Ex-MIC Youth leader cleared rubber plantation against court orders, claim settlers

While waiting for a court decision over his village’s land disputes with alleged owner Thamarai
Holdings company, Kampung Gatco settler John Cantius was shocked to find strangers entering his village area to clear the rubber trees in parts of the disputed 4,932-acre land in Bahau, Negeri Sembilan.

The settlers were so displeased with the incident that they included it as one of their demands to MIC in the memorandum handed yesterday (today) at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday (today).

Accompanied by about 50 fellow settlers who held protest banners and placards, John alleged that “in March, 2015, the former Negeri Sembilan MIC Youth chief, M Thirunaukarasu, had trespassed into the plantation and chopped off about 500 acres of rubber estate land and brought out the trees and produce.”

“This is trespassing and theft because Thamarai Holdings has admitted it was not involved in timber production. So, who is this Thirunaukarasu? Not only did he chop and steal the trees, he brought ‘gangsters’ to attack the settlers, to hurt us, and used the police’s help to attack us when they were stealing,” John alleged.

“How can they enter? Because at the time, the case was still in discussion at court, and the court had declared that nobody can enter the plantation – it can’t be sold, can’t be bought, can’t be pawned, can’t be divided.

“So how did Thirunaukarasu enter? How did Thamarai Holdings allow the division of lands to state government? How can the state government give (settlement offerings) to settlers? It shows they are defying the court’s orders,” John said.

“We urge MIC to conduct a thorough investigation on Thirunakarausu, and take disciplinary action on him,” he added.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Thirunaukarasu said: “They (settlers) failed to justify that the land is theirs in the previous 10 years (that the case has dragged on).

“I’ve got no right to get into their details, I’m not in a position to comment on behalf of Lotus or anybody” Thirunaukarasu added.

“I was there (at the place of the incident) as a contractor appointed by Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri, Negeri Sembilan (PKNNS). And I have all the documents to prove it.

“I was there to clear the land (and) surrender back to the PKNNS in order for replantation, because 1,206 acres were given by Lotus to the state government,” he said.

He also stressed that the incident had nothing to do with MIC, reiterating once again that he was there in his individual capacity as a contractor.

The other demands made in the Kampung Gatco settlers’ memorandum to MIC were:

• To ask MIC to intervene and ensure that eight acres of land (as was agreed upon in the original agreement in the 1970s) are given to every Gatco settler;
• To discuss with Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd so that the company would return the particular land rights to Gatco settlers (the settlers claimed the company had attained the rights unlawfully); and
• To discuss with the Negeri Sembilan government so that the rights of Gatco settlers are protected and they are given the right to their respective eight acres of land.

The memorandum also stated that MIC also needs to stress that the Negeri Sembilan government’s offer of between two and four acres of land to each Gatco settlers was unfair and the state government should abide by the Federal Court’s decision.

Cops nab three state reps during Kg Gatco fracas

Three opposition state assemblypersons were arrested in Bahau, Negri Sembilan, this morning after they assisted local villagers in Kampung Gatco to stop the demolition of their rubber plantation.

They are DAP's Bahau assemblyperson Chew Seh Yong and Senawang assemblyperson P Gunasekaren and PKR's Port Dickson assemblyperson M Ravi.

When contacted, DAP Youth chief Teo Kok Seong, who is also Rasah MP, confirmed with Malaysiakini that his colleagues have been arrested.

More than 200 villagers in a land dispute in Kampung Gatco had gathered since last night in a bid to prevent the demolition of their rubber plantation.

However, a villager who was present told Malaysiakini that some 30 Light Strike Force personnel, backed by more than 100 regular police officers and Rela volunteers, moved in to break up the villagers early this morning.

"The police arrested about 30 people," C Ram Babu told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Ram said the villagers had asked Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd, which had purchased the disputed land, to hold off the demolition pending a court decision on March 26, but to no avail.

"The contractors came in to cut down our rubber trees," he said.

Victims of failed scheme

The disputed land, approximately 4,700 acres in size, was leased to The Great Alonioners Trading Corporation Bhd (Gatco) in 1977 by the Negri Sembilan State Economic Development Corporation (SEDC).

