Wednesday, August 4, 2010

New offer: Residents have 3 days to decide


G Vinod and B Nantha Kumar - FMT

BUKIT JALIL: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has deferred the demolition of houses in Ladang Bukit Jalil today, offering the 41 families involved a flat each for RM35,000.

The former estate workers have been given till Friday to decide, after which their present houses would be bulldozed.

A standoff was expected this morning after residents defied DBKL's order to vacate their houses.

However, DBKL gave the former estate workers an offer letter each to purchase units at a nearby flat for RM35,000, originally priced at RM80,000.

There was a commotion when a DBKL officer went up to the residents to talk to them, many of whom had camped there since last night.

“We only want to talk to a superior officer, not his henchmen,” K Balakrishnan, the estate's action force committee member, told the DBKL officer.

The officer, known only as Fairus, explained that DBKL had no plans to demolish their houses today and he was only there to negotiate.

He then left and returned a few minutes later with DBKL's deputy director-general Mohamad Amin Nordin.

However, Amin was heckled with chants like “Umno: 2Malaysia, Jangan Hina Masyarakat India and Selamatkan Ladang Bukit Jalil.”

'Many are illiterate'

Meanwhile, Balakrishnan told FMT that the time-frame given was not sufficient.

“Many of the people here are illiterate. How do you expect them to sign on something blindly. They need more time to consider this new offer.

“Another issue is how are they going to get bank loans. Some will not fulfil the requirements needed to be eligible for the housing loan. How is DBKL going to solve that problem?” he added.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S Arutchelvan, who was also present, questioned DBKL's move to use the Emergency Ordinance to vacate the residents, when the ordinance is only used to evict squatters.

“These people are estate workers staying at a former estate housing scheme. DBKL should not group them under the squatter category. They should not have used the ordinance,” he said.

This view was shared by Ibrahim Mohamed, a former Bukit Jalil estate worker, who said that DBKL had no right to call them squatters as they were living on estate land.

“My father worked in this estate many years ago. I was born here 47 years ago and I even studied in the Tamil school here. Who is DBKL to call us squatters? ” he said.

'Swear in a mosque'

Ibrahim said initially when negotiating terms with DBKL on the eviction, the latter had only offered a compensation of RM6,000 without even hearing any details from them.

“They have been promising things for the past three years and that's the only thing they know, making empty promises,” he added.

He lambasted Amin for saying that the land would be cleared to build a new cemetery.

“Even those living do not have a place to stay but now they are offering this place for the dead,” he said, adding that estate existed even before DBKL came into existence.

“During general elections, even the Election Commission used the Tamil school here as a polling booth. So how come a government agency is using a squatter premise as a polling area?” he asked.

He then challenged the DBKL deputy director to swear in a mosque that they would actually build a cemetery there.

“I am a Muslim and so is he. I dare him to swear in a mosque,” he said, adding that there was more than what meets the eye.

Meanwhile, a source revealed that the residents planned to stay put, even after the deadline, until a decision was made on the new offer.

“This is an important decision. There are so many aspects that should be taken into account before we make a decision. Until then we are staying put. We are not moving.

“Even if they come back on Friday, we will still be here. They need to clarify all the questions we have. Until then, this standoff will continue,” he said.

In a related development, DBKL revealed that only 12 out of the 41 families were former estate workers and the rest were squatters.

Letter to PM: SOS Cabinet Order to stop DBKL Demolishment Order dated 20/7/2010 demolishing and ethnically cleansing the last in K.L Bukit Jalil Indian plantation community homes their hindu temple, Tamil school and hindu cemetary.

