Residents of Jinjang Utara longhouses applauded when the Kepong BN facilitator Lau Joi Keong announced that the 149 households, whose houses earmarked for shoplot development, will not need to vacant their homes until the developer completed the long-due low-cost flats for them.
(form left) Tan, Azman, DBKL’s Fazlina Saleh and Lau
Lau said the developer has agreed to keep the Kawasan C longhouses intact and instead commence the shoplots construction on the surrounding empty land first.
“This would mean 149 households who got affected will only need to move after your new house is ready,” he spoke to 200-strong crowd during a dialogues session at Kawasan C Community Hall today.
In the event attended by DBKL officers, developer and NGO Community Residents’ Association (PERMAS), anxious residents also raised questions on whether families with married children will be allocated extra units from the upcoming 1600 unit low-cost flats.
They felt they are entitled to purchase more than one unit of the flats, which is to be built on their longhouse’ site, as the size of their families have extended.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officer Azman Aziz responded by saying the “extended families” will only be given units to rent in the surrounding council flats (PPR).
“The low-cost flats up to be built here are only reserved for the first families,” he said, referring to the project that spam through five acres of land near to Kawasan C and consists of four blocks of flats and shoplots.
The low-cost flats, though aims to relocate residents living in the tattered wooden longhouses initially, has endured years of abandon since it was launched in 2002.
It was however revived by the same developer, Mega Legacy Sdn Bhd recently. The developer now seeks to kickstart the construction of shoplots near to Kawasan C.
Meanwhile, another resident asked whether the longhouse unit tenants, who rent their units after the previous occupants quit, will be allocated council flat’s units to move out.
Azman did not pick up the question, but Lau promised to highlight the matter to DBKL as he think many tenants have been trying to get the yellow-card to certify them as the longhouse’s residents.
As for residents who eager to move out before the low-cost flats completed, Lau asked them to apply for unit in the surrounding council flats such as PPR Intan Baiduri, Pekan Kepong, Wah Yu or Beringin.
On the other hand, Permas president Tan Jo Hann, who has been assisting the residents, urged DBKL to issue a formal letter as an assurance t that the 149 residents will not be evicted.
He also advised the residents to start figuring their bank-loans to which DBKL or the developer could guarantee them a full loan.
About resident’s demand for compensation as their long-houses will be demolished, Tan said such request must be directed to developer but not DBKL.
“I also urged the developer to tell us when will the much-delayed low-cost flats be ready?”
Representative from the developer, Tan Hong Him responded by saying construction will take 36 months to be completed.
Jinjang Utara longhouse was first established to temporarily accommodate about 6000 squatter families whom were forced out from their homes and waiting for a unit in council flats.
Many of these families have lived there for more than a decade although they were initially told to stay there for a period of six months to two years.
CJMY
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