Gatco was incorporated by the National Union of Plantation Workers for the purpose of a land development scheme for its members.

The current settlers had paid RM7,600 each as deposit to settle on allocated plots of the land as part of the development scheme.

However, the scheme eventually failed and the land was charged to two financial institutions.

Despite Gatco winding up, its liquidators did not sell the land until 2006, when a sale and purchase agreement was executed between Gatco and Thamarai Holdings Sdn Bhd.

A total of 140 settlers have sued Gatco and Tamarai over the sale and the case is pending before the Federal Court.

'Quarters removal will rob Brickfields of character'

DAP national vice-chair M Kulasegaran expressed surprise that so soon after a venerable site in storied Brickfields was saved from the developer’s bulldozer, an adjoining area of comparable antiquity is earmarked for demolishment.

“Demolishing ‘100 Quarters’ will destroy a part of Kuala Lumpur’s history,” asserted the MP for Ipoh Barat in remarks to the press today.

Last month, the DAP leader helped rouse public consciousness over plans to convert the Swami Vivekananda Ashram which lies cheek by jowl with ‘100 Quarters’ into a residential development.

‘100 Quarters’ comprises three rows of quarters along Jalan Chan Ah Tong, Lorong Chan Ah Tong and Jalan Rosario. An adjoining open space was the small but hallowed recreational grounds of residents.

The houses were built in 1915 to house employees of the Malayan Railways whose offices and shunting yards were located at the northern end of Brickfields, barely a half kilometer from ‘100 Quarters’.

'A rude surprise'

Kulasegaran disclosed that the demolishment of ‘100 Quarters’ was to enable the construction of three residential towers by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) which is partly owned by the country’s largest pension fund, Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

The federal legislator raised questions about the deal that gave MRCB the authority to undertake the development.

Kulasegaran recalled that when Tourism and Culture Minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz (left) visited the Vivekananda Ashram on Nov 6, he openly declared that the ashram, the adjoining quarters and the open space must be preserved.

“It was a bold statement, but now comes the rude surprise that the quarters and open space have been earmarked for high-end residential development,” he noted.

“This is a time for corporate bodies to be mindful of their corporate social responsibility with respect to local stakeholders’ interests,” said the lawyer-legislator.

Vivekananda Ashram stays, for now

Minister of Tourism and Culture is going all out to gazette the century-old building as a national heritage site.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The wishes of thousands who want the Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields declared a national heritage site may very likely come true now that Minister of Tourism and Culture Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz has announced plans to save the 110-year-old building from redevelopment.

Saying he plans to make a formal submission to list the site as a national heritage in December, Nazri explained, “And if there are no objections from any party, we will be able to announce the Vivekananda Ashram as a national heritage site by February 2015.”

Nazri however warned that the process must strictly be followed according to the law.

Cautioning that it could be a long, drawn-out battle, Nazri explained, “The process to gazette the site might prolong until October 2015 if objections are raised along the way, but otherwise by March 2015 it will be solved.”

Meanwhile Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran was all praises for Nazri, calling his initiative “brave” and “revolutionary” as the ashram was symbolic of the presence for the Indian community in Malaysia.

Humbly brushing aside all praises, Nazri said, “I am colourblind and to me, this establishment is a Malaysian heritage.”

Nazri also pledged to pursue the matter “with the same amount of tenacity and enthusiasm” that he would any other site that warranted national heritage status regardless of whether the site was important to the Muslims, Hindus or Chinese because “once these sites are gone they’re gone forever”.

On November 6, Nazri visited the Vivekananda Ashram and submitted a notice requesting the site be gazetted a national heritage. Later on November 12, Nazri submitted the same request to the Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Residents seek heritage status for Indian village

Kampung Tai Lee is one of the earliest Indian settlements in Ipoh.

FMT

IPOH: Residents of Kampung Tai Lee here are urging Putrajaya and the Perak government to declare the village as a national heritage because it was one of the earliest settlements for the Indian community in Ipoh.

DAP vice-chairman M Kula Segaran, who had a meeting with some of the residents today, said they had decided to seek the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s assistance in acquiring the land.

