Posts Tagged ‘Selangor’

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Puchong devotee burn himself over Temple or School issue

November 9th, 2010
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I think this is the talk of the town at the moment. This temple is near my house and I visit it few times a year. I even have its website on my blog roll. Its a well known temple, and currently they are on a donation drive to build a wedding hall. Was supposed to donate, but now I want to find out more info before giving away money.  The temple is just next to SJKT Castlefield and is blocked from from LDP by the new furniture shop.

A temple devotee (also MIC Puchong Information Chief – according to a twitter message) burned himself in protest over temple demolition. More news came out later and things became clear. There is no temple demolition, but two “structures’  – one is a toilet and the other is a large storage room to keep the temple chariot and other stuff. The story (according to the news articles below) goes like this:

  1. Land belongs to school. (But one report says the land is government reserve land).
  2. 10 years ago, temple asks the land to be temporarily used by temple and promise to return it when school needs it. School builds storage room and toilet. Some say the proposed new multi-purpose hall is proposed to be located on this land as well.
  3. School gets RM500k grant from Education Ministry to built pre-school. School says it wants the land given to temple earlier and writes to temple. Says no reply from temple. More discussions, but not fruitful. Grant will be revoked if no location is identified by year end, whereas temple wants 1 year grace period to relocate toilet and storage room.
  4. School contacts MBSJ. MBSJ issues notice to evacuate on Oct 26.
  5. After discussion, demolition postponed to after Deepavali.
  6. When the demolition team came yesterday, the guy climbed on the roof and threated to set himself on fire. One RELA member says a gust of wind caused the lighter flame to change direction and ignite the kerosene-soaked clothers. The brother claims got people instigate him. [Maybe Lord Perumal is upset and showing his power? You can’t play the fool with God.]
  7. The victim taken to hospital and buildings demolished. A meeting was held and the temple given another 7 days to relocate the storage room material. Problem considered solved by MBSJ councillor.

Its indeed a sad day for the Indian community when two of the important icons for us – the tamil school and the temple – get embroiled in such shameful incident. How can things end up like this? Lord Perumal is sure to be unhappy with this kind of attitude from His subjects.

For me, the pre-school  is more important. One friend suggested that both can co-exist, but I think this will cause problems. I can’t foresee both sides able to be tolerant, patient and well-planned in order to co-share a building.

HRP organised candle light vigil at Anwar Ibrahim’s house, attended by MIC folks as well, in protest of the incident. They also planned to submit a memorandum but its seems Anwar is conveniently missing at that time. While its OK to submit memo and do candle light vigils, I hope HRP can take other action as well, like getting the two groups (school and temple) to TALK and COME to a solution. Then, gather everyone and submit a proposal to state/federal government. That would have been a feather in HRP cap, but now, the candle light vigil and memo submission became “just another activity”. However, HRP did point out that the government reserve land next to temple can be allocated to the temple to solve the problem.

I wonder where’s the area MP and ADUN. Busy getting thrown out of parliament, visiting open houses, tired from by-elections, or simply not bothered?

News from Malaysiakini:

A temple devotee in Pusat Bandar Puchong was rushed to the hospital this morning after dousing himself with petrol and lighting up over fears that part of his temple would be demolished by the local authorities.

M Chakragunasegaran, 52, is now in critical condition at the Serdang Hospital after police and members of the temple committee doused the flames, by which time he had lost consciousness.

Temple committee secretary K Dharmalingam, 49, said he was in the midst of early morning prayers at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple – situated in a Tamil school compound – when a commotion broke out and he heard Chakragunasegaran shouting, “Don’t demolish the temple!”

NONEEnforcement officers from the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), police officers and men and members of the volunteer defence corp Rela had arrived to demolish a room that had served to store temple equipment, to make way for a pre-school.

After Chakragunasegaran was taken to hospital, Dharmalingam said, the local council personnel went about demolishing the storage room.

He said a notice had been issued on Oct 26, directing the committee members to vacate the storage room for the pre-school.

However, he is disappointed that the authorities did not give them sufficient time to vacate the area.

“It’s been 10 years since this temple was built. The land on which it stands is reserve land,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

NONEAnother temple committee member, T Pukalenthy, 42, said the school had allowed the construction of the additional building 10 years ago.

