Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email An update on the Kampung Pandan Indian Settlement issue posted yesterday:
THE 70-year-old Indian settlement in Kampung Pandan is being redeveloped for the residents of the village.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail said the redevelopment project spelt out in the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (DKLCP2020) was to build 480 low-cost units for the residents.
“There is not going to be anything else there but this project. Once completed, each unit will measure 700 sq ft — which is 50 sq ft extra compared to the other Public Housing Schemes (PPR) in the city and it is going to be more stylish,” Fuad said.
The mayor stressed however that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would not be able to start building the low-cost housing unless and until the residents moved out.
The mayor was speaking to reporters at the weekly Meet The Press session at the DBKL headquarters yesterday.
Fuad also gave the residents in Kampung Pandan a grace period of until October on a relocation order. They were initially supposed to move out today but the Federal Territories Ministry agreed to postpone their relocation.
The mayor also promised to consider the request from residents who are old and sickly as well as those with large extended families to be moved to closer PPR units.
The residents were told to relocate to PPR Kg Muhibbah in Puchong which is 20km away from their homes.
“If there are empty units nearby, we will accommodate them,” he said, adding that residents only need to provide their medical report.
“I symphathise with the residents but they must learn to trust the DBKL.”
About 255 families are currently residing in the settlement.
When contacted, Kampung Pandan Indian Settlement Action Council head Suresh Kumar said that he was grateful to Fuad and Raja Nong Chik for the extension of the deadline to move but said that the residents want a better guarantee than a “Surat Aku Janji”.
“It is not a legal binding document and we want something more concrete,” Suresh said.
“We also want the DBKL to ensure that priority is given to the Kg Pandan Indian settlement residents to move into the units when completed and this includes those who have already moved out,” he said.
The mayor is asking the residents to trust the DBKL while the residents want a binding blakc and white, not verbal promises or powerless “Aku Janji” forms. The problem of residents having to relocate far away is still not solved as there’s no info on “available empty unit nearby”.
Still no news about the name being retained or the fate of facilities like tamil school, temple, and madrasah located there.