“It is not going to be easy as the federal and state governments may disagree with this proposal since a large fund could be required to acquire this land and to maintain it,” he said in a press statement.

DAP would nevertheless “go all out” to assist the residents, he added. “If need be, we are ready to take this matter to be adjudicated in court.”

Kula said he would seek the help of the Heritage Society of Malaysia, other NGOs and political parties in procuring heritage status for the land.

Located in Buntong, said to be the area with the largest Indian population in the country, Kampung Tai Lee was alienated on Oct 23, 1914. The majority of its early Indian settlers were labourers employed in and around Ipoh.

Fifty-five poor Indian families currently live there in wooden houses they erected themselves.

In 1997, the owners of pieces of land that make up the village sent out eviction notices to the residents. They also filed legal suits against the residents, branding them as squatters.

After a protracted legal battle, the Ipoh High Court last December ordered the land owners to pay RM10,000 per resident but ordered the residents to move out by April this year.

Kula fired a broadside at the Perak government for failing to fulfill its three-decade-old pledge to relocate the villagers to better homes.

He noted that the state government had promised to build low-cost flats on a four-acre state-owned land next to the village for the residents.

Kula said his legal team had filed an appeal to the Court of Appeal for a higher compensation while asserting that the residents had a right to stay on the land.

Kg Chetti di ambang kepupusan?

Waytha slams DBKL as ‘ignorant’

He says the rights of Kg Railway residents were ignored to protect business interests

PETALING JAYA: Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy has denounced Thursday’s demolition of Kampung Railway, calling it an “unconscionable act” on the part of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

In a media statement released yesterday, Waythamoorthy said DBKL had shown that it was ignorant of history, particularly the role played by Indian immigrants in the development of Malayan Railway.

He accused DBKL of ignoring the “legitimate rights” of the villagers to protect the business interests of YTL Corporation and other companies.

Waythamoorthy, who is the deputy minister in charge of Indian affairs in the Prime Minister’s Department, lamented that government agencies were “continuously ignorant of the plight of the displaced Indian community”.

“They fail to understand that the Indian settlements are frequently deemed illegal due to historical wrongs,” he said. “The British Government failed to grant land titles to the forefathers of the current community that occupy the land.

“Merdeka meant nothing to these people as they continued to be a landless community and the Federal Government in 1957 should have found solutions for them.

“Kampung Railway for one should be protected as a heritage village.”

The demolition of Kampung Railway came after 30 families who were resident there lost a legal suit against YTL, which had acquired the land to develop it into a housing estate.

“The people may not have rights in the eyes of the law, but they have equitable rights that never found their way into Malaysian laws,” said Waythamoorthy.

He urged “the relevant ministers” to be “people-centric” and open up discussions so that they would have a better understanding of the Indian community’s plight.

He added: “The government should read the sentiments of the Indian community not in terms of voting power only, but instead appreciate the many contributions of our forefathers to this country.”

Kampung Chetti begs to be saved

Kampung Chetti residents want heritage and culture departments at state and federal levels to stop current development project.

PETALING JAYA: State and federal government agencies have been called on to save heritage site, Kampung Chetti in Malacca and stop a development project that threatens to destroy the heritage of the community.

T Sithambaram Pillay, who heads the action committee opposing the development project said in a press statement .

“We want the Tourism and Culture Ministry, Melaka Museum Corporation (Perzim) and the National Heritage Department to intervene and stop this project which is located at the site known as Lot 93,” he said.

Malacca Chief Minister Idris Haron has also been asked to make his stand clear in relation to the heritage village of the Malacca Chettis.

“We are begging the Malacca government to end the project. We also want Idris to make his stand to save our village,” said T Sithambaram Pillay in a press statement.

On Dec 17, there were reports that the state government had approved construction of two condominiums with 22 floors each, a 12 floor hotel and a six floor parking lot at the heritage site.

The project was stopped by the former Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam last year but has been revived and given the green light by the current state administration after the 13th general election in May.

Since the news broke various groups such as Hindraf and Deputy Minister in Prime Minister’s Department P Waythamoorthy have voiced their objections over the development project.

Waythamoorthy has questioned the silence of Heritage Commissioners on the matter.