“The demolition was not appropriate. They should have told the temple management earlier,” he said.

MPSJ councillor KN Michael Tamilarason said a meeting was held late this morning, involving representatives of political parties, enforcement agencies, the school and the temple committee.

According to him, it was agreed that the demolition of the storage room would be put on hold for a week.

“The school authorities have agreed to give the temple committee seven days to move the equipment in the storage room. The problem has been solved,” Tamilarason told Malaysiakini.

Enforcement personnel have put up a fence around the area.

According to Bernama, Serdang police chief Abdul Razak Elias said Chakragunasegaran suffered burns to the body and face.

“The incident occured at 9.30am when 200 MPSJ workers, police and Rela members began the operation.

“A man shouted don’t demolish, set himself ablaze and then fainted. He was saved by members of the public,” he said.

The police had lodged a report on the incident at Puchong police station at noon today, Abdul Razak added.

From the Star:

A MAN set himself on fire in protest against the demolition of an illegal structure at a temple by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) at the Puchong Industrial Park yesterday.

The person, identified as Chakara Guna, was sent to the Serdang Hospital for treatment.

No more: The illegal temple structures, comprising a toilet and a store room, being demolished.

A Rela member S. Magen said the man repeatedly doused himself with kerosene and threatened to set himself on fire on different occasions around the area.

“Around 9.45am, he pulled the same stunt while holding a cigarette lighter. Suddenly, the wind blew towards him and his kerosene-soaked body accidentally caught fire,” he said.

A meeting was held later in the morning after the incident. It was attended by MIC Youth chief T. Mohan, representatives from MPSJ town planning department and MPSJ councillor Michael Tamilarason.

According to SJK (T) Castlefield, Puchong board of directors chairman Nagamuthu, the issue began four years ago when the land surveyors came and certified that the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple’s store room and toilet were built on school land.

“We wanted to apply for a land title in 2007 and a licence survey was conducted.

“We had a meeting with representatives from the education department, Land Office, Parent-Teacher Association and the temple.

“The temple representatives agreed to demolish the structures when the school needed to utilise the land,” he said.

About six months ago, the school received a RM500,000 grant from the Education Ministry to build two kindergartens.

“We wrote to the temple committee members asking them to move out but our request fell on deaf ears.

“Last month, we were informed by the ministry that the grants will be withdrawn if we did not identify the land for the kindergartens,” he said.

He added that they sought advice from the police and MPSJ to solve the issue as “the temple representatives were adamant”.

“The council put up a notice on Oct 26 that the structures be taken down in a week’s time.

“The demolition of the structures was supposed to be done last week but it was only carried out yesterday after requests from several political leaders to postpone it to after Deepavali,” he said.

At the meeting, the temple representatives asked to be given a year to relocate the temple’s toilet and store room but the school representatives declined.

Mohan and Michael were on hand to calm both parties when the discussion turned into a heated argument.

According to Mohan, it was decided the government reserve land next to the temple will be used temporarily until the temple completes the construction of the store room and toilet within the temple grounds.

Nagamuthu said the cost of the demolition and the temporary building will be borne by the school board.

The temple committee adviser could not be contacted for comments at press time.

More info from Malaysiakini, this time coverage on the brother of the devotee claiming the brother was instigated:

The younger brother of the temple devotee who burned himself yesterday over the demolition of part of his temple’s storage room alleged today that several persons were on the roof with M Chakragunasegaran and issued ‘challenges’ against the latter.

NONEM Alejandran claimed that his brother was only feigning the attempt at self-immolation, and suggested further that he was goaded into carrying out the act by the said individuals. 

“Who would want to burn himself? My brother was only bluffing,” Alegandran told Malaysiakini when contacted.

“I was told that there were individuals who had gone up to the roof to order my brother to come down, and they issued threats against him.

“Because of his fear (of them), my brother got burned,” he added.

NONESeparate police reports were lodged by family members of Chakragunasegaran as well as by the committee members of the Sri Srinivasa Perumal temple in Pusat Bandar Puchong, Selangor, where the incident happened yesterday.

