No jobs or water, estate folks suffer

By B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today

SUNGAI BULOH : Abandoned by the plantation owner and the Selangor government, 24 families in Coalfied estate here are suffering.

When FMT visited the estate recently, it was discovered that the residents were struggling without jobs and proper water supply.

According to Coalfield estate's St Anthony Church committee chairman Peter Anthonysamy, the state government was reluctant in solving their woes.

He said that although the former plantation workers agreed to move to a new housing area known as Desa Coalfield early next year, the status of the estate's school, temple and church was still uncertain.

He said the church was the closest place of worship for Catholics living in Coalfield, Tuan Mee, Desa Coalfield, Bandar Puteri, Alam Perdana, Puncak Alam, Alam Jaya and Kampung Sri Aman.

"Following discussions with the developer, they were only willing to give us a one-acre land to relocate the church, but this plot of land is too small. Furthermore, the land is triangular in shape and this means we cannot use the entire plot,” he said.

"We had several meeting with the local state officials and pleaded for a bigger plot of land, but until today there has been no response. We have enough money to build a new church. What we are hoping for is three acres of land,” he added.

Urging the state government to take action, Anthonysamy lamented that the church did not have water or toilet facilities for the past eight months.

“Whenever it rains, the church gets flooded and we have to buy water to clean the place,” he said.

'Promises not kept'

Meanwhile, another former estate worker Lobat Raju accused the state government of not caring about Indians in the estate.

According to him, there was a five-acre plot of land in front of the Desa Coalfield housing area.

"If the state government is really concerned about us, it should give that land for the school and church. During the last election, they made hundreds of promises to win the seat. After winning, we were forgotten as usual,” said the vexed resident.

Lobat said that since December 2009, the workers' employment had been terminated and their families did not even have clean water.

“When we seek the help of the state government, they tell us that they cannot do anything because the estate management has stopped the water supply,” he added.