Kampung Chetti in Malacca has existed since 1414. Both the state and federal government have given the village national heritage status. In addition, the village is also Unesco World Heritage site.

Kg Railway: DBKL plans to sue FMT

Deputy FT Minister Loga Balan said DBKL has done everything possible to relocate the remaining 30 families in Kg Railway, Sentul, but they have rejected the offer.

PETALING JAYA: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is contemplating to sue FMT over a report on the demolition of houses in Kg Railway, Sentul, by enforcement officers yesterday.

Federal Territories deputy minister Loga Balan said DBKL was planning to sue FMT and Tamil daily Makkal Osai for carrying misleading news.

Earlier, Loga told reporters that the matter had been brought to his attention three months ago at a meeting with Federal Territory MPs.

Loga said the initial offer of PPR flats without rental and RM18,000 for each family were given.

About 120 families accepted the offer and remaining 30 took the matter to court and lost.

“On Dec 5, in a public programme in the presence of the media we gave out the offer letters to the 120 families.

“We gave the remaining 30 families until Dec 15 to vacate their homes and extended the deadline to Dec 20 and postponed it further to Dec 26 so that the villagers will have more time to move out.

“The 30 families then came with Batu MP Tian Chua on Dec 18 to meet me.

“On humanitarian grounds, we decided to give them PPR flats in Bukit Jalil but they had to pay the rental,” said Loga.

He said the families had taken to matter to the Federal Court and lost so they were not entitled to the PPR flats.

“But City Hall did the 30 families a favour by offering the flats.

“I also assured the villagers help in transferring their children to the school in Bukit Jalil.

“So the issue that we did not offer flats and assitance is a lie.

“I have even instructed the 30 villagers to move out before the demolition to transit homes in Dewan Perdana Satu,” said Loga.

He said if the 30 families rejected the City Hall offer nothing could be done.

DBKL demolishes Kg Railway houses

Kg Railway demolition begins although 13 still remain

As Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd (SRSB) moves in to tear down houses for re-development, about 13 Kg Railway residents are today still pleading for a few more days.

These 13 families only got a letter from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) offering them new temporary homes on Monday, said Vinesh Nair, PKR Batu communications manager.

Vinesh was on the ground to help keep peace between the residents and contractors from SRSB, a subsidiary of YTL Corporation. The contractors had moved in since last week and were prepared to demolish the houses.
  
"What we are asking for is some humanitarian grounds here ... just a few days," Vinesh told Malaysiakini. "The 13 residents are not ready to move out after receiving a stupid letter... the letter is dated Dec 20 and it says they should have moved out by Dec 15."
                  
As a major developer for the area, YTL last year won a court case granting it the land, which also ordered 140 families staying on it to move out.

But for over a year, Batu MP Tian Chua (left) has fought for the Kg Railway residents, who refused to live elsewhere as they argued their ancestors have been living there for a century until the Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) land was privatised to YTL Corporation in 1993.
  
As SRSB refused to negotiate with the residents, DBKL had stepped in to provide temporary living arrangements for them, until SRSB re-develops the area.

After a long stand-off, the residents agreed earlier this month to vacate their houses on conditions of rent-free temporary housing in Bukit Jalil for the next three years and discounts for new houses in the development project.

YTL had also agreed to pay each family RM18,000 as soon as they vacate Kampung Railway.

Another week grace period

All parties also agreed on the Dec 14 deadline.

However, Vinesh explained that this deadline was not met by all as many logistical issues were still being sorted out.

Apart from the fact that many were given temporary flats in Bukit Jalil, some 10-15 kilometres away, many were also forced into units that had no power supply, he said.

"Would they move into houses without electricity? Even though they are poor and from the lower income group, nobody wants to live like that," Vinesh said.

Meanwhile, YTL sources said that the company was tired of repeated failed attempts to reclaim the land.

Last month, it resorted to getting a court injunction as participants, including many opposition MPs, held a Deepavali celebration there without YTL's permission.

YTL contractors came last Thursday to demolish the Kampung Railway houses, but stopped work after Tian Chua negotiated a grace period of one week.

Vinesh said that the 13 remaining residents, who live in five houses there, were asking for the demolition to be postponed until Sunday.

