Displaced but defiant: Life of Kg Papan's elderly residents

 

The streets of Kg Papan in Klang, Selangor, are quiet now, save for the rumble of distant traffic and the bustle of stalls outside the village.

Three blocks of tiny 8-by-8-foot rooms stand in a lot off a dirt road and next to a pile of debris where a home once thrived.

Outside, two ramshackle shacks cling precariously to the back of the lot, their rudimentary toilets and water containers a stark reminder of the harsh conditions that residents endure.

For 63-year-old Teoh Ah Guat, life here is both a protest and a compromise. By day, she visits family, helping where she can; by night, she returns to her cramped room, mosquito nets dangling over her mattress.

“We are forced to find a way to live our lives. All our appeals have not yet been met. All of the government’s promises have yet to be fulfilled,” she lamented.

Teoh Ah Guat

Across the compound, 64-year-old Ang Boon Hai wrestles with a heavier grief. Sixty years of family history were destroyed in a matter of hours, leaving only rubble.

With bright eyes and loving gestures, he described the house he grew up in. It was erected on stilts, and he has happy childhood memories of fishing off the side of the house with balls of flour as bait during floods.

But this was overshadowed by his vivid memories of the demolition. He remembered standing outside, surrounded by his belongings and nosy neighbours, and how the crashing reverberated deep within him.

“If I had heart issues, I would have dropped dead at that moment,” he recalled, repeatedly slapping his chest over his heart to emphasise his pain.

There is loneliness, too. His wife lives with a friend, unwilling to endure the cramped quarters, and he misses her dearly.

Ang Boon Hai

New homes

On Jan 1, residents launched the new homes as a protest against the Selangor government, which they claimed has failed to fulfil its housing promises.

Last November, a developer demolished both unoccupied and occupied homes in the settlement, despite the state government’s earlier promise that only empty structures would be taken down.

According to the residents’ committee, 29 occupied units were demolished during the five-day operation, during which the police arrested 11 residents, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, and activists.

Previously, the Selangor government reportedly committed to building new homes to resettle the affected Kampung Papan residents.

Now, daily life in these new resident-built homes is limited due to a lack of amenities. They are not equipped for cooking, so meals must be bought or brought from outside.

Younger residents were not around during Malaysiakini’s visit to the site as they were away at work. However, they left their rooms unlocked for the survey - a small peek into the lives of people who no longer have a place they can truly call home.

The small spaces were utilised as best as possible, with toiletries tucked in a space under hard panels that served as bed frames, while ridges on the wall were utilised as makeshift shelves.

The front of the lot was treated as a shared living space. Chairs were strewn about under the shade of a canopy, where residents gathered with visitors, sharing packaged drinks and bottles of water.

More can be done

Klang PSM member Sivasundram Nadarajah, who was seated there with the residents, expressed tentative hopes that more can be done for the residents.

Klang PSM member Sivasundram Nadarajah

“We’ve met a lot of NGOs. Two days ago, we met the president of the Klang Hokkien Association.

“He will also try to (help us) negotiate with the state executive council and the rest,” he said.

PSM was involved in the building of the new homes and continues to help the residents by providing them with water, he said.

At the launch of the homes, PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan said the residents were essentially forced to build their own “housing project” after the state government and developer only offered promises in the media without any action on the ground.

“This is the reality of the ‘Rumah Selangorku’ for the common people, whose houses were demolished with no replacement. The building of these plywood rooms is a last resort to ensure the elderly and single individuals are not left homeless,” he said.

A reminder

The small attempts to make the place feel more homely stood out against the maudlin concrete and fading hardwood panels.

There were little touches of personalisation around each room: scribbled numbers on the walls, a traditional calendar in some rooms, and potted plants.

But there was also a reminder of what they had lost. Prominently displayed was a cream T-shirt with Chinese characters.

“Tolong Kampung Papan menentang perompak tanah (Help Kampung Papan oppose land robbers)!” was written on the wall next to it.

The message was outlined in black and red on a wall that faced the dirt road. The rousing words visible to anyone sitting on the porch or entering the lot.

It was a reminder that until the arrival of a solution, Kampung Papan’s elderly remain where they are: displaced, but still holding their ground. - Mkini