Demolition of squatter houses halted

KUALA LUMPUR: THE demolition of several squatter houses in Kampung Federal here yesterday was halted when residents protested against the low compensation and questioned the status of the foreign workers assigned to do the job.

Two of the six workers left when residents asked the police to check if they were illegal immigrants.

Earlier, there was a heated exchange between Bagan Dalam assemblyman A.Tanasekharan and Barisan Nasional area coordinator David Chua when the land owner arrived with a court bailiff and police personnel to demolish several houses vacated by 13 squatter families.

Chua said it was improper for the land owner to compensate the squatter families only RM1,000 to RM5,000 to vacate the houses in Jalan Siram, but Tanasekharan, a lawyer, countered that they had to respect the eviction order issued a year ago.

Tanasekharan said the state had offered hardcore poor housing units in Ampang Jajar for rental at RM100 a month as a temporary measure.

He said the state government was willing to pay the transport charges for them to move out, and also help them apply for low-cost units later.

Chua said the families are unable to pay the rent, and asked the authorities to move them directly into the free low-cost units instead.

He said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is also the MP for Bagan, had failed in his duty to resolve the matter.

Both the land owner and the residents had earlier agreed to defer the demolition to settle the issue amicably, but the matter dragged on for two years because the families wanted higher compensation.

Mohd Ariff Megat Kechik, 40, said he was willing to relocate only if the land owner gave a better compensation, but not the RM4,000 currently offered to him.

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Demolition of squatter houses halted