Kohilan washes his hands off Batu Caves condo

(Malaysiakini) Deputy Foreign Minister A Kohilan Pillay has contended that he was not involved in the approval of a controversial 29-storey condominium near the Batu Caves temple although he was a local councillor when the decision was made.

Denying the allegation by Selangor exco Ronnie Liu, the senator claimed that the approval was given by the One Stop Centre (OSC) of Selayang Municipal council (MPS).

"I was only a councillor. It was not me who gave the approval. It was the OSC in the council that gave the approval. I was not involved. If he (Liu) wants to accuse, (he should provide) the facts...

"Many facts have been spun. There was nothing to show (that I) gave the approval. I have checked the files. I was not involved in giving the approval," he told Malaysiakini yesterday.

According to the MPS official website, the function of OSC is to receive and process applications of building plans, land work plans and project planning for the approval of the local council.

Kohilan was a councillor in MPS for 11 years, serving from 1997 to 2008.

The construction of a massive condominium near the iconic Subramaniar Temple in Batu Caves came under the spotlight after the temple committee, backed by MIC top guns including former president S Samy Vellu, led a protest against the Selangor government last week.

However, Liu later revealed documents to show that BN had approved the tower block - considered by many as an eyesore - when it controlled Selangor in 2007.

Last Wednesday, Liu reportedly alleged that Kohilan and Hulu Selangor MP P Kamalanathan were among those responsible for approving the project.

However, Kamalanathan denied the accusation yesterday and lodged a police report on the matter. Kohilan has also lodged a similar report last night at the Batu Caves police station.

About-turn by Kohilan

Kohilan told Malaysiakini that he found out that he and Kamalanathan were linked to the condo approval after this was raised by the temple committee recently.

He described the allegation as "baseless" and "reckless".

"See who actually made (the decision in approving the project). Don't simply guess. This (allegation) smells of a political agenda."

While Kohilan conceded that the approval for the project was given during the BN administration - an about-turn from his allegation last Friday - he nevertheless ticked off the current councillors appointed by the Pakatan government.

"Did they monitor it (the project) or are they not aware of the issue... What have the councillors been doing (after Pakatan took over Selangor)?" he asked.