More than 80 former plantation workers in Hulu Selangor are seeking intervention to stop an eviction notice issued by a developer.
Those involved are families from five plantations, namely Sungai Tinggi, Mary, Nigel Gardner, Minyak and Bukit Tahar, who have lived there for more than three generations.
According to the community coordinator of the people's service organization there, Jalaluddin Shahul Hamid, about 84 families who had lived there were given the notice to evict their respective homes within 14 days from Dec 2.
The residents, together with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), yesterday sent a notice to the relevant parties, such as the developer, their former employer, the Ministry of Housing and Local Development and the Ministry of Human Resources, urging the eviction notice to be withdrawn.
"We strongly object to the developer's action of labelling us squatters and encroachers, as stated in the notice.
"In fact, we are former plantation workers. This is an act that threatens harmony, and insulting to us," Jalaluddin told a press conference at the PSM headquarters in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. today.
Alternative housing sought
According to him, retired plantation workers had, in 2016, given a letter to the developer, seeking alternative housing arrangements at the five estates.
Jalaluddin claimed that the developer then was present at the office of the then Selangor government exco member, V Ganabatirau, where the developer had suggested that the status of the former plantation workers not be changed until their permanent housing issue was resolved.
"We have called the five estates our home for more than three generations and we were promised alternative housing by our former employer. Besides, there is also an 'undertaking' (aku janji) and other documents," he added.
Meanwhile, PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan urged the government to intervene to resolve the matter.
"They (the government) just has to tell the developer to call off the eviction and set a budget (to rehouse the ex-plantation workers)," he said.
It is understood that the construction of houses for 245 families in the five plantations has yet to be completed, even though the land has been prepared by their former employers because the government had previously told them (the developer) that there were insufficient funds for the housing.
According to Arutchelvan, the funds previously earmarked for the housing had been used up during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Malaysiakini has contacted the developer and the Housing Ministry on this matter and is awaiting their responses. - Mkini
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