears that the project can now go ahead, provided the developer, SDB Properties Sdn Bhd, complies with the technical requirements, said Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail. “As far as City Hall is concerned, if all the requirements set by Ikram and the independent consultants are fulfilled, we have no problems,” he told Malay Mail yesterday.

He said the meeting with the developer, which will be an ‘update’ of sorts for all parties concerned, will also see the presentation of a new design layout by the developer.

“We will also give notice of further requirements for the developer to fulfill, as recommended by Kumpulan IKRAM Sdn Bhd. City Hall will hear from the developer plans on implementing the layout and how it will maintain both the slope and the building upon the development’s completion.”

Ahmad Fuad also said that a decision will be made at the meeting as to whether the project will proceed or not “but we will also see what the residents have to say”.

“If they still disagree, we will get the view of the Housing and Local Government Ministry on how to pursue this.” He said Ikram had already imposed a lot of requirements on the developer.

“The final say depends on the experts’ opinion,” he said.

Ahmad Fuad, while acknowledging that objections from residents are inevitable due to their concerns about hillside developments, said that they must be practical and understand that it will be unfair to let the developer continue paying the assessment fees and quit rent for an unused parcel of land.

He said that an alternative is for City Hall to take over the land but the option is deemed too costly.

“ Even if we did take over, we also cannot let the land continue to be unused. However, City Hall is always open to listen to the residents’ views. What we need is their trust,” he said. When contacted, Medan
Damansara residents refused to be drawn in by speculation that a go-ahead for the Damansara 21 project may possibly be  announced at the meeting.

“Let’s hear what the mayor has to say first to be fair to him before we make a premature statement regarding the matter,” said Medan Damansara Residents  Association secretary Peter Raiappan.