Some 150 residents of Janda Baik gathered today to protest against development projects by the Pahang state government in their area.
They claimed that these projects could threaten their livelihood.
Rancangan Tempatan Daerah (RTD) and the Rancangan Khas Kawasan (RKK) are the current projects set in place by the Bentong Municipal Council (MPB) and the state government to bring about new developments.
In a press conference, the residents came together to raise their concerns regarding the plans to add new developments in their village, turning it into a sustainable tourism destination so that it is up to international standards.
The main concern was regarding the widening of roads and river reserves, which could lead to the demolition of houses.
Kasimah Ismail, a Janda Baik resident, claimed that the widening of the roads would cause her house to be demolished.
"According to the RTD and RKK, if they widen the roads, my house will be separated into two," she said, expressing that the thought of this is causing her much stress.
"If I had enough money, I would build another house, but that is not the case," she continued, stating that she plans to pass her house down to her children in the future.
It is understood that the project was intended to start work in 2019 and end in 2035 when plans were then put on hold due to the pandemic.
However, a week ago, residents received notice from MPB regarding a hearing that was supposed to be held today to discuss the contents of the plan, which was then postponed without any explanation.
The RTD and RKK consist of several plans, such as widening of roads, expansion of rivers, the establishment of bus services as well as new developments that include food and beverage places, a living museum, private institutions and retail centres.
Focus on residents' welfare
Aside from that, the plan also includes developments of new areas for recreational activities such as organic spas, sports, picnics and camping, and annual themed festivals.
This plan was put in place to overcome the lack of centralised and attractive areas that could be potential tourism spots in Bentong.
However, the residents of Janda Baik are not pleased with this initiative.
Ketari assemblyperson Young Syefura Othman claimed that the state government is taking more interest in tourism instead of focusing on the residents' welfare.
The state government should focus on repairing the damages to infrastructures caused by the recent floods," she told Malaysiakini.
She brought up a recent issue from just a month ago when a major flood disrupted 140 homes in Janda Baik.
"They should draft a plan on how to prevent floods from happening again in Janda Baik rather than a fancy plan which will affect the people, their homes, businesses and their lives," she continued.
Husin Mat Nordin, a resident of Janda Baik, also echoed her sentiment in the press conference, pleading for the authorities not to set aside the interest of the residents.
"To the leaders of the country, think about us, about the residents," he said.
"Why do we always need to think about outsiders when clearly even some residents lack some daily necessities?" he said.
He continued by saying that the residents are open to developments made to their land that would benefit them, but not at the cost of them losing their quality of life.
"Who doesn't want developments? Developments are great, but it needs to benefit the residents," said Hussin.
Loss of land ownership
According to the residents, if the plans persist, they will be oppressed in terms of land ownership.
"We have owned the land for hundreds of years, but looking at the plan, it does not seem impossible that some of the residents will lose rights to the lands," said Husin.
He added that the authorities need to be empathetic and respectful toward the fact that the older generation has poured blood, sweat and tears into preserving this land.
"In 1922, my parents were given their home by my grandparents," he said, stating that his parents worked hard to ensure they could also pass down their homes to the generations after them.
"So imagine how many generations are involved in this ordeal," he reiterated.
Residents claimed the press conference was the last resort to their quest of making their voices heard after many attempts to seek out responses from the relevant authorities fell on deaf ears.
Kasimah mentioned that the residents had taken the initiative to come up with petition forms, send in emails and even showed up at the doors of the MPB, but to no avail.
"We don't know where to go. We have sent emails and messages, but nothing has been answered," she claimed, expressing that none of their pleas had been heard.
Young Syefura said that the press conference was held not with the intent of causing fights with the authorities or completely disregarding the RTD and RKK but to discuss with the relevant agencies involved so that both parties could reach a win-win decision.
"The residents do not want to fight, but rather, they want more conversations and clarity about what is going on," she said.
According to Young Syefura, the residents want to make sure that their livelihood won't be affected by the planned developments that are to come.
However, she suggested that the plan should be revised, adding solutions to improve the current living condition of those residing in Janda Baik.
"The RKK and RTD plan should focus on how to preserve Janda Baik as kampung tradisi and, at the same time, improve the living standards of the people here by having a good infrastructure, public facilities," she said, adding that the residents of Janda Baik should always be put first. - Mkini
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