DBKL tearing down the fence of one of the nine workshops.
THERE was a standoff between Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) enforcement officers and Jinjang Selatan Tambahan residents when the former arrived to demolish nine housing units that were also used as various types of workshops.
After lengthy negotiations with the DBKL enforcement officers, only the fence of one of the nine workshops was taken down, giving them two weeks to vacate.
About 40 enforcement officers surveyed the workshops, while 40 police officers monitored the area.
Representatives from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), and Tenaga Nasional Bhd were also present.
Owners of the nine houses who set up their workshop business at their homes, were left out of a census carried out by DBKL to identify the number of residential units eligible for compensation by a developer.
This was because all 525 units, including the nine workshop owners, had to make way for a joint-venture development project between DBKL and a private housing developer.
Jinjang Selatan Tambahan Social Development Association chairman Karuppiah Palaniandy said they wanted fair compensation for all residents and were waiting for a reasonable outcome.
“The area is originally for housing and the nine workshops are also used as houses, but they were not included in the census and therefore were not given any agreement (to receive compensation).
“So we are asking for a correction of the census to include them, and we are waiting to discuss with the Federal Territories Ministry on the plight of the nine owners including all other residents whose homes have to make way for development,” he said, adding that the workshop owners were given notice to evacuate in February with the most recent notice from DBKL dated July 31.
Association committee member Sukhvinder Singh told reporters that the residents wanted an official agreement with DBKL and the developer, in the form of a sale and purchase agreement, to receive their promised compensation of an alternative housing.
He added that there should also be a clause in the agreement to stipulate a time frame to receive their alternate housing, failing which the developer would have to pay a penalty.
When contacted, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mohd Amin Nordin said like every other land owned by DBKL, such as Kampung Pandan Cheras Baru and other squatter areas, the residents would have to accept the offer made.
“A failure to move will result in DBKL’s enforcement action, just like any other project in the Federal Territory,” he said.
