Bukit Jalil residents say no to Anwar's Bandar Madani vision

During his Budget 2027 speech, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim touted the government’s Bandar Madani Bukit Jalil as an integrated development and a “residential area for the rakyat”.

However, a group of locals in Bukit Jalil who turned up to protest the project outside Parliament today want the 17,000-unit project scrapped.

They argued that the project would...

During his Budget 2027 speech, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim touted the government’s Bandar Madani Bukit Jalil as an integrated development and a “residential area for the rakyat”.

However, a group of locals in Bukit Jalil who turned up to protest the project outside Parliament today want the 17,000-unit project scrapped.

They argued that the project would place additional pressure on an area already grappling with overdevelopment, traffic congestion and inadequate public facilities.

“We are not opposing development there, but we are objecting because this is a high-density development that does not take into account the current situation on the ground,” residents’ protest committee chairperson Zainuddin Zainal said.

“The purpose of our objection is to call for an engagement session between the government, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and local residents, so that they can understand the problems we are currently facing,” he added.

Bandar Madani Bukit Jalil is envisioned as a housing township with community amenities - including a vertical school, health clinic, retail lots and football field.

Besides overdevelopment and congestion, other concerns raised by protesters include the project’s alleged non-compliance with plot ratio limits under the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 and the proposed vertical school’s failure to meet PlanMalaysia’s classroom requirements for the projected population increase.

Such concerns were also shared by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who opposed the project.

Kok (above) said she supported their call to cancel the project, adding that she had also raised the issue in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Violating PlanMalaysia’s planning guidelines

Kok questioned why the project developer, Perbadanan Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA), a company under the Housing and Local Government Ministry, was allowed to proceed despite allegedly violating PlanMalaysia’s planning guidelines.

“I don’t think any of this is in line with the government’s planning. Just because PR1MA is a government-owned company does not mean it should be given special privileges to violate planning regulations and PlanMalaysia’s planning guidelines,” the DAP lawmaker said.

She also criticised the project for proceeding before DBKL completed its study on the Bukit Jalil Micro Development Control Plan, noting that registration for home purchases had already opened.

Meanwhile, Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan said the objection was not against development itself, but the lack of corresponding improvements to supporting infrastructure.

He said that if the 17,000-unit project were to proceed, upgrades such as flyovers and improved public transport connectivity, including MRT services, should be considered alongside the development.

“The supporting infrastructure must progress in tandem with the approved development to ensure the development process runs smoothly,” he said.

Backed by 75 groups

Kok and Zahir, together with Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai had earlier accepted the memorandum which was signed by 75 organisations representing more than 10,000 residents in Bukit Jalil, Bandar Kinrara and Taman Puncak Jalil.

Kok then brought Zainuddin (above) into Parliament, where he was able to meet Anwar and hand over the memorandum.

Meanwhile, another matter the residents have taken issue with is the government purportedly misleading the public into thinking that Bandar Madani would be an affordable housing project.

Citing a site plan they reportedly obtained from a consultant, Zainuddin said that only 1,750 units, or about 10.29 percent of the proposed development, would be Residensi Madani homes priced at RM200,000 each.

Meanwhile, 83.53 percent of the units would be developed under PR1MA, with prices ranging from RM390,000 to RM480,000 - while the remaining 6.18 percent would be allocated to the Civil Servants Housing Programme at RM360,000 each.

“We are dissatisfied with the development known as Bandar Madani, which supposedly aims to provide affordable housing for the benefit of low-income citizens.

“Over 15,250 residential units will be sold at market price. The developer is essentially exploiting the ‘Madani’ name to secure government support and reap profits,” Zainuddin added in a statement.

Malaysiakini could not find any marketing or remarks by Anwar or others that the project would be an affordable housing development exclusively.

However, PR1MA is mostly known for building low-cost housing below RM200,000, although some projects have exceeded RM300,000.

This is not the first time the residents have objected to Bandar Madani.

Zainuddin said that about 500 residents had previously protested against the development during a dialogue session on Sept 16, while an online petition had garnered about 7,000 signatures.