Low-cost unit resident mulls legal action over business class trip exposé

An outspoken resident of Penang's low-cost Taman Manggis people's housing project (PPR), who was evicted this week, had apparently flown business class to Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2014.

However, Khalidah Nazir Ahmad, 63, (above) is extremely upset that the Facebook post of her taking the MAS flight with her husband has gone viral on social media.

"I do not want to comment about it anymore. I have spoken to a lawyer to look into the matter," Khalidah told Malaysiakini when contacted.

"The Facebook posting is my personal business, isn't it stupid to ask me about it?" she shot back, speaking in impeccable English.

Khalidah was one of the 22 residents who was evicted from their RM124-a month public housing units in Taman Manggis on Wednesday.

They were found to be no longer qualified for the homes which are reserved for the hardcore poor and even then only on a five-year lease.

Since then, Khalidah and several others, including children and senior citizens have demonstrated at Komtar in George Town to get the Penang government to reverse its decision to evict them.

Their plight even caught the attention of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who dispatched his political assistant Abdul Bakar Yahya to look into the matter.

Khalidah's luxurious lifestyle caught netizens' attention when her flight ticket was posted onto her Facebook page showing that she was a frequent traveller.

Asked to explain, Khalidah told The Star that she got the upgrade to business class because her brother, who has a retail shop, transferred his frequent flyer points to her.

"What has that got to do with the predicament I am now in? People should mind their own business," Khalidah was quoted as saying.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Taman Manggis flats were only available for tenants up to five years after which their tenancy agreement would be reviewed by the state housing department.

He said the tenants evicted had been given ample time since last year to move out and an eviction exercise last week was postponed to allow them to appeal their case to the state housing department.

"Tenancy at these public housing units comes with conditions. It is hoped that after five years, these tenants would have improved themselves financially thus allowing other more needy tenants to live in the units," Chow said.

Today, Penang exco Dr Afif Bahardin met the evicted residents in Komtar to convey to them that the state government would allow them to return to their units for three days to gather their belongings. - Mkini