KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty-nine Ampang Park traders failed to halt the planned demolition of the iconic mall as part of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project.
This was the outcome today when the High Court dismissed their judicial review application against the decision to allow acquisition of the land on which the shopping centre is situated.
Judge Datuk Hanipah Farikullah ruled that the land-acquisition was proper and had been done in accordance with the law, among them the Land Acquisition Act 1960.
Hanipah ordered the mall's business owners to pay a total of RM70,000 in cost to the three respondents.
The court awarded cost of RM35,000 to the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office director and the Federal Territories Land Administrator, and RM35,000 to Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp).
MRT Corp is the company behind the MRT project.
After proceedings, MRT Corp's lawyer Lai Wai Fong said that demolition would not proceed immediately.
Lai said a land inquiry (by the Federal Territories Land
Administrator) is still ongoing to determine how much compensation is to be paid to the shopping mall's business owners, who are affected by the matter.
The traders' counsel Datuk Edward Ng Boon Siong confirmed that he has instructions to appeal to the Court of Appeal.
"We will file an application for stay of proceedings (today's decision) pending appeal. The (business) owners are not satisfied with the judgment," said Ng.
Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan appeared for the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office director and the Federal Territories Land Administrator.
On Jan 8, the 39 business owners, including dentist Dr Dzul Khaini Husain, filed a legal action to overturn the approval for the mall's
demolition to make way for an underground walkway connecting the new MRT station to the Ampang Park Light Rail Transit (LRT) station.