Approval to demolish Shah Alam Stadium given under strange circumstances
Publicly unpopular project taking more twists and turns
Murray Hunter
The Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) has finally issued a demolition notice (Kelulusan Merancang) for the Shah Alam Stadium, after a delay of several months. Most strangely, the demolition notice has been issued without any appointment of a project developer, project consultant or building contractor. The notice issued on Christmas day, leaves many questions that need answers.
Clandestine Constitutional Crisis
According to a senior state government officer the local government order was given without any discussion within the State Assembly, executive council, or even the state legal advisor. Further, the senior state government officer said the Shah Alam City Mayor was under pressure from the palace to issue the demolition order.
Local adjoining communities are against the project, as well as many state civil servants. The state bureaucracy has been very slow to progress this project, thus hindering the finalization of the project. Word around Shah Alam is even the chief minister Amirudin Shari is hesitant over the demolition. It was reported in Bulletin TV3 that the chief minister was not his personal wish.
“Ia berikutan, pembangunan itu bukan hasrat peribadi beliau sebaliknya ia hasrat Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah; Raja Muda Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah dan penyokong bola sepak Selangor”.
(English translation: It follows that the development is not his personal wish but rather the wish of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah; Raja Muda Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah and Selangor football supporters.)
According to reports, TNB has not yet removed transformer installations from the site.
The whole stadium area has been designated a restricted area to prevent community protests.
The issuance of the demolition notice brings Section 55(2) of the Selangor Constitution into question. Section 55 clearly states that the Sultan must act on the advice of the executive council or a member who is acting under authority of the executive council, in exercising his function under the Constitution.
Thus, the issuance of the demolition order may in fact be unconstitutional. The state legal advisor must give an opinion on this matter.
Shah Alam Stadium Developer not yet selected
MRCB was previously announced as the strategic partner of the Shah Alam Stadium project. The company has already invested in some of the preliminary aspects of the project – planning and design. However, MRCB has only received a letter of intent from the Selangor State Government.
There is talk of another company, Blueprint Projects Sdn Bhd taking up some form of role in the project. The Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) registration shows that Blueprint Projects nature of business includes engineering contracting, building and investment property construction and consultancy. However, the company only has a paid-up capital of RM 1.0 million. This company is 70% owned by Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Idris Shah, the Raja Muda of Selangor.
