Gatco settlers stage sit-in protest at Bukit Aman

After being denied entry to Bukit Aman, settlers and leaders staged a sit-in protest in front of the main gates. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Raymund Wong, July 29, 2015.

Gatco settlers from Jempol, Negri Sembilan, who came to Bukit Aman to submit a memorandum in light of unanswered police reports lodged on gangsterism, have blocked the gates to the police headquarters after being denied entry to the complex.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S. Arutchelvan said the group of nearly 100 settlers and leaders came to Bukit Aman to submit a memorandum asking the police to send a special team to investigate recent attacks to settlers and their property.

The group resorted to sitting on the road in front of the gates after initial attempts by the community leaders to seek audience with police inside the headquarters proved futile.

Gatco, also known as Kampung Serampang Indah, was opened in 1977. The land title changed hands many times and in 2004, Thamarai Holdings bought the agricultural land for RM16 million.

However, the settlers have alleged that the auction of the land was not valid and since then, they had been fighting their case, including filing the case in court, in an attempt to get back what they see as their land.

- TMI