More than 70 families from Padang Meha near Padang Serai in Kedah have been denied piped water since Sept 25.
The residents claim that the water supply has been disconnected illegally and they believe it is retribution after the Court of Appeal awarded them RM3.3mil in a settlement case on April 4.
According to lawyer Ranjan Chandran who represented 120 former employees in court, the residents are appealing to Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir to intervene.
Kanawadi Ramaiah, 55, said his family has lived in the area for five generations starting from his grandfather's time and on to his own grandchildren.
"They dragged us through 25 years of court cases and never gave us any compensation. Now, they cut our water."
"The MB must do something. We keep hearing excuses," he told Malaysiakini.
Hasnah Ismail, 56, says residents are not going to suffer in silence.
"We went all the way to Alor Setar to see the MB and ask for water. We have gone three times but the problem has not been solved.
"Perhaps if nothing happens - we will go and stay at the MB's residence for a few days!" she said.
Residents are claiming that the water supply was disconnected through action by MBF Holdings and its subsidiary Vintage Developers Sdn Bhd, following the Appeals Court victory.
It ruled that based on a 1995 settlement agreement between East Asiatic Company (M) Sdn Bhd and MBF Holdings Bhd, the former workers of the Padang Meha Hup Seng Estate are entitled to termination, layoff, ex-gratia and housing benefits.
The appellate court ordered that RM3.3 million be paid to the appellants’ solicitors Hakem Arabi & Associates as stakeholders within one month of the order.
Part of this payment was a sum of RM2,102,700.32 as termination and lay-off benefits and there was a further sum of RM1,253,138.
The said sum was to have been released to the former workers within three months.
However, the workers have yet to see the money and instead, four days after the court ruling, water supply to the Padang Meha workers quarters was cut off.
Supply was reinstated, but on Sept 25, it was cut off again.
"Following the Court of Appeal decision, serious steps were taken to resolve this matter amicably in the best interest of the workers to receive their termination/ lay off benefits and relocation payment," said Ranjan.
"But MBF has filed a leave application to the Federal Court against the Court of Appeal decision."
"The payout is being attended to gradually as we need to ensure that the recipients are rightfully entitled to the monies. Many have passed away."
In the meantime, said Ranjan, the workers must be helped as they need water reconnection.
Attempts to get a response from MBF on this matter have not been successful.
However, a source in the case says that MBF representatives had denied that they are responsible and that the water was cut after the workers failed to pay their bills.
Resident Kaliammah Mariappan, 65, is distraught with the situation and fears it will spill over to Deepavali.
"Suddenly they cut our water. How can we live without water?"
"They never gave us any notice. We don’t even have a cup of water. Please do something."
PSM man highlights state gov't inaction
PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan slammed the water cuts, calling it “cruel and inhumane”.
"This is definitely a malicious act to evict the ex-workers after failing and cheating them since 1995, more than 24 years ago," he said.
Arutchelvan said that even though MBF and Vintage Developers made a huge profit from the sale of Padang Meha estate land, the ex-workers who toiled the plantations are still being denied their rightful rights.
"Will the Kedah Pakatan Harapan Government show some political will and stand by the ex-estate workers and resolve these critical issues?" he asked.
Arutchelvan said that as the water is being supplied by the state government company Syarikat Air Darul Aman Sdn Bhd (SADA), a simple directive to them not to disconnect would have solved the issue pending the final outcome of the court.
"Rather than doing it, the powerful state government can only supply lorries of water and even this was done only after the ex-workers did a sit-in protest twice at the MB's residence!"
"The inaction of the Kedah MB is disappointing, appalling and pathetic."
"The state government hardly played any proactive action in resolving the housing issue in spite of the issues brought up to the government’s attention as early as the day after the disconnection," he added.
"The MB and the state government just need to call the company for a discussion and tell them to restore the water. In other states like Selangor, the state government would have immediately restored water while negotiating with the developer.
"It looks like there is too much respect for corporate interests here in comparison to workers' interest," said an outraged Arutchelvan. - Mkini
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