Residents upset Guan Eng did not keep his word
(Bernama) – Sixty-eight families who live in the Mak Mandin Green House area, here, are disappointed with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, for failing to deliver on his promise to provide them with replacement shelter before their homes are demolished.
Mak Mandin Green House Residents Association secretary, Samsudin Mohamed, 51, said he was upset when the Penang government wanted to demolish their houses when they had nowhere else to move to.
“The chief minister had promised that we could stay here until the new houses for us are ready, but apparently the developer cannot wait to drive us out to make way for a 14-floor apartment building project that will be built here.
“We are disappointed because he (Lim) who is a member of Parliament here (Bagan) did not keep his promise, and just instructed us to leave without any further discussion between the two parties,” he told reporters after holding a peaceful demonstration, here, today.
A commotion had occurred prior to the demonstration when the residents tried to prevent bulldozers from the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) from demolishing their homes today.
The residents who had gathered from 8am, refused to budge from the area they have occupied for the past 30 years, despite receiving a notice from the Seberang Perai Utara District and Land Office (PDT SPU) to vacate their homes within seven days.
They claimed this was because MPSP and PDT SPU had succumbed to the developer who wanted to develop the area when issuing the notice dated July 27.
Samsudin said the state government was also trying to deny the rights of residents there and also accused them of encroaching on the land, while asking them to vacate the place within seven days.
“We have long struggled to defend this land from falling into the hands of developers because we’ve been living here for very long, but now, just like that, they want to tear down the houses here.
“I want to mention here, that all of us will not move and continue to stay here until a fair compensation is offered,” he said.
A resident, P Bala, 49, said residents were promised new houses near SJK(T) Mak Mandin, however, they were yet to be built.
He said he and his family had lived there for more than 30 years, and most of the people in the area were under the underprivileged category.
“We are not immigrants but natives here, so shouldn’t there be concern seeing the elderly and disabled living in houses that are in poor condition here?” he said.
Meanwhile, a representative of PDT SPU who held discussions with the residents, said they were only following instructions issued to them, and the residents should discuss with the higher ups to solve the problem.
“Today, we only tore down the houses that had been vacated, while for those houses which are still being occupied, they should immediately discuss (with the higher authorities) so that further action can be taken,” he said, on condition of anonymity.
