Residents of Kampung Buah Pala are again turning to the courts to prevent the impending demolition of their homes.
Residents Association secretary Joseph Steven Draviam said lawyers representing them will file an injunction at the Penang High Court tomorrow.
“We are all hoping the court will grant us an urgent order on the basis of human rights.”
Joseph said the residents have nowhere to go if their homes are demolished.
The residents have been locked in a battle with the developer and owners of the land and have already lost all previous attempts to get the courts to prevent the demolition of their homes.
The villagers have turned to Umno and the prime minister to intervene in their plight and are hoping the injunction will buy time for a solution to be found.
Developer Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd has had to abort two previous attempts to demolish the homes due to strong resistance by villagers.
In their last attempted on Aug 13, the developer moved in to demolished the homes after most of the residents rejected the offer of a double-storey house as compensation.
After a tense standoff, a new dateline was set and the homes are scheduled to be demolished tomorrow.
Meanwhile Joseph, who is among three villagers who were arrested and released by police on Sunday, told the press he has also lodged a police report for what he claims were unlawful detentions.
He said they were arrested for threatening a Bangladeshi worker hired by the developer to demolish their homes on August 4.
However he denies the allegations.
“The state government had intervened on August 4 before the workers could move in to demolish our homes, so there was no reason for us to threaten anyone.”
He added villager M.Sugumaran who was arrested with him, was not even in Penang at the time of the incident but in Kuala Lumpur.
Joseph also questioned the timing of their arrests, pointing out the incident allegedly took place weeks ago.
“We were told to go to the police station to have our statements recorded and then the police decided to arrest us”.
Other residents who heard about the arrest rushed to the Jelutong police station in Georgetown and stopped a police van from taking the trio to city police headquarters in Jalan Patani.
The men were taken back into the police station before being released on police bail two hours later.
comments
Talk on the streets and coffee shops in Penang are that you guys r getting greedy and being used by BN.should have taken the rm 350k house.u guys r shamefull to penangites.most pnangites dont feel sorry for you guys anymore....
and i totally agree with them...as a penangite as well..
Still not satisfied with being given a double-storey house? Try asking for a semi-d then.
Squatters in Kg Buah Pala are a lucky lot. Just see what other squatters got - nothing.
kampong buah pala folks' future look bright as they turn to umno for help, with umno's resources and influence, it's just kacang putih matter, and i don't think they will like to let go of this opportunity to be a instant hero for the indian community in m'sia.
may be umno can give you 3.5million. you greedy people.
permatang pasir election over. you all have no more value to B N.
where is Semi Value? tot you all went to see MIC?
Kampung Buah Pala is not the first residential area to be sacrificed to make way for development. It won't be the last either. Everything that has progressed in any country has been at the cost of some demolishment of a once-cherished location to a certain number of people. Kuala Lumpur city itself was built over large settlements that were once the only home people ever knew. It's part of life; things change, and, most unfortunately, the old bows out to make way for the new.
For Kampung Buah Pala, it's time has come. That's it. You've got your 200 year history, yes, and that will not change. But in today's world, you have to accept change, or perish.
The BN govt has conveniently washed its hands off this mess of its own making. The Pakatan govt has done the noble thing in trying to pick up the pieces as best it can. But the people of Malaysia, in particular Penangites, have reached its saturation point with natural pity for the displacement of these villagers. I don't know how long they intend to stand out, but they should remember that in the real world, change is the only constant. That village is not going to be there forever. however sad this hard truth may be.
I have said it before and I said it again. The Kg Pala folks are just too greedy. You should have taken the RK350k D/S terrace house and go. Today the demolition team will come and demolish your houses. Once your houses are demolished , you will have no more bargaining power . You can form a human shield but that is nothing compared to demolition team 's arsenal.
You want to ask BN to help you all. BN has already help themselves to the proceeds from the sale. Maybe all the money is already spent in the karaoke and the like. Now you want them to help you by vomitting what they had already taken and digested ?? Think again. BN will never help you - not in your life time. If BN has your interest at heart, you would not have this problem .
LGE has been trying to help you and going out of the way to obtain the RM350k D/S house for each family. He and his government are the one who are your friends and concern about your welfare.
But it is too late now.
Always remember : those people who are with you during the time when you are down are your true friends. Those who stick around when you have money are your "friends" in inverted commas. LGE is your friend and a true one as such.
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