Popular cafe to be demolished soon
THE STAR
Tuesday, 28 Jan 2020
Ali Cafe Tomyam Seafood restaurant in Jalan Pantai Baru is located on a road reserve.
IT LOOKS like it is the end of the road for Ali Cafe Tomyam Seafood restaurant at Jalan Pantai Baru in Bangsar as the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office (PPTGWP) has agreed for it to be demolished by the end of February.
The popular eatery which has dodged several attempts by the authorities to demolish it in the past decade, despite being illegally built on government land, has finally run out of luck.
A Kuala Lumpur City Hall spokesman told StarMetro that the decision was made at a post cabinet meeting recently.
The spokesman said Ali Cafe Tomyam’s operating licence had expired and DBKL was waiting for the temporary licence of another stall, operating nearby, to expire before demolishing both structures.
An enforcement officer from DBKL said a demolition exercise was planned a few years ago but it was halted at the eleventh hour.
The officer said they were ordered to leave the scene and DBKL’s Licensing Department was instructed to ensure that the eatery’s licence was approved no matter what.
Last year, Federal Territories Minister, Khalid Abdul Samad highlighted cases involving illegal buildings built on government-owned spaces during the previous government’s administration.
Ali says he spent RM3mil to build the place.
Ali Cafe started off as a small stall under a tree 20 years ago and throughout the years gained popularity resulting in the owner, Ali Syed Mohamed, extending the stall into a double-storey building.
Ali told StarMetro last year that he spent RM3mil to upgrade the place after getting the go-ahead from a high-ranking government official even though it was not approved by PPTGWP.
The restaurant came under fire as it is built on a road divider, occupying several parking bays.
The building is located next to the Pantai fire station, prompting more questions as to its legality.
Last year, the PPTGWP issued a notice under Section 425 (1) of the National Land Code 1965, for occupying government land illegally and were told to vacate the premises.
If the owners fail to move out, they can be fined up RM500,000 or jailed for not more than five years.
The DBKL spokesman said that the local authority was going on a blitz to demolish illegal structures in the city, and it needed to set an example.
“We cannot be telling people to demolish their illegal structures but yet allow some people to get away with it,’’ the spokesperson added.
“To those who have put up illegal structures, my advice is remove it or we will do it.”
Ali Cafe started off as a small stall under a tree 20 years ago and throughout the years gained popularity resulting in the owner, Ali Syed Mohamed, extending the stall into a double-storey building.
Ali told StarMetro last year that he spent RM3mil to upgrade the place after getting the go-ahead from a high-ranking government official even though it was not approved by PPTGWP.
The restaurant came under fire as it is built on a road divider, occupying several parking bays.
The building is located next to the Pantai fire station, prompting more questions as to its legality.
Last year, the PPTGWP issued a notice under Section 425 (1) of the National Land Code 1965, for occupying government land illegally and were told to vacate the premises.
If the owners fail to move out, they can be fined up RM500,000 or jailed for not more than five years.
The DBKL spokesman said that the local authority was going on a blitz to demolish illegal structures in the city, and it needed to set an example.
“We cannot be telling people to demolish their illegal structures but yet allow some people to get away with it,’’ the spokesperson added.
“To those who have put up illegal structures, my advice is remove it or we will do it.”
