I wonder if the cabinet was properly briefed on the situation before PM Badawi announced the place as open space. If not, the fault lies solely with MIC and PPP as the representatives in the Cabinet. Or perhaps their voices were defeated by other stronger arguments. Bukit Kiara to PPR Kg Muhibbah in Puchong is about 20km. Not easy to relocate even for middle class income earners, what more of people within low-income bracket. Perhaps the Cabinet can also issue statement for provision of some allowance such as transport cost and COLA while the families are staying in PPR.

Obviously the claim that they were promised houses at the same location needs supporting documents. Without it, their claims will be brushed aside. Not sure which group made the promise as claimed by the residents.

As for Kg Pandan Indian Settlement residents, looks like they have agreed to temporarily move to the PPR while their houses are being built. They did not get their wish to move to a nearer location. Also the status of the Tamil School and temple is still in question. Will it be relocated “temporarily” to PPR Kg Muhibbah which house a significant number of Malays as well?

THE 100 families residing in the Bukit Kiara estate longhouse will be relocated to the PPR Pantai Permai in Pantai Dalam despite having waited for 27 years for new homes to be built at their current address.

Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the decision to earmark the plot of land as open space was made by the Cabinet and announced recently by the Prime Minister.

Meeting the people: Saravanan (right) speaking to some of the PPR Kg Muhibbah residents.

He said the ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall had no jurisdiction to question any decision made by the Cabinet.

“The residents should be receiving relocation notices by the end of this month,” he said during a visit to PPR Kg Muhibbah in Puchong on Thursday.

However, he said both MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and the MIC Supreme Council were urging the government to delay the move.

He added that Samy Vellu would also discuss the matter with the Deputy Prime Minister, who also chairs the special Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs.

The residents have been staying at the longhouses as temporary accommodation since the 1980s following the Government’s acquisition of the Bukit Kiara estate.

They claimed that they were promised proper flats at the same site.

The residents had earlier rejected the option to move to PPR Kg Muhibbah as it would be too far for them, as they mostly worked around Bukit Kiara.

Meanwhile, Saravanan said squatters from the Kampung Pandan Indian Settlement would move in to the recently completed new phase of PPR Kg Muhibbah by March and would stay there temporarily until the completion of new flats at the site of the settlement.

“Even though the construction is estimated to take about two years, we are confident that they can return to the old site earlier than they think,” he said.

The 250 squatter families in Kampung Pandan earlier rejected the offer to move to PPR Kg Muhibbah due to concerns over proximity, medical facilities and public transportation.

They later sought Public Complaints Bureau chief Senator T. Murugiah’s help to be relocated to a site in Sungai Besi which is 15 minutes away, but the move caused a brief spat between the two leaders.

Saravanan said the ministry was also looking for appropriate locations within the PPR to set up a worship place and a funeral parlour for the Indian community.

“Those under medical attention can also write in to prove to us that they need to stay near to certain medical institutions. We will assess the cases and facilitate their needs if necessary,” he said.

Asked about public transportation for the PPR dwellers, he said the ministry was working together with the relevant parties to provide the facility for not only Kg Muhibbah, but also other PPR in the city.

PPR Kg Muhibbah houses about 8,000 residents who moved in four years ago. Three of the 12 blocks are still vacant.