'Call Unesco in to save Malacca's Kg Chitty'

Unesco should be brought in to advise on reported development in Malacca's gazetted heritage zone Kampung Chitty cultural village.

In making the call today, Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan president Uthaya Sankar said since the heritage village has existed since 1414, and has been gazetted, there should be laws to protect it.

"Kampung Chitty has been gazetted as a heritage village, so surely there are enactments that prevent the construction of a highrise building next to it," he said in a statement yesterday.

"If needed, we, Kavyan, suggest that a Unesco representative be called in to survey the situation and make its report and recommendations to the Malacca historical authorities (MBMB) and Chief Minister Idris Harun," he said.

The Malacca site is the latest historic treasure to be threatened by development, after the outcry over the destruction of ancient Hindu ruins in Kedah's Lembah Bujang last month.
A century-old Chinese village in Negri Sembilan, Kampung Hakka Mantin, has also been bulldozed, with the police arresting residents and politicians who protested.
Halted for GE13

Uthaya lamented that the Malacca government was allowing development in a gazetted heritage site despite protests from the residents.

A halt to the new development was called just before the May 5 general election.

"During the 13th general election, the chief minister at the time, Mohd Ali Rustam, was reported to have instructed the development projects to be halted.

"However, the projects have now started up again, even though the residents of Kampung Chitty are protesting," he said.

He added that the kampung predates the arrival of the Portuguese to the history-laden state.

"The village has managed to defend its rights, identity and dignity even though the land had been colonised by the Dutch, British and the Japanese."

This time, they are up against the state, which Uthaya said, has approved the construction of two 22-storey condominium blocks, a 12-storey hotel and a six-storey carpark on the kampung land marked as Lot 93.

Uthaya said Kavyan's survey found that a number of historic temples were built using limestone, and development in the vicinity poses a serious threat to these structures.

"For example, Sri Anggala Parameswari Temple that has been gazetted as a national heritage site is within 300 metres of the building site, while Sri Kailasanar is 400 metres away and Muthu Mariamman Temple is just 100 metres away"
Politicians fail to make difference

Last week Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia chairperson P Waythamoorthy issued a statement condemning the development works at the heritage site gazetted in 2002.

Waythamoorthy (left, in orange), who was also made deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department to look after Indian affairs after pledging support for BN just before the 13th general election, added that the area is part of a larger protected zone gazetted in 2008.

Uthaya said action was needed quickly, considering that even MIC had failed to act on the matter.

"The president his deputy in the MIC have met with representatives of Kampung Chitty, but there has been no positive result whatsoever," he lamented.

His group plans to hold a programme at the heritage site on Dec 29 to push for the villagers' rights to be protected.

Hindraf: Stop destruction of Kampung Chetti

Kampung Chetti’s historical ambiance will be destroyed by the development of condominium blocks, a hotel and a multi-level car park.

PETALING JAYA: Indian-rights group Hindraf has called on Malaccan state authorities to halt the development of two condominium blocks, a hotel and a multi-level car park in Kampung Chetti, a village gazetted as a national heritage site in 2002.

Kampung Chetti dates back to 1414 – almost a hundred years before the Portugese invasion.

But like the now-destroyed temples of Lembah Bujang, the historical village’s tranquil atmosphere will be shattered by the construction, Hindraf chairman Waythamoorthy said.

“We have received complaints that there is great possibility of causing environmental effects on the conserved surrounding green plush area as well as the possibility of causing damage into the structures of the said temples as well as the residences’ premises with the probability of losing its originality,” the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said in a statement today.

“Hindraf is very disappointed that such attempts to destroy and demolish the ambiance and the surrounding of historical sites within Malaysia seems to be going unabated under the very nose of the Malacca state government and the National Heritage Department.”

According to Hindraf, the construction site is located between the residential area of the village and the Muthu Mariamman temple, which was built in 1827.

Waythamoorthy noted that former Malacca Menteri Besar Mohd Ali Rustam had previously intervened in the development, and the District and Land Office of Melaka Tengah had subsequently issued a notice under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 in January 2013.

