I guess many cases of residents being hung out to dry, have helped to create awareness among similar cases. People won’t simply belief what authorities said because more often than not, its been stories of failures, abandoned projects, and promises not kept. The residents also want to get the possible deal and don’t consider relocating if the location is far. That’s why some of the development projects face difficulties in moving out the residents (or sometimes labelled as squatters).

Anyway, I smiled to myself when I read what one of the councillor said: “It is difficult to convince the residents that it will be finished but they have to take it in good faith,” she added.

Good faith? You gotta be kidding right? 🙂

THERE is some hope for the 35 families staying in the PJS 1 longhouse in Taman Petaling Utama as they have agreed to the rent money and ex-gratia payment until the proposed low-cost flats project in the area is completed.

Residents were offered RM500 in rent for two years and RM2,280 as relocation compensation.

The families have been staying at the transit homes for 10 years now while waiting for the low-cost flats promised to them, but the project was delayed indefinitely due to legal and technical problems.

The wait was further prolonged when the longhouse occupants refused to move to PPR Lembah Subang.

The matter has become more urgent now as the federal land on which the longhouse is located would be taken back for the construction of a school in Jalan PJS 1/52.

Another site, in Jalan PJS 1/52, has been proposed for a new block of low-cost flats. The units are offered at RM35,000 each.

The developer has also agreed for the temple in the area to be relocated near the low-cost flats.

The National Unity and Integration Department had issued a cheque for RM30,000 as compensation while the state government had also given RM20,000 for the temple relocation.

During a meeting yesterday, the residents, who were represented by S. Velan, said they wanted the Petaling Jaya City Council (MPBJ) or state government to guarantee the rent should the low-cost flats project take more than two years to complete.

The meeting was held at the MBPJ multipurpose hall in PJS1, Petaling Utama, with the affected residents.

Velan also said they wanted to see details on the sales and purchase agreement for the low-cost flats before signing.

“Right now, it all sounds good but based on our past experiences we’d rather not take any chances. So, we want everything in black and white for the rent and guarantees,” he said.

MBPJ town planning department assistant director Mohd Bakri Salleh said they would ask the National Housing Board to help the families with bank interests during the construction of the project.

Councillor Associate Professor Dr Melasutra Md Ali said perhaps a task force would be set up to oversee the development of the low-cost unit project.

She said this was to ensure the development took place within the time frame given.

“It is difficult to convince the residents that it will be finished but they have to take it in good faith,” she added.

This is what NST reported:

Thirty-five long house residents in PJS1 have refused to move out because the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has only given a verbal agreement to one of their demands. The residents are to be relocated to make way for the last of the long-house families in PJS 1 to move out to make way for the construction of a primary school.

MBPJ issued an offer letter agreeing to pay them the ex gratia sum of RM2,280 each to cover moving costs after a meeting between the council representatives led by town planning assistant director Mohd Bakri Salleh, town planning assistant officer Kamariah Yahya and the residents yesterday.

However, the letter did not say that the council would pay each family RM500 a month for rental until the their low-cost flats were built, which MBPJ had agreed to do in earlier meetings with the residents.
The residents want the council to put what it has promised in writing as they are uncertain if the flats will be ready in two years’ time.

Residents’ representative Velan Subramanian, 32, said: “We are glad that the council has agreed to offer the ex gratia sum and has clearly stated it the offer letter. But the RM500 monthly rental is not stated anywhere in the letter. We want it in black and white.”

Velan said the residents have been informed by the council that the low-cost flats will be ready within two years. But he and his neighbours are worried that the construction of the low-cost flats might take longer than that.
The new flats are located opposite their present residence. It is not known how many blocks the flats will have but the residents have been allotted Block F.

All 35 residents have bought the flat priced at RM35,000 each.

“What if the construction work prolongs to three years. We will be in financial difficulties because we are already paying the interest to the bank for our yet-to-be-built low-cost flats.”
MBPJ has reiterated that the flats will be ready in two years and said that the flats will take two years to complete but the residents only want to move out when the flats are ready.

The residents have stated their case to the council representatives, who said MBPJ will look into it.

The construction of SRK PJS1 has been delayed by the residents’ reluctance to move out.

The 35 families are the last of the 276 families who first moved to the PJS1 long house residence seven years ago. Over the years, many of the families had moved elsewhere.

In June last year, the Education Ministry gave the green light for a primary school to be built there.

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