Gasing Indah’s mushrooming ‘immigrant’ colony

DBKL's blatant disregard of the Gasing Indah community's fears over a 'legalised' illegal squatter colony may cost Barisan Nasional votes.

FEATURE

PETALING JAYA: Irate residents in Gasing Indah are demanding to know why the Kuala Lumpur City Hall has ‘allowed’ a sudden influx of foreign nationals to encroach on its land in their housing estate.

Wondering at City Hall’s sudden change of mind, longtime residents here claimed that 10 years ago DBKL had evicted squatters from the same land, even going so far as to “pay them relocation compensation”.

“Why have they (DBKL) changed their mind?” asked longtime resident Joe who refused to use his real name in fear of reprisals from the illegal squatters.

According to Joe, an unofficial spokesman for the residents, the surge in these foreign nationals began some six months ago.

“At first it was just a regular car wash but now there are illegal structures going up. There are ‘his and her’ toilets and concrete structures being put up.

“You can be rest assured that in a matter of weeks the DBKL will give them water and electricity, but there will be no proper sanitation process and this is going to add to the mess.

“And once all these things are added, they (squatters) will become a legal entity, and then who is going to do anything about it?” he asked.

Joe claimed the immigrants, mainly Indonesians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, were a brazen lot and intimidating.

“What makes these encroachers even bolder is that when confronted, some of them said they were already given permission to do what they wanted.

“One of them even told a reporter, ‘Najib has already given us the approval, no one can do anything’.

“Why don’t they go to Putrajaya and get a piece of land there since there are no squatters there at the moment. Why here?” asked Joe.

Another resident, who also wished to be anonymous, was more pointed in his views when he said that the whole ‘exercise’ of allowing these foreigners was an election ploy.

“DBKL is allowing their land to be turned into a squatter area. They may eventually tear it down when the time is convenient to them.

“This will most likely be after the elections because I am certain they aren’t doing anything now because they need the votes,” said the resident.

Residents and voters at risk

He added that when the structures first went up half a year ago, things weren’t so bad as the area comprised just one or two shoplots, but now some 20 shoplots are under construction and the ‘green’ area bordering the colony has been turned into a goat farm with a fish pond.

“It just feels like DBKL is preparing to settle more immigrants here,” he said alluding to recent reports of increased voters in the Lembah Pantai constituency.

Gasing Indah is part of the Lembah Pantai constituency. Barisan Nasional lost Lembah Pantai to the opposition in the 2008 general election.

The Lembah Pantai seat is held by opposition MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

In recent months there have been reports that Lembah Pantai constituency witnessed an ‘unusual’ increase in voters by 26%.

Allegations point towards Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin who is poised to contest the seat under the Barisan Nasional banner. Raja Nong Chik is a Umno Lembah Pantai division member.

Meanwhile rightly or not, the fast mushrooming immigrant colony has also lent to growing fears of increasing crimes in Gasing Indah.

DBKL’s nonchalant attitude to the Gasing Indah community’s woes has only fanned their angst.

Said Joe: “There also have been some house break-ins and thefts and a resident almost had his car hijacked one morning as he alighted his car to close the gate after reversing from the porch.

“DBKL is ignoring us. Someone needs to acknowledge that this is a very serious social issue and the authorities must address this with urgency and immediacy before anything worse happens,” he said.