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No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241
Fax : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Your Reference :
In Reply :
Date : 3rd August 2010
YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444
62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my

Y. B. Senator Dato Raja Nong Chik bin
Dato Raja Zainal Abidin
Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing,
Aras 4, Blok B2,
Menara PJH, Presint 2,
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,                Fax: 03-88891411
62100 Putrajaya.                                           Email: datoraja@kwp.gov.my

Y. Bhg Dato Ahmad Faud bin Ismail
Mayor of Kuala Lumpur                                  
Tingkat 27, Menara DBKL                
Jalan Raja Laut Fax : 03-26919664
50350 Kuala Lumpur Email : datukbandar@dbkl.gov.my

YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim Menteri Besar Selangor,
Pejabat Menteri Besar Selangor,
Tingkat 21, Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin, Abdul Aziz Shah,
Fax : 03-5519 0032 40503 Shah Alam, Selangor. E-Mail : khalid@selangor.gov.my

YAB,Y.B/YBhg,
SOS Cabinet Order to stop DBKL Demolishment Order dated 20/7/2010 demolishing the last in K.L Bukit Jalil Indian plantation community homes their hindu temple, Tamil school and hindu cemetary.
We refer to the above matter and to the unlawful demolishment order by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall dated 8/6/2010.
The plantation workers of the Bukit Jalil estate and their ancestors have worked, lived and died in this estate since 200 years ago when neither the Kuala Lumpur City Hall nor Malaysia was in existence.
But today the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Malaysian Government’s Minister of the Federal Territories and Community Wellbeing, which is very remotely practicing community wellbeing in this case but both of which has unilaterally and unlawfully declared these fourty-one (41) remaining poor Indian plantation workers as “squatters” and therefore their homes, hindu temple, Tamil school and hindu cemetery are to be systematically demolished. (“ethnically cleansed”) beginning 3/8/2010 onwards vide the DBKL notice dated 20/7/2010.
Some 442,000 poor Malay muslims have been granted land in ten acre land ownership schemes in Felda, Felcra, Risda, Fama, Mardi, Agropolitan etc (See BH 25/2/2010 at page 4).
On the same note we are sure at least some good deed besides wiping out this last ethnic minority Indian plantation community their hindu temple, hindu cemetery and Tamil school in Kuala Lumpur and to be summarily executed with impunity especially in the Malay-sian Prime Minister’s One Malay-sia.
We hereby urge your goodselves to especially at tomorrow’s Cabinet Meeting (4/8/10) Order DBKL stop their intended demolishment on 4/8/10 and thereafter resolve this matter amicably as they have nowhere else to go and would be forced to rebuild their homes in situ if indeed their homes are forcibly demolished tomorrow, after they having peacefully resisting the demolishment of their said homes on 4/8/2010.
We also urge Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, the Member for Parliament of Bandar Tun Razak which also includes this Bukit Jalil estate to :-
1) move an emergency motion in Parliament tomorrow to stop this unlawful intended demolishment on 4/8/10.
2) Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in your goodselves capacity also as the Menteri Besar of Selangor with 100% powers of all land in Selangor to grant these plantation workers an alternative settlement in Selangor which Selangor border is merely a stones throw away from this Bukit Jalil estate where their homes, hindu temple, hindu cemetery and Tamil school could be relocated in what is to be the more pro people Selangor state federal government and alternative and/or federal government in waiting.
The people of this Bukit Jalil estate have their case as per their statement dated 1/8/10 titled “The nightmare and mental torture forced by the authority”, their letters to the Federal Territories and Wellbeing Minister dated 24/6/2010 and 23/7/2010, DBKL Demolishment Notice dated 20/7/10 and their demands titled “Houses Compensation, outstanding salaries and outstanding EPF claims from the Authority”. (Copies enclosed herewith for your goodselves easy reference).
We seek your goodselves kind indulgence in this matter.
Kindly revert to us accordingly.
Thank You.
Yours Faithfully,
_______________
P.Uthayakumar
(Secretary General) pro-tem

CC:-
En. Rolan bin Hj. Abd. Rahman
Pengarah                                                    
(Jabatan Keselamatan & Pengutakuasaan)
Jalan Tun Razak                                 Fax : 03-40218260        
50400 Kuala Lumpur E-Mail : jkp@dbkl.gov.my

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