GEORGE TOWN: Angry residents of Kampung Buah Pala have threatened to send a letter to the United Nations for George Town’s Unesco World Heritage Site status to be de-listed should the state government fail to help them with their land problems.
Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairman M. Sugumaran claimed the state government was “killing” the living heritage of the village, which is popularly known as Penang’s High Chaparral.
“The war has just begun. Look at what happened when the bailiffs came to serve the notice and imagine what will happen on Aug 2 when the grace period given expires,” he told a press conference after the bailiffs left the village about 1pm Thursday.
Claiming irregularities on the notice served, Sugumaran said the notice was directed to 41 temporary occupation of land (TOL) holders when the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said there were only 23 families.
“We have faxed a letter to Lim asking for a date to meet him. “Otherwise, we will bring along our cows to see him at his official residence in Rumah Seri Teratai,” he said.
There was a tense moment when three bailiffs arrived at about 11.30am with two court officials and Thomas Chan, the executive director of the developer Nusmetro Ventures.
They started shouting and blocking the entrance, claiming that they have earlier informed the police that no developer would be allowed to enter the village.
Police personnel then escorted Chan away. Three bailiffs then began putting up the eviction notices on the gate, trees and posts but some were being torn away by the residents later.
There was an argument when one of the developer’s personnel started taking photographs of residents who were holding placards in protest but police personnel managed to control the situation.
A herd of cows belonging to the residents then damaged the cars of three newsmen. A cowherd was leading the cows to enter the village while the FRU personnel were standing in a line across the entrance when the 12.15pm incident took place.
Lim, in a statement, said the state government would not “take a single cent” of the goodwill payment proposed by the developer unless the villagers agree to the compensation.
He also said the developer should continue to seek solutions for a win-win situation for all parties.
He added it was highly improper for the developer to stoke fear into the villagers’ by threatening to evict them when the one-month grace period expired on Aug 2.
Star Online
02/07/09
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