Ousted Johor traders want KTM compensation

Though they have no problem with leaving their Layang-Layang land, they say it is unfair for KTM not to give them any compensation.

KUALA LUMPUR: For over 30 years, more than a hundred traders and locals have called a piece of Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM)-owned land in Layang-Layang, Johor, home.

On March 31 this year, KTM told them to leave as the company was planning to make way for the Gemas-Johor double tracking electrification project.

It would then compensate every vacating residents there to the tune of RM42,000. The land’s affected traders however, were refused any sort of compensation.

None of the traders or residents have paid any sort of rent to KTM.

Today, these Layang-Layang traders traveled to Parliament to raise their concerns over the matter. Accompanied by Pakatan Rakyat MPs, their representative Samin Mohamed, 75, told reporters that his 50-odd associates had no problem moving house.

Their only problem was KTM’s refusal to compensate them because they were businessmen.

“I feel that KTM is not being fair. We want to ask them, what’s the difference between being a resident and a trader?” Samin, who ran a food stall in Layang-Layang for the past 34 years, said.

According to Samin, KTM purportedly felt that the traders deserved no compensation as they reaped profits over the years without having to pay rent.

This argument, Samin lamented, was unreasonable, adding that there were good and bad business times.

Citing a similar issue, he said that a Johor-state-owned-company known as JCORP had been able to compensate a group of Tampoi-based traders in 2011 with little issue.

He asked why KTM was unable to do this, when JCORP had no problem doing so.

PKR-Batu MP Tian Chua said: “They’re not against the land being taken back. They only want compensation.”

PM Najib is aware

The traders were unable to meet with Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha today, though they handed over a copy of their memorandum to Gerakan Simpang Renggam MP Liang Teck Meng.

In a later press conference, Liang said that he was aware of these worries and had already written to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak over the matter two months ago.

He said: “I have asked the PM, even if they cannot get an ex-gratia payment, at least give them some transportation payments (to take their things away).”

Liang said that he had yet to hear from Najib over the issue. He also confirmed that a total of 56 traders were affected.

Asked how these traders and residents were able to sit on the KTM-owned land for so many decades, Liang said that previous governments might have closed an eye over this matter.