Ex-estate workers protest at KL City Hall

(see www.malaysiakini.com 25.2.2011)

Some 90 Batu Estate residents are rallying in front of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) building awaiting an undertaking from the authority not to evict them from their homes by next week.
The residents have decided dig in there until DBKL guarantees not to clear them out under the Essential Law (Squatters Clearance) Regulations 1969.
"We are not going to move, we want them to give us the pledge," said residents representative Thilagendran Vadiveloo.
Carrying banners decrying DBKL involvement in their eviction, the group gathered in front of its headquarter at Jalan Raja Laut since 10 this morning.
They were led by PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and N Surendran, the party’s Subang MP R Sivarasa and DAP’s Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, who submitted a memorandum to DBKL’s deputy director-general Zulkifli Ibrahim at around 11.30am.
Zulkifli, when pressed by the MPs to defer the eviction scheduled for March 3, insisted on referring the matter to KL mayor Ahmad Fuad Ismail and Federal Territories Deputy Minister M Saravanan before promising anything.

Passing the buck around game
"The fastest I can respond to you is this afternoon. If not, I will get back to you by tomorrow," he told the MPs.
Surendran (wearing blue striped tie in photo) was heard trying to argue that DBKL should not impose the Squatter Clearance law on the residents as the provision itself is outdated and unsuitable where this case is concerned.
However, his argument fell on deaf ears.
At the time of writing, many DBKL’s staffs have gone out for lunch while the residents are still camping outside of DBKL auditorium.
Surendran called the residents’ camp-out "an embarrassment to DBKL".

Batu Estate residents leave, vow fresh rally
Later, a downpour which started at 4pm forced the Batu Estate residents to disperse empty-handed without the assurance from the authorities. However, they vowed to gather again next Tuesday.
It is however unsure whether opposition MPs, who were present at the rally today, will again lend their support to the residents next week.

The Batu Estate residents were promised landed low-cost houses when their former employer Semantan Estate sold off part of their lands to Sri Hartamas Properties in 1978.
However, the land ownership continued to change hands and the current owner, Mayland Sdn Bhd, which acquired the land in 1998, only agreed to compensate every family with RM30,000 and a PPR unit.

Many residents rejected the offer as that sum is usually given to squatters while they have been recognised by a 2003 court ruling as lawful occupants of the land.

They also complained that rent had to be paid if they moved into PPR flats.
Mayland, which failed to obtain a court eviction order due to the 2003 verdict, has recently requested DBKL assistance to evict the residents.
DBKL, in turn, has issued an eviction order expiring on Feb 16 but this has been deferred to March 3.

Posted in News, crematoriums & squartters