High-rise dwellers brought down to earth by eviction notice

 

The 315 families at the Rumah Pangsa Tanjung Aru in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, have been told to vacate their homes.

KOTA KINABALU: In March last year, residents of low-cost flats in Tanjung Aru here were on cloud nine after former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin visited them as part of a busy itinerary.

Muhyiddin stopped by and chatted with the elderly and physically challenged residents, among others, at the government flats, better known as Rumah Pangsa Tanjung Aru, and later handed over monetary aid to them.

But two months later, much to the residents’ shock, the Sabah Housing and Town Development Board (LPPB), the state agency responsible for affordable housing, served an eviction notice to the 315 families, comprising more than 1,000 residents, living in the 11 blocks there.

The notice informed them that they needed to find new homes on their own and vacate their units by the end of last December, citing the flats’ structural safety as a concern as the buildings had been in use since 1970.

“So you can imagine how we felt about Rumah Pangsa Tanjung Aru being in the news after Muhyiddin’s visit to being served an eviction notice just two months later,” Dewi Awang, one of the residents, told FMT.

On Jan 24, the residents took their anger and frustration to the streets when they held a peaceful demonstration at the flats’ open car park, where LPPB officers had gathered to observe the eviction process.

The residents at the peaceful demonstration at the flats’ car park on Jan 24. (Dewi Awang pic)

LPPB chairman Masiung Banah told the residents the agency was sticking by its decision and enforcing the eviction notice, saying the buildings were no longer safe for occupation.

He said the residents could opt to stay temporarily if they had not found a place to move to, but there would come a time when the board would stop collecting rental and halt maintenance of the buildings.

“In other words, if any untoward incident happens, we will not be responsible,” he was quoted as saying in a news report.

Dewi, who heads an action bureau formed after the eviction notice was served, said the residents were shocked by Masiung’s remarks.

“We didn’t know whether to take that as a threat or a warning. And to be honest, LPPB had not provided any maintenance services for the flats for over 10 years now, otherwise the buildings would have been in a better shape.

“The tenants feel disappointed despite having settled the RM170 monthly rental per unit,” she said.

LPPB chairman Masiung Banah (left) telling the residents that the board is sticking to its eviction notice. (Dewi Awang pic)

Dewi said the residents had submitted a petition requesting a dialogue with the board last year, but it was ignored.

She said the residents, who were in the B40 group, had asked for alternative accommodation nearer their present location or at Putatan or Penampang.

“They’ve only offered 39 tenants new homes in Sepanggar (on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu) but only five have accepted after much convincing.

“Where are the others supposed to go? As a result, they have been accused of being over-demanding and ungrateful,” she said.

Dewi said the tenants would remain at the flats until LPPB met their demands.

“We ask that they allow us to stay while they identify new settlements or sites to build low-cost homes to relocate us.

“At the same time, they should provide maintenance for the flats even if this takes years because it is their responsibility,” she said. - FMT