Bulldozers loom - Kg Segambut Permai residents, gov't at impasse

Tensions were high between residents of Kampung Segambut Permai and the government as bulldozers came to demolish their homes today.

Kampung Segambut Permai lies on private land and a development project has been planned for the area.

The residents were supposed to evacuate their homes and some 25 families have been offered temporary housing at people's housing project (PPR) flats.

However, they said they have yet to receive the keys for the homes, leaving them with nowhere to go.

Facing homelessness, the residents had a standoff today with court bailiffs appointed to carry out the demolition. The bailiffs were backed by the police.

PSM honorary treasurer Soh Sook Hwa, who was present at the scene, told Malaysiakini it was initially agreed that only unoccupied homes would be demolished.

However, after the unoccupied homes were demolished, Soh said residents were told that their homes would be demolished as well today.

As of writing, their homes have not been torn down but residents said four houses have had their electricity and water cut and their meters removed by the bailiffs.

The residents said they did not receive a refund for their deposits on the electric meters, and were told they could claim it by going to Tenaga Nasional.

Residents claimed their fathers and grandfathers had opened up the village some 10 years after Merdeka, and questioned how the land could be sold.

Detailing the events leading up to today, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh explained in a statement that efforts to evict the residents had been ongoing since BN's time.

She said a court order was issued on Sept 26 for the demolition, but the landowner had agreed to postpone it to early this month, during which some residents moved out.

Then, on Dec 9, Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad intervened and sought another two weeks delay so that the ministry can arrange for alternative housing for the remaining residents. 

This was made in a written promise signed by Khalid.

Last week, the ministry sent the residents an offer letter to stay in 25 PPR homes for six months, after which they can extend their stay if they meet the requirements, namely to those earning less than RM3,000, per month.

Some families, Yeoh said did not qualify as they earned more than that.

Lawyer Asheeq Ali, who was at the village this evening, told reporters that 11 families did not receive the PPR offer, but said it was because an outdated census was used to determine the number of residents.

Residents who did get the PPR offers were, however, unhappy they were only allowed to stay for six months.

 When contacted earlier, Khalid said his ministry and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had gone out of their way to help the residents.

"They are settlers on private land, not government land. DBKL did not need to intervene but we can't allow families to be living in the streets as houses were going to be demolished," he said.

Khalis added that despite there being a 50,000 waiting list for PPR homes, the ministry had let the Kampung Segambut Permai residents cut ahead to ensure they are not left homeless.

He also stressed that no permanent solutions had been offered to them and that the PPRs were not meant to be permanent housing that can be passed down as an inheritance.

Yeoh, meanwhile, said despite their best efforts the government could not fulfil all of the residents' demands and hoped the situation would not be politicised. - Mkini