KUCHING: More than 1,000 villagers from 156 families will lose their homes in the racially mixed Kampung Pasir Puteh next month when a private firm moves in to transform the area into a commercial district.
The DAP has accused the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) of being in cahoots with the developers.
“We have been told to move out or we will be evicted by next month,” said Juip anak Lanyot, who claimed he had lived there for more than 30 years.
He said the company had promised to pay a year’s worth of rent to any family willing to move to flats in Batu Gong here.
“If we refuse, the developer will come and destroy our houses and pay us RM2,000 per family.”
The land, which belongs to the state, is populated by Iban, Bidayuh, Malays and Chinese. Most of the family heads are lowly paid labourers and odd-job workers.
DAP's Chong Chieng Jen, who is Bandar Kuching MP, told reporters that SUPP leaders, accompanied by the developers’ representatives, met the villagers three weeks ago and asked them to sign forms applying for flats at Batu Gong.
He alleged that they were forced into signing the forms and appealed to the developers to offer better compensation.
“Considering that these residents have been staying in the kampung for such a long time, it is the duty of the authorities to acknowledge their presence and to resettle them properly before approving or alienating the land for private development.”
He suggested that each family be given a plot of land close to the area and paid RM5,000 as moving cost.
Alternatively, he said, they should be paid RM18,000 per house plus an option for them to move into the Batu Gong flats and bear the rents themselves.
He called on SUPP not to mislead the people by equating the signed application forms with consent for the demolition of the village.
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