But the developers apparently paid no heed to the notice as the construction remains ongoing in the area, said Waythamoorthy.

“What is puzzling is what happened to the Special Area Conservation Management plan involving City Council of Malacca, Malacca State Town & County planning Department, Muzium Corporation of Malacca & National Heritage Department and how the development was approved by the Malacca state government.

“Once again the Heritage Commissioner is silent as he did at the Bujang Valley site,” said Waythamoorthy.

He urged the agencies to “get their act together”, pointing out that their inertia revealed their lack of responsibility and accountability in protecting the nation’s natural heritage.

Deepavali and no toilets

Kampung Bunga Raya Subang residents are outraged and feel let down by their assemblyperson who has left them in the lurch without functioning toilet facilities.

PETALING JAYA: As the Indian community gear up to celebrate Deepavali, the festival of lights, 118 Indian families in Kampung Bunga Raya Subang are in the dark for a solution to their toilet woes.

The village head, K Ramachandran said that when he approached the Kota Damansara assemblyperson Halimahton Saadiah’s office to seek help regarding their toilet maintenance problem, he was told that funds were an issue as the settlement was owned by the developer – Sinar Fadzilat.

“All we want is repairs to our existing toilet system which is clogged up due to poor maintenance. As a temporary solution we’ve been using a nearby petrol station ,” Ramachandran told FMT.

However, the assemblyperson had explained that they needed to wait for federal government funds before they can proceed with any repairs. Estimated cost for repairs is approximately RM3,500.

One resident, Saras, told FMT that she and her family have been preparing for their Deepavali using their beds and table tops as the recent daily rains has caused flooding due to the clogged drainage.

Residents say that over the past 22 years there has never been proper toilet facilities or system and now their existing ‘temporary’ system is clogged and backed up .

“We are not interested in Deepavali hampers and goodies, we want temporary solution to our toilets,” she added.

Commenting on the issue, Malaysian Tamil Today’s secretary general, K Gunasekaran meanwhile lashed out at MIC president G Palanivel for getting his priorities wrong in helping the Indian community.

“We have an Indian leader in MIC who is more worried about extending holidays for festival [Deepavali to be gazetted as a two-day public holiday] than looking into real issues of the community,” he said, in reference to Palanivel’s recent request to the government to increase the Deepavali public holiday.

Gunasekaran said that the residents were in the midst of trying to resolve their pending eviction and now they were being denied basic toilet facilities.

On Aug 31, FMT highlighted the plight of the 118 families from Kampung Bunga Raya Subang. The families here live in abject poverty and face eviction from their snake, rat and insect infested environment.

Deepavali in tents as trials of Taman Permata folk continue

COMMENT It has been 144 days under tents for the former plantation workers of Putrajaya.

Many argued that the flats’ condition is safe, so why don’t they just move in? Why do they have to suffer like this under tents? They can still continue to pressure for an alternative housing after they move in?

For the people of Taman Permata Dengkil, this has not been a struggle just for the past 141 days. This has been a struggle since 1993, when their management, Golden Hope, told the workers that the government has taken over the estate land and they can work in any other estate managed by Golden Hope. The workers protested and demanded alternative housing, terrace houses.

Twenty years have passed, and there has been no changes to their demand, which is still the same. The hope and struggle still remains.

According to news report on Sept 19, 1994 in The Star, then-Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Taib said that compensation of houses or land can be given to the people. All the developers involved - Shah Alam Properties, the Selangor Economic Development Corperation (PKNS) and Consortium Sepang - should be involved with the government in providing the compensation to the workers.

The Star also reported on Dec 7, 1996 that the then-Selangor State Estate Housing Unity and Consumer Affairs Committee chairperson S Rajagopal had suggested that the people be transferred to longhouses until the low-cost houses were completed. There was also support from other state representatives like Ee Kim Hock (Telok Dato assemblyperson) who told the state government to build low-cost house for the evicted workers.

The Sun reported on Oct 7, 1997, that Dr Mahathir Mohamad (the prime minister then) proudly launched Putrajaya covering 4,581ha, housing 76,000 staff members, 300,000 residents in 67,000 houses, 10,000 of which are low-cost houses. But none were for the workers of these four estates who toiled for generations on the land to build the nation economically.

