Ringlet residents: Solve our housing problems

Annamary Khalimuthu, Arokiammal Khalimuthu and Sujata K Bamiaya grew up in Ringlet and says housing needs have not been met.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: Residents in Ringlet expressed her disappointment in the former Barisan Nasional (BN) government for failing to solve housing problems in her village.

According to Sujata K Bamiaya, 44, the former BN administration promised the villagers land to build their own house.

“I have waited 15 years. They had temporarily allowed us to build on it, but without official documents, we live in fear every day that someone from the state government would come and ask us to vacate the land.

“Each time we ask, they will ask us to wait. How long more are we supposed to wait?

“We decided last May, that we want a change in Ringlet. The same with this by-election.

“We hope that all of Cameron Highlands will do the right thing today in the by-election,” she said when met after casting her vote at SJK (T) Ringlet here.

Annamary Khalimuthu, 38, and Arokiammal Khalimuthu 42, had similar concerns about the housing situation in Cameron Highlands.

“The government once said they would build affordable homes. But one apartment unit costs RM90,000 (starting price). Nobody here can afford that. We are all farmers.

“Even the buyers are people from out of town. They have taken up the units and turned them into homestays,” said Annamary.

Murugan Rajoo.

Another resident, Murugan Rajoo, 47, also echoed similar sentiments. She hoped the next Cameron Highlands MP will fight for housing for the locals.

“Those apartments, they called them ‘rumah mampu milik’ (affordable homes). But now, they have turned into ‘rumah mampu homestays’,” said Murugan, who is former Cameron Highlands MP G Palanivel’s personal assistant.

He added that the previous administration allocated a plot of land in Ringlet for affordable housing, but only to rule the piece of land unsafe for buildings.

“Now the project is stalled. Something must be done for the people here. They are too poor to afford apartments.

“Why can’t the state government build low-cost government housing projects? That would solve the problem.”

Murugan recalled how the former MIC president was sidelined when he spoke up about the 1MDB scandal.

“We have had enough of the previous government’s empty promises. I hope the people of Cameron Highlands make the right choice and help save Cameron Highlands,” he said. -FMT