KUALA LUMPUR: Ex-Batu Estate workers whose homes were to have been demolished, got a two-week reprieve when Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) ordered housing developer Mayland Sdn Bhd and the residents’ lawyer, SP Muthu Veloo, to negotiate.
“We’ll give you two weeks to negotiate and iron out the differences,” said DBKL security and enforcement operations officer, Osman Ismail, to Mayland representative Syed Attila Aidid and Muthu after a 15-minute discussion.
Osman led DBKL’s enforcement unit complete with lorries, trucks and heavy machinery to the residential area of the former estate workers.
Scores of DBKL personnel were on standby at the entrace of the housing estate waiting for Osman’s order to demolish the workers’ homes.
But a plea from residents and Muthu bought them some time.
Muthu told FMT that DBKL was gracious enough to allow them further negotiations.
“I urge Mayland to get the ball rolling… we’ve tried previously to discuss it with them but failed to get anywhere.
“They (Mayland) are supposed to go through a full hearing but I know they are using the Emergency Ordinance 1969 (Clearance of Squatters) to demolish these homes,” he added.
Using gangsters
The ex-workers have been embroiled in a battle with Mayland since the High Court ruled in the residents’ favour in 2003.
The judgment recognised the rights of the former estate workers as the rightful occupants of the land.
The court ruled that if Mayland wanted to evict the ex-Batu estate workers, it had to do so “with a full hearing and not summarily disposed of it”.
According to residents’ representative V Thilagenthiran, since the mid of last year the developer had resorted to intimidating them with gangsters.
Early this morning, Thilagenthiran in anticipation of a possible demolition lodged a police report at the Sentul police station.
The day before yesterday, Thilagenthiran and a group of residents had sent a memorandum to DBKL and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a last-minute attempt to avoid demolition.
Meanwhile, resident K Tamilarasi, 50, said she hoped both parties would come to an amicable solution.
“I am hoping for a good future though I am afraid of it.”
“How can we allow them to demolish without a solution? We want a house. If they can provide one, it’s good. Otherwise, they ought to give us assistance to purchase a home.”
She also dismissed the offer of renting a low-cost flat as the amount of money provided by the developer would be just enough to pay the rent.
Previously, local MIC representatives lobbied the ex-workers to accept an offer, by Mayland, of RM30,000 and flats meant for squatters. - FMT
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