Beginning from 1998, water and electricity supplies were cut off occasionally. Some workers left. Empty houses were demolished. If you speak to some workers, they would also say that the  army was brought in to evict them.

One year afterwards, around the month of August 1999, approximately 400 families from Prang Besar, Sedgeley, Medingley and Galloway were transferred to the Taman Permata Dengkil flats, for which they had to pay RM18,000 for each unit.

The five blocks in Taman Permata were neat. Well, all new stuff will look great in the beginning. In 2001, people started to witness cracks in the walls of their houses. In 2003, the first-ever flood happened there. Residents still keep  pictures of people moving around during the flood waters which were almost at their waist level.

The Taman Permata folk are used to floods nowadays. They can share stories about travelling on boats during the floods. Imagine, flooding at flats houses, that is how bad things are here.

Cracks and tremors

The recent crack and tremors felt at  Block 5 on June 11, 2013, was the last straw. The residents decided that they had to launch a long-term struggle to get proper housing, if not they will have to continue to live in fear day in day out. Decent housing is all they ask as the current status of the place they call home is in such a bad condition that even using the toilet in the house is a struggle as water overflows from the toilet to the living room through the walls.

Protests and more protests at Prime Minister’s Office and the Housing Ministry in Putrajaya ensured the voices of the people were heard. Now all relevant parties are involved in resolving the housing crisis of the people. This was achieved after the ex-plantation workers had many times held up placards, chanted slogans, held meetings and so on.
 
On the Sept 28, the residents invited both the state and the federal government to have a dialogue in their tent in Taman Permata Dengkil. This was a great initiative by the residents to bring together the ruling government together with people of different ideologies.

It was a good discussion but there was no new outcome. The federal government requests the exact amount of land from the state, the state government requests an undertaking from the federal government to build the houses.

However, the people are not giving up. The hope and struggle remains strong and burning.

The tents have been a symbol of struggle for alternative housing for more than four months now. Some have gone back to their homes. Some are keeping up the fight. People organise themselves. They build places to sleep in tents. They cook in a community and taste the food together. Now they even have build their own toilets.

The festival of lights, Deepavali, will be a different kind of celebration  for the residents of Taman Permata this year.

As we enjoy the celebration with our families in a nice environment, as the leaders of the country have open houses, as others safely stay in their houses without fear that it might collapse,  this community of people in Taman Permata Dengkil  will be celebrating it with thoughts of fighting for a decent house and thinking whether will this festival of lights light up their life?

Anyway the hope and struggle still remains for a better housing with a conducive environment for at least their future generation.

Hopefully the festival of lights will light up the hearts of the government to provide a decent housing for the ex-plantation workers who toiled to build the wealth of the nation.

Happy Deepavali from the residents of Taman Permata Dengkil.

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R THEVARAJAN is the coordinator for Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit).

Kg Railway residents get a 48-hour reprieve

Sources says the 48-hour extension is not going make a difference as the residents have clear the land anyway.
VIDEO INSIDE

KUALA LUMPUR: Instead of eviction today, the residents of Kampung Railway at Sentul have now been given 48 hours to do so.

Officials from YTL Land and Development Bhd, a bailiff and police personnel were at the location at about 9am to evict the residents off the land.

Batu MP Tian Chua of PKR was also present.

On Sept 17 2012, the residents of Kampung Railway challenged YTL’s move to evict them in court, from the land that belonged to YTL, which was earmarked for high-end development.

Tian Chua speaking to newsmen today said the court order could not be enforced until talks between the Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL), Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor, the Kampung Railway Action Committee and Tian Chua was concluded.

“The residents have to be given a solution before any further action is taken. We are hoping to come up with an amicable solution,” he said.

Tian Chua said not all families were given an opportunity to buy new low cost houses where about 60 of 114 families were offered low-cost homes at Bukit Jalil. This meant that the issue had not been resolved.

“Even those who were offered new homes in Bukit Jalil have refused it. Why should they leave their land and move that far?” he asked, adding that the units were not at a discounted price.

“Why can’t YTL build a small area of low cost houses for them? It would be a win-win situation,” he added.



