DPM receives memorandum from Kg Buah Pala residents

BUKIT MERTAJAM: The federal government has so far not intervened in the Kampung Buah Pala land ownership issue as it wants to see whether the Penang government is capable of resolving the issue.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this to Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairperson M Sugumaran after receiving a memorandum on the issue from him.

"The deadline [for the residents to vacate the land] is 31 Aug. We want to see how the state government can resolve the issue," he said.

The seven-page memorandum was handed to Muhyiddin when he visited Permatang Pasir near here, to look at the Barisan Nasional (BN)'s preparations for the by-election.

Sugumaran said in the memorandum, the association urged the federal government to intervene in the issue in order to save the traditional village and turn it into a planned village.

He said the residents were forced to ask for federal government intervention following the state government's failure to keep its promise of helping the villagers if the opposition was given the mandate to govern the state.

"(Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng cannot assist us. Now we realise that only the BN can really help the people," said Sugumaran.

The Federal Court recently ordered the residents to vacate the 2.6ha village land belonging to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang (KPKPP), to make way for a housing project.

However, the Federal Court yesterday fixed Friday to hear a new application by the residents to set aside the Appeals Court's decision made on 11 May, that KPKPP is the rightful owner of the land.

Bernama
19/08/09

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