MCA Youth wants the Selangor government to explain why it ordered the demolition of two restaurants in Tanjung Sepat last week although the matter had yet to be decided by the Appeals Court.

MCA Youth legal bureau head Ng Kian Nam said the operators had on May 26 notified the Selangor government about the impending court decision but this was ignored.

“We condemn the action of the Selangor government for going ahead and demolishing the restaurants before the matter was decided by the Appeals Court,” he said at his office in Seremban.

Ng also questioned if the order to demolish the two restaurants was given by Selangor Local Government, New Village Development and Legalising Factories Committee chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah.

“When DAP, through its lawyers, fought a case on behalf of several villagers in Ulu Temiang, Seremban not too long ago, no one forced the villagers to move out of the property.

“The landowners waited until the matter was heard and decided by the Federal Court before asking them to move out,” he said.

On Friday, Kuala Langat District Council personnel tore down the two popular seafood restaurants – Ocean Seafood Restaurant and Lover’s Bridge Tanjung Sepat Restaurant – to apparently make way for repairs to a bridge and carry out land reclamation work.

The Lover’s Bridge restaurant had been serving customers for the past four decades while Ocean Seafood Restaurant had been in business for 20 years. Both restaurants were located on state land.

Ng also asked why the Selangor government had kept changing the development plan although the initial plan was only to rebuild a jetty.

“The proposed plan changed so many times from building a jetty to reclamation work, parking lots, building a square, a food court and shoplots, among others,” he said.

Ng claimed there was no reason for the authorities to carry out reclamation work in the area as there was plenty of vacant land available.

“Since the local council has already demolished the two restaurants, we hope the authorities will keep their promise to provide an alternative site nearby to allow the operators to restart their business.

“We also want the authorities to provide in writing that the two operators will be given priority to do business in the new development once it is completed,” he said.

Ng also hoped the local authorities would not force out other holders of temporary occupational licences (TOL) in nearby areas of Pulau Ketam, Kuala Selangor, Tanjung Karang and Sekinchan.

“We hope the Tanjung Sepat episode will not be a precursor to more TOL holders being forced to move out of government land,” he added.

-The STAR-