- St Ignatius Church in Petaling Jaya was told to remove a car park built on state land
- The land belongs to the Selangor Department of Irrigation and Drainage
- The church says it received written approval to level the area in 2012
- Its lawyer called the 14-day notice “bullying”
St Ignatius Church in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, has been ordered to remove a car park built on neighbouring state land, Malay Mail reported on November 2, 2024.
The Petaling District Office issued a notice on October 29 directing the church to remove the car park from land belonging to the Selangor Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID). The notice cited Section 425 of the National Land Code on unlawful occupation of reserved land and gave the church 14 days to comply.
Church lawyer Joy Appukuttan said the church had obtained written approval from the DID in 2012 to level the area for parking and believed the permission was still valid. “This action is bullying the church,” he said, criticising the authorities for not talking to the church before issuing the notice. He contacted Bandar Utama assemblywoman Jamaliah Jamaluddin to arrange a meeting with the relevant agencies.
Members worried that services would be disrupted because the congregation relies on the parking bays.
Parking is a frequent planning headache for churches, including in Jamaica, especially where members drive in from far away. Many congregations use a neighbouring lot, road verge or government land by informal agreement. St Ignatius shows the risk. Permission given years ago may not be recognised later. A church that depends on land it does not own should get a written lease or licence with a clear term, or buy the land if it can.
Follow Jamaica Homes on Youtube @jamaicahomes and Instagram @jamaica_homes and on Facebook @jamaicahomesnews Send us a message or email us at onlinefeedback@jamaica-homes.com or editor@jamaica-homes.com
Visit our YouTube Community ↗