Then (2007):

Workers get option to buy houses:

Workers of three estates belonging to Kuala Lumpur Kepong (KLK) Bhd will be able to own single-storey terrace houses after KLK implements the housing schemes.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the company had already agreed to implement the scheme after obtaining the approval from the relevant authorities.

“The workers in Tuan Mee, Caledonia and Coalfield estates will be the main beneficiaries,” he told voters at a community centre.

Tuan Mee’s senior manager Chuan Chong Meng, National Union of Plantation Workers general secretary Datuk G. Sankaran, MIC deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel and other MIC leaders were present.

Samy Vellu said the estate workers had put forward a proposal for the houses two days ago.

“This is how the Barisan Nasional Government works. We discuss and got the approvals within a short time for the benefit of the estate people,” he said.

Samy Vellu said estate workers who wanted to upgrade their houses or even own bungalows could do so after discussions with the company, which is constructing the houses.

He said that there would also be other infrastructure like schools, temples and a playing field that would help to upgrade the standard of living of the people.

Officials said the estate workers would be given priority to buy the houses at RM35,000 while others would have to pay RM42,000 for the two-room houses. [still got two room houses ah???]

Samy Vellu also added:

KL Kepong Berhad will be asked to allocate land for housing and agriculture for workers in the Tuan Mee, Caledonia and Coalfield estates, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said this came under the Selangor government’s regulations requiring estate owners to provide housing schemes for the workers.

Samy Vellu said this following a request for land by Tuan Mee Estate MIC branch chairman K. Ramavellu at a meet-the-people session at the estate last Sunday.

“I will have discussions with KL Kepong, which owns the estates, on the matter. We will urge them to allocate land for housing for the more than 200 workers in the three estates.

“We will also ask for agriculture land so that the people can farm and cultivate vegetables to raise their income,” he added.
He said that more than 56 housing schemes for estate workers had been implemented by the various estates in the country, with the first scheme in Dovenby Estate in Sungai Siput.

Earlier in his speech, Samy Vellu said the estate workers in the country were being paid a monthly wage because of his relentless efforts in compiling a working paper for the Cabinet.

He claimed that when opposition candidate Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was at the helm in Guthrie, he had opposed housing schemes for estate workers.

“He (Khalid) was the one who insisted in putting the estate workers in low-cost apartments. If he had the interest of the estate workers in mind, he should have approved the housing schemes for them.

in 2009, Xavier said this:

Xavier said one of the conditions imposed by the state government concerning land status conversion was that approval for estates larger than 40ha would only be sanctioned if the landowners agreed to provide housing for the displaced estate workers.

“The luckiest lot come from the Bukit Raja Estate in Klang where they recently signed the S&P with Sime Darby for terrace houses costing RM70,000 each but valued at RM150,000,” he said, adding that Coalfield Estate workers in Subang also successfully fought for their cause.

In late 2009, there were attempts to relocate workers to other estates. Also, workers couldn’t afford to buy the houses allocated to them due to inability to obtain loans.

Now:

July 2010 saw Palanivel visiting the estate:

A 15-year dispute between workers and palm oil estate owners over their residence and job has yet to be solved, although numerous promises.

The 30 families of Coalfield estate are hoping for terrace houses and better facilities where they are now, instead of forcing them to a new housing area – located across the road from the estate.

Yesterday, when Datuk G. Pala­nivel visited the estate, they told the Plantations, Industries and Commo­dities deputy minister that they were tired of the empty promises made to them since 1995.

“We were living without water and electricity supply since December,” said Coalfield estate action committee chairman Lobat Rajoo.

“But yesterday (Thursday), the utilities were restored.”

He said their woes began after a change in ownership of the estate in 1995.

Lobat said that in 2009, the previous owner, claiming to be their current employer, had told them to vacate their quarters at Coalfield Estate by June 30, last year.

“They wanted us to move to Desa Coalfield by purchasing houses there but not all of us can afford a RM35,000 house with our RM21 pay a day,” he said after handing a booklet documenting their plight to Palanivel.

The minister, who met the estate management, said: “I have told them not to be harsh on the workers but adopt a give-and-take attitude.

“Their (the workers) requests are simple and they are poor.” [so what? you think these companies care about this?]

As of yesterday, the school also asked to be moved:

MALAYSIA Nanban reported that parents of students in Ladang Coalfield Tamil School in Sungei Buloh will stage a protest against the plantation owner and housing developer.

The estate workers, who defied an order to vacate their homes, have now been asked to move the school.

A spokesperson for the parents, Lobat Raj, slammed the management and developer KL-Kepong Sdn Bhd, for using various tactics to shift the school and two places of worship, a church and a temple. The oil palm estate has been earmarked for a housing project.

He said that the developer and the management are more interested in making profits rather than considering the welfare of the estate workers.

He said that the estate workers want the school to be located near their houses instead of the present location which is about 4km away.

About 400 people, comprising parents and locals planned to gather at the school field yesterday.

Lobat said that no state government representatives have been invited because the parents have no faith in the exco in charge of Indian affairs, PKR’s Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.

Firstly, these folks should ensure they are registered voters. Then talk to politicians. Who can solve this problem within 2 months, gets their votes in next election. If nobody helps, then you realise that you are indeed worth less in their eyes.

Anyways, 4KM is still OK as long as the school is not in middle of cemetery, next to electric cables/sewerage pond/industrial plots or other unimaginable places (which seems to happen to Tamil schools). Probably the parents can try negotiate for a school bus or two vans as well to ferry some of the poor children.

As for housing loan, there are schemes to help people with low or fluctuating income to obtain loans. They should be guided on this procedures. Who will do it? MIC or HRP or DAP/PKR? Who will help the folks from A-to-Z of getting their houses?