On another note, a source linked to YTL said they would accommodate the 48-hour no-eviction request from the residents but added that it would not make a difference as, “it was only a matter of time.”

The source also refuted allegations that YTL had sent thugs to threaten and drive the residents out of Kampung Railway.

“We would never resort to shady methods as we are law-abiding citizens. We won the court case and have provided ample time for them to vacate the land. We are here to claim what is rightfully ours and to commence the housing project for the Sentul community.

“This is an integral part of the ‘Greater Kuala Lumpur’ master plan to convert Sentul into a vibrant township,” said the source.

Developer intimidate to demolish Ladang Bukit Raja

Standoff at Bukit Rajah

A group of the former Bukit Rajah estate workers are protesting against the demolition of their homes by the developer of the former estate.

UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: The planned demolition of houses and a temple at the former Bukit Rajah estate today resulted in a standoff between ex-estate workers and the developer and owner of the land, Sime Darby Development.

The unhappy residents have blocked off access to the houses, not allowing demolition equipment by the developer to be brought in.

The Bukit Rajah Palm Oil Mill estate located three miles from Meru, in Klang, is owned by Sime Darby Development, who now want to develop the land by demolishing the former estate houses and a 70-year old Hindu temple in the process.

Presently about 10 police officers, Rela members and several people claiming to be from the media are at the site. Some grassroot political leaders and representatives of non-governmental organisations are negotiating with the developer to put off the demolition plans.

The developer had originally planned to start demolition work from 8.30am today.

The Bukit Rajah Palm Oil Mill, was bought over by Sime Darby Development in 1993. Since then, the former estate workers have demanded that the developer builds houses for them as compensation to vacate the land.

They had also filed a case against the developer and a few years ago Sime Darby identified a piece of land to construct houses for the former estate workers.

FMT learns that the houses for the estate workers have yet to be completed although it was due in Jan, this year.

Currently, there are 25 families staying in the estate.

Meanwhile as at 3pm, the developer has three bulldozers on stand-by to demolish the houses. FMT learns that they were awaiting court bailiffs to arrive to clear the confusion.

The former estate workers, on the other hand, are making a last ditch attempt to obtain an injunction from the courts to stop the demolition.

They are also upset with Tenaga Nasional Bhd which has disconnected power to the former estate today without prior notice.

There was a minor commotion between TNB officers and former estate workers when TNB employees wanted to cut the electricity supply.

The former plantation workers also took both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat indian leaders to task for “washing their hands” from the issue.

Kg Retnam Pillai to go down

‘Meet us or we march’

The Block E residents action committee of PJS1 is threatening to march to the Selangor state secretariat on July 3 if the MB does not meet them soon.

PETALING JAYA: The Block E residents action committee today threatened to march to the Selangor menteri besar’s office on July 3 if the latter fails to meet them over their house demands.

The action committee chairman M Sugumaran said that the state government had stalled in building their low cost homes despite promises made since 2010.

“I congratulate Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor menteri besar) for retaining the state. Since you won with a bigger majority, I’m sure you can solve our problems once and for all,” he said.

Sugumaran said that he had already submitted a letter to the menteri besar’s office on Monday to request for a meeting, or risk having nearly 100 house buyers marching to the state secretariat office.

In 2003, developer Peter Brickworks Sdn Bhd promised to about 200 residents at the squatter area at Petaling Jaya Selatan 1 (PJS1) to build low cost homes for them.

Although the developer built four storeys of the low cost homes, it reneged on its promise to build the fifth block, known as Block E, leaving the residents in a lurch.

Three years ago, the Selangor state government announced that it will build the houses for them but to date nothing has come forth.

Upset with the delays, Sugumaran criticised the Petaling Jaya City Hall (MBPJ) and accused them of being responsible over the delays.

He said that despite sending several memorandum to the state government and the MBPJ, both bodies could not reach consensus on how to resolve the housebuyers’ problems.

“Whenever Khalid promises us something, the MBPJ tells us something else. This flip flop between the state government and the local council had left us in this predicament.

“Since both the governments cannot agree on a solution, we have no choice but take this drastic measure,” said Sugumaran.
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