Woman whose Sentul home was bulldozed twice asks only to be treated fairly

Wahida Md Salleh, 73, with one of her grandchildren in the makeshift ‘home’ by the side of a narrow road. Wahida and her husband Halim Hamid, 75, claim that they have been driven out of their rightful kampung house in Sentul and offered a paltry compensation. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, November 5, 2014.In the village of Kampung Chubadak Tambahan, just minutes away from the bustling centre of capital city Kuala Lumpur, lies a makeshift shed by the side of a narrow road.

Built out of wooden planks, with a huge recycled banner draped over the top, the crude structure has been home to Wahida Md Salleh and her husband Halim Hamid for the past week.

It is several hundred metres away from their original house of 45 years, which was torn down by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) in June, reportedly to pave way for the construction of low-cost housing by private developer Sentul Murni Sdn Bhd.

Ignoring orders to vacate the area, Wahida, 73, and Halim, 75, then moved into their daughter’s garage just a few metres away, but DBKL demolished it last Tuesday along with several other homes in the vicinity.

The shed, in which the couple now live, stands at the edge of the rubble-strewn construction site. Their new “home” consists of one room and has just three walls, leaving them exposed to the heat and rain.

Beside it is a small, dimly lit outhouse with a single toilet bowl and nothing else.

The grim living conditions have not deterred Wahida and her husband, unlike many of their neighbours, they refuse to move out in return for a compensation reportedly worth RM7,000 and a 650 square feet low-cost flat.

“Staying here is a matter of integrity and dignity. I am protecting my land and my rights,” Wahida, fondly known as Opah, told The Malaysian Insider when met at her home.

The shed is wired with electricity and a tent is squeezed at the back of the shed to offer a Wahida Md Salleh and Halim Hamid some privacy. In the daytime, their children and grandchildren keep them company. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, November 5, 2014.Chatting gaily as she cooked chicken curry over a portable stove on the floor, the retired religious teacher said some of her neighbours had received compensations of RM90,000 to RM100,000, and she would accept nothing less.

“We will stay here and wait until they offer us proper compensation,” said Wahidah.

She and several other villagers believe they have a claim over the land in Kampung Chubadak Tambahan as they are among the first settlers here.

According to media reports, the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 1998 had ruled that the area belonged to the settlers and the parties concerned had to compensate them if they wanted to develop the area.

But in 2000, the Court of Appeal ruled that Kampung Chubadak was a squatter village, and residents could only occupy the area as licensees with the consent of the state.

In July this year, the High Court reportedly ruled that the villagers had no right to claim ownership of the land as they were squatters on state-owned land.

Despite this, Wahida said they were still fighting their case in the court and would not budge until they were adequately compensated for their forced eviction.

“I have lived here since I married my husband in 1968. We brought up our children here, and all of a sudden, we are told this land does not belong to us and we have to move out. It’s unacceptable,” said the grandmother.

On June 21, Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor reportedly said the villagers should be “reasonable” over the eviction and demolition of their homes.

He said the land belonged to the Lands and Mines Office (PTG) and the Federal Territory Land Office had issued the notice of withdrawal to the residents.

"PTG gave the land to develop low-cost houses in the area, and I appeal to the residents, especially the four or five people who are only thinking of themselves, to be reasonable.

"When we develop the low-cost housing, many more people can live there," Tengku Adnan was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.

But for Wahida, it was not a matter of being “reasonable”, but about being treated humanely and being given her dues.

She ruled out any possibility that she would cave in to the pressure from the authorities, adding that she and her husband were willing to wait it out.

The two have furnished their makeshift home to make it as comfortable as possible while they anticipate a long battle with the developers and state authorities.

The open-air shed is equipped with electricity, lights, portable fans, a television set and a kitchen stove. A tent is squeezed at the back of the shed to offer them a little privacy.

Due to space constraints, the couple have turned the outdoor area in front of their shed into their dining area, and have set up a table, some plastic chairs and a worn, pink leather sofa.

Wahida said the residents’ association along with several activists had helped the couple construct the shed and hook it up with electricity.

“It’s not so bad, living here. My grandchildren visit me every day, and these youths protect me and keep me company,” she said, referring to the half a dozen social activists lounging outside her home.

The youth activists have set up their own tents opposite Wahida and Halim’s shed since last Tuesday, when more than 50 DBKL officers reportedly tore down several houses in the area, including the couple’s garage-home.

“We stay here to protect them from any possible threats. Every night, about 20 of us sleep outside here and we keep an eye out for any problems,” said Mohd Faizal, one of the activists.

Even as he spoke, several workers were constructing a zinc wall a few metres away, ostensibly to cordon off the construction site – and Wahida’s home – from the public.

“Those were my studenThe shed, in which elderly couple Wahida Md Salleh and Halim Hamid now live, stands at the edge of the rubble-strewn construction site. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim, November 5, 2014.ts,” said Wahida as she watched the men work outside her home.

“Some of them have apologised to me for what they’re doing. The activists want to chase them away, but the workers are just doing their job.”

Instead of fighting them, Wahida said she only prayed that God would soften their hearts and continue to help her and her husband claim what they felt was rightfully theirs.

Tonight, she is set to speak in Universiti Malaya at a programme organised by student group pro-Mahasiswa, to explain her side of the story, including the “unjust acts” committed against her family.

But Wahida said she felt nervous about the prospect and did not intend to say more than a few words, adding that she was only appearing because the student activists had cajoled her to do so.

When asked what kept her going, she said she derived her strength from God.

“I consider myself so blessed. Yes, sometimes at night I am afraid, when the rain spatters into my house and the wind blows in.

“But the blankets that keep me warm are a reminder of the strangers who donated them to me out of the goodness of their hearts.

“During the day, I am never lonely as friends, relatives and strangers visit me daily to help me out. And the money my own children give me every month is more than enough for me to survive,” said Wahida with a smile.

- TMI