DAP to highlight plight of Kampung Gunung Cheroh in Perak State Legislative Assembly.
IPOH: If DAP gets its way, the Perak State Legislative Assembly convening next month will hear the heart-rending story of Kampung Gunung Cheroh, a village with a history of tragedy and now facing the threat of extinction.
DAP’s A Subramaniam, the assemblyman for Buntong, told FMT today that he would highlight the plight of the 21 poor families living there.
He said they had long been hearing false promises of help from MIC and the state government and were now about to lose their homes and the temple they attend.
A property developer, Fasa Unggul Sdn Bhd, has gone to court to get an eviction order so that it can demolish the village. The Ipoh High Court will give its decision on March 23.
Kampung Gunung Cheroh lies at the foot of a limestone hill. In December 1973, a gigantic slab of limestone chipped off and flattened part of the village. More than 70 villagers perished in the tragedy.
Shorty afterwards, MIC claimed it had found alternative housing for survivors who had become homeless and paid partial compensation to some.
According to S Mogan, who chairs a committee representing the villagers, the compensation was only RM3,000 per family and many did not get the promised alternative houses.
When Pakatan Rakyat was ruling Perak, 12 more families got their new houses.
Last year, when Barisan Nasional (BN) was already in control of the state, the remaining villagers got wind that Fasa Unggul had acquired the land for property development.
Alternative housing
Distressed by the news, they approached Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir’s special adviser on Indian affairs, S Veerasingam, for help to find alternative housing and another piece of land to which they would shift the existing temple.
Mogan said Veerasingam promised on April 12 last year to resolve the issue but had yet to keep his word.
When they received an eviction notice from Fasa Unggul, he added, the villagers again approached Veerasingam. He allegedly told them to pay RM10,000 to Perak MIC Wanita chief S Thangeswari, a lawyer, so that she would represent them in court.
“Where are we going to find the RM10,000?” said Mogan, who appeared still shell-shocked when he spoke to FMT. “Our daily earnings are just enough for our daily meals.
“Why can’t MIC just waive the legal fees?” he asked.
Mogan today lodged a report in Ipoh, accusing MIC, the state government and Fasa Unggul of conspiring to chase the villagers out of their homes.
He is sending copies of the report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Prime Minister’s office.
The Buntong assemblyman was livid. “Why is the government not giving priority to these three generations of residents who have lived there for 80 years, but instead has chosen to give the land to a private developer?”
He told FMT that the Kinta Land Office had “for umpteen times” rejected applications for land titles submitted by the villagers.
Subramaniam said it was likely that Fasa Unggul’s plan violated a local regulation requiring a 100-metre space between the base of a limestone hill and any form of built structure.
He also raised the possibility of the development causing worsening floods in Ipoh.
IPOH: If DAP gets its way, the Perak State Legislative Assembly convening next month will hear the heart-rending story of Kampung Gunung Cheroh, a village with a history of tragedy and now facing the threat of extinction.DAP’s A Subramaniam, the assemblyman for Buntong, told FMT today that he would highlight the plight of the 21 poor families living there.
He said they had long been hearing false promises of help from MIC and the state government and were now about to lose their homes and the temple they attend.
A property developer, Fasa Unggul Sdn Bhd, has gone to court to get an eviction order so that it can demolish the village. The Ipoh High Court will give its decision on March 23.
Kampung Gunung Cheroh lies at the foot of a limestone hill. In December 1973, a gigantic slab of limestone chipped off and flattened part of the village. More than 70 villagers perished in the tragedy.
Shorty afterwards, MIC claimed it had found alternative housing for survivors who had become homeless and paid partial compensation to some.
According to S Mogan, who chairs a committee representing the villagers, the compensation was only RM3,000 per family and many did not get the promised alternative houses.
When Pakatan Rakyat was ruling Perak, 12 more families got their new houses.
Last year, when Barisan Nasional (BN) was already in control of the state, the remaining villagers got wind that Fasa Unggul had acquired the land for property development.
Alternative housing
Distressed by the news, they approached Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir’s special adviser on Indian affairs, S Veerasingam, for help to find alternative housing and another piece of land to which they would shift the existing temple.
Mogan said Veerasingam promised on April 12 last year to resolve the issue but had yet to keep his word.
When they received an eviction notice from Fasa Unggul, he added, the villagers again approached Veerasingam. He allegedly told them to pay RM10,000 to Perak MIC Wanita chief S Thangeswari, a lawyer, so that she would represent them in court.
“Where are we going to find the RM10,000?” said Mogan, who appeared still shell-shocked when he spoke to FMT. “Our daily earnings are just enough for our daily meals.
“Why can’t MIC just waive the legal fees?” he asked.
Mogan today lodged a report in Ipoh, accusing MIC, the state government and Fasa Unggul of conspiring to chase the villagers out of their homes.
He is sending copies of the report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Prime Minister’s office.
The Buntong assemblyman was livid. “Why is the government not giving priority to these three generations of residents who have lived there for 80 years, but instead has chosen to give the land to a private developer?”
He told FMT that the Kinta Land Office had “for umpteen times” rejected applications for land titles submitted by the villagers.
Subramaniam said it was likely that Fasa Unggul’s plan violated a local regulation requiring a 100-metre space between the base of a limestone hill and any form of built structure.
He also raised the possibility of the development causing worsening floods in Ipoh.
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