Hindraf supporters hold protests to save Penang village

(The Star) – A group of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) supporters gathered at Komtar, demanding that the Penang government use its “executive powers” to save Kampung Buah Pala.

About 20 of them from Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Penang arrived at the state administrative building with about 30 villagers yesterday morning to hand over a letter of appeal to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. In the letter, they expressed regret over the state government’s alleged “broken promises”.

They also urged Lim to invoke his powers under the National Land Code and Land Acquisition Act to stop the developers from levelling the village known as Penang’s High Chaparral. Before the March 2008 general election, there were so many promises but now, everybody is keeping quiet.

“They tell us to take them to the national-level, but they can’t even handle state problems,” said Penang Hindraf coordinator K. Kalaiselvam.

Carrying Hindraf chairman S. Waythamoorthy’s seven-year-old daughter Vwaishhnnavi, who held the handwritten letter of appeal addressed to Lim, Kalaiselvam led the delegation that arrived at Komtar at about 10.40am.

The group had a brief confrontation with Komtar security guards who instructed them to choose five representatives to hand over the letter, but 10 were eventually allowed to enter and meet Lim’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik.

Ng, who then instructed the police to allow the entire group in, addressed them, but tempers flared when they were informed that Lim had other appointments.

“We faxed Lim a letter yesterday (Monday) and got no reply. He has been given every opportunity to meet with the villagers but until now, he has not even visited the village once. Why is he evading us?,” asked Penang Hindraf advisor K. Maran.

About 300 villagers living in Kampung Buah Pala are facing eviction after a Federal Court ruled in favour of the landowner and developer on June 24.

Lim later said the Penang government never approved any demolition of Kampung Buah Pala. He clarified that any action taken was by the private developer via a court order.

“We regret the unwarranted, highly irresponsible and irrational action of Hindraf for targeting us over the eviction.

“Hindraf wants us to act against the court order obtained by the developer to evict the residents. We cannot do this as it is against the rule of law,” he said, adding that the suggestion that the state forcibly acquire the land for public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act would be “playing into the hands of the developer”.

“Doing so would lead to the developer reaping enormous profits without putting in a single sen,” he said.

The villagers claim that DAP and PKR representatives had promised their village would be spared if Pakatan took over the state in the last general election.

The villagers, most of them cattlerearers, also alleged that there was misappropriation in the transfer of the land from the state to Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang Bhd in March 2008.

The villagers yesterday filed five applications to the High Court to set aside an ex-parte order dated June 16 obtained by the North-East land administrator, the cooperative and Nusmetro Venture to issue a writ of possession on the land, which is to be enforced at 11am tomorrow.

In Petaling Jaya, about a dozen Hindraf supporters turned up at the DAP headquarters in Section 20 to protest against the Penang government before police dispersed the group some 30 minutes later.

In Ipoh, a group of 20 Hindraf supporters staged a peaceful protest in front of the Perak DAP headquarters at Medan Istana.