KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Kampung Segambut Permai are asking for permanent rent-to-own housing from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
This appeal comes as a two-week reprieve from the developer, who claimed the rights to the land, comes to an end on Monday (Dec 23).
One of the residents, Nazeem Sultan Mohamed, 36, said DBKL is only providing transit units as alternative housing but he is unhappy as they can only stay there for six months.
He said DBKL told them they could apply for a People’s Public Housing (PPR) unit during their stay at the transit homes.
“But there’s no guarantee that we will get a PPR unit. So, we don’t feel safe and are worried that we would have to move again after the six months,” he told reporters at a press conference at the village here today.
Nazeem said the alternative housing units are located very far from the village and scattered all over Kuala Lumpur, with some in Bukit Jalil, Desa Petaling and Desa Rejang.
Nazeem said this would make it difficult for the residents as some of the families work near the village and also have children studying in nearby schools. The residents would incur greater travel expenditure as a result.
Last week, Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad said the 33 families in the village will be provided with alternative housing after PSM secretary-general Sivarajan Arumugam, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Khalid’s officer Hayatul Kamil Termudi held negotiations with the developer, Kemasekutu Sdn Bhd.
In a letter of undertaking to the developer’s lawyers, Khalid said the ministry will make arrangements for alternative housing for the settlers within two weeks.
Another villager, Tajul Anuar Tajuddin, 48, said certain families would also be ineligible to apply for PPR units as they do not meet the requirements of DBKL.
He said the spouses of some of the residents were not Malaysian while others had household incomes slightly higher than the limit set by DBKL.
Expressing his gratitude to the minister and the Segambut MP, he asked them to have compassion for the residents as they were original settlers of the land, not intruders.
“We don’t think what we’re asking for is extreme. We don’t think it’s an impossible request. The alternative housing is not very secure for us.”
Representatives from the developer had gone to the village last week with an eviction notice and a tractor, but the residents blocked their path. This came after the developer had obtained a writ of possession in August.
Kemasekutu took over ownership of the land in 2002, and in 2013, it obtained an eviction order against the residents.
The settlement — originally known as Kampung Ayam — was founded in the 1960s. - FMT
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