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Residents
barking up the wrong tree, says developer
29/12/2009 The Star By LIM CHIA YING
OVER 50 people, comprising Batu MIC division members and squatters
residents from Kampung Railway in Sentul, staged a protest yesterday over
claims that low- and medium-cost flats are not being built as promised.
The protest was held at the YTL building in Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala
Lumpur where the group demanded for the promise based on an agreement in
1994 be fulfilled.
In a bind: Ramanathan (left) having a word with Tan (right) from YTL
during the memorandum handing-over.
They held placards and marched for a short stretch along the street before
crowding in front of the YTL building entrance waiting to hand over the
memorandum to a management representative.
In the memorandum, it is claimed that Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd (under YTL) was
to build 3,000 units of low- and medium-cost flats and two multi-purpose
halls and a football field.
However, the group said not a single low-cost unit has been built 15
yearson.
Batu MIC division chairman C. Ramanathan, who is the group’s spokesperson,
said the area was now developed with many high-end apartments.
“What we want is for the developer to honour its promise made 15 years
back, that is to build the low and medium-cost units,” said Ramanathan.
“They have been asked to relocate to Puchong but it’s so far away. These
are poor people earning like RM400 a month and many are uneducated folks
who would not know what is happening once they move there.”
Resident Yogalingam Muthukrishnan, 41, said his father first made the home
there 50 years back, and is unhappy now that he is asked to move to
Puchong.
“I have children who are still schooling so it’s not convenient for me.
Also, they have taken away our football field there,” he said.
YTL Land & Development Berhad customer relations manager Karen Tan later
came out to receive the memorandum.
Police officers had gathered around to supervise and man the crowd.
According to a representative of YTL Land & Development Berhad, the only
agreement made was with Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) for the
development of Kampung Railway.
The representative said the company had been wrongly vindicated in this
matter as Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd in 1994 was under another parent company and
that YTL only took over later in 1997.
“It has nothing to do with YTL as our joint venture agreement is only with
KTMB, whereby Kampung Railway will comprise a series of medium-cost
apartments to be constructed on Sentul Lot PT16 for the purpose of housing
KTMB employees and their immediate families.
“The identified site for this project, unfortunately, has been occupied by
squatters and their reluctance to move has delayed the commencement of
construction for a considerable time,” said the representative, adding
that this meant the memorandum handing-over was also directed to a wrong
party.
In a press statement issued, it is said some 41 families have already
moved out of their squatter homes; with 22 of the 41 relocated to PPR Kg
Muhibbah Puchong while the other 19 found homes of their own.
As for this current group of 18 families, a court case was ongoing and no
date has been fixed for the next mention.
“We have taken numerous measures to look into the welfare and interest of
the affected families, like dialogues and briefings, extending moving-out
deadline, assisting the families with new low-cost homes via liaising with
the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
“We will still offer relocation compensation and assist with the new
accommodation, although it is in the hands of the DBKL to decide on the
location,” said the representative. |
