Residents protest over housing as PM Najib launches new development

A group of residents from Jinjang Selatan held a demonstration outside of a groundbreaking ceremony for a housing development project in Kampung Sungai Udang, Segambut, launched by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.

About 80 of them held up a banner reading "Siapkan Rumah Kami Dulu" (Complete Our Homes First) and other placards, in hopes of sending a memorandum to the PM, but did not succeed.

Ameer Khan Bakar Ali, spokesperson of the Jinjang Selatan Tambahan residents group, said they have gathered there to urge Najib's intervention in their problems.

Ameer said at least 500 residents residing at Lot 9714, Jinjang Selatan Tambahan have been told to vacate their homes to make way for a development project but the replacement homes are not yet ready.

"We want the new homes to be built first before vacating," he told reporters today.

The residents now live within a 69ha plot of land gazetted for redevelopment by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, together with Zil Land Sdn Bhd.

DBKL reportedly paid a RM111 million premium for the land in 2013.

'Matter resolved, protestors just causing trouble'

On March 15, residents of all the houses in the area received eviction notices from DBKL, warning them to evict by April 14 (this Friday) or risk bearing the financial cost of having their homes demolished.

The residents, who have also sent a memorandum to DBKL and the Agong, said they have lived there for almost 50 years before they were given the eviction notice.

In the memorandum to the Agong, they said their land grants have been delayed for 48 years.

However, Jinjang Selatan Tambahan Social Development Association chairperson SP Karuppiah said those who protested are just causing trouble.

He said some 30 families have already moved out while others will do so following an agreement with the developer.

"We have negotiated compensation for them and the issue has been resolved fairly.

"Those who protest are just out to cause trouble and are not locals. Only a few of them are and the rest are from political parties," Karuppiah claimed.

'BN has never lied to the people'

Meanwhile, at the Kampung Sungai Udang groundbreaking ceremony, Najib urged the people to learn to differentiate between a proverbial piece of glass and a diamond.

"We must know how to differentiate between a piece of glass and a diamond, between what is truth and what is false.

"As the government, the BN has never lied to the people. We do this (housing project) for the people," he said.

Najib was referring to the Kampung Kerinchi flat redevelopment project, now rebranded Residensi Kerinchi, which he said the opposition tried to sabotage.

He said the Pangsapuri Bandaraya @ Sungai Udang project has a unique concept as it shows the government is always thinking of how to better the people's lives.

"This concept has never been implemented in Malaysia. This is how the BN government is special. It always thinks of how to do something good for the rakyat.

"So don't be swayed by the opposition," he said.

The Pangsapuri Bandaraya @ Sungai Udang by DBKL consists of two 34-storey blocks.

Targetted for completion in 2018, the homes are meant for those earning RM10,000 a month and below.

The units are leased at RM800 a month for five years, after which RM300 for each month paid will be returned to the tenant to be put towards their next home.

Najib said this means the tenants will get back RM18,000 at the end of their lease, to put to a deposit for a new home.- Mkini