In the drama that unfolded, Chakragunasegaran had climbed to the roof of the temple and pleaded for enforcement officers from the local council, police and members of volunteer defence corp Rela not to demolish a room that had served to store temple materials.

This followed the issuance of a notice directing the committee of the temple – which is situated within the compound of government school – to vacate the ten-year-old storage room to make way for a pre-school.

After Chakragunasegaran had doused himself with petrol and set himself on fire, he fell off the roof and became unconscious, and was said to have been in critical condition. 

Chakragunasegaran has since stabilised and was transferred from the Selayang Hospital to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. 

The demolition exercise has been suspended for a week after negotiations between the enforcement authorities and representatives of political parties and the temple committee.

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Inter-faith and inter-racial relationship is NOT easy!

November 2nd, 2010
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I read the coverage of the final hearing for Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) draft plan as reported by The Star below, and could only shake my head in wonder. There’s so many complications and factors involved in deciding things like location of places of worship , crematorium and cemeteries, and schools. Have to consider the feelings of the various stakeholders, and the “relative” rights of individual (we live in an unequal rights country).

Its well-known that approval for non-Muslim place of worships is rarely given, thus some of them are located in shoplots and houses (can easily find many churches in my area).  Even the statistics are not proven to be correct, and often misused to say that there’s too many temples for population ratio. I think the government should fund an study to count the number of places of worship in the country. Can arrange for some research company to do it, and overseen by relevant ministries, respective state/district authorities and NGOs.

Another problem is cemetery. No one wants a cemetery next to their house (I think even mentioned in Hinduism scriptures to built house away from cemetery and crematorium) as it brings a negative conotation and usually leads to lower property value. Problem is, the people also want to have a burial place/crematorioum “nearby” for convenience, but as long as not “too near”. Its not easy to find such “ideal” location that can please everyone, but the effort must be undertaken. Let more public participation to take place so that can brainstorm better suggestions. Maybe MPAJ (or other authorities as well) can’t solve every problem because they are not smart enough or lack manpower.

Same goes for school relocation. If the majority population in an area is Chinese or Indian (or even if not majority,  25% and above will do), then should allocate enough space for both national school and vernacular school. If not, how to relocate schools from rural/underutilised areas? You can’t expect many sizeable areas to be 70-80% population by Chinese or Indian community, and then only want to relocate schools there.

THE Buddhist and Christian communities in Ampang are worried over the lack of space to build temples and churches following the final hearing for the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) draft plan yesterday.

Selangor Buddhist Development Committee (SBDC) secretary Chua Teck Seong said the Selangor Planning Guidelines and Standards from the Town and Country Planning Department, released in June 2006, stated that for non-Muslims, there should be a place of worship for every 2,600 devotees or 5,000 residents.

“Taking the figures from the 2000 census carried out by the National Statistics Department, there are 160,748 Buddhists in Ampang and therefore there should be 62 temples here,” he said.

He pointed out that there were only three sites in Ampang allocated in the draft plan for non-Muslims’ places of worship.

Another religion-based issue discussed at the hearing was Charis Christian Association spokesman Chok Poi Fong’s request for a Christian crematorium in Ampang.

Making his point: Ee speaking at the hearing as Lee (seated right) looks on.

“The nearest one is in Cheras and there is one in Petaling Jaya and Seremban respectively. Not only is the one in Cheras far away but it often breaks down and has a long wait-list,” Chok said during the hearing, adding that the crematorium could be shared by churches in the area.

State Housing, Building Management and Squatters Committee chairman Iskandar Abdul Samad, who chaired the hearing, said there was a discrepancy in the statistics provided by the religious groups who attended the hearing.

“For instance, we have been told at the hearing by SBDC that there are fewer than 10 temples in Ampang, but we know of two registered ones and another 24 which operate in homes and shoplots,” he said.

He said that according to state records, there were 10 Hindu temples, two Gurdwaras and 22 churces in Ampang.

“The state Town and Country Planning Department will have to meet with these groups and figure out these discrepancies,” he said.

Another issue heard was the proposal to allocate land for a Muslim cemetery in Taman Bukit Permai 2 that was met with both objections and support from the residents who turned up.

Pangsapuri Anggerik Joint Management Body (JMB) chairman A. Karim Mohd Esin said there was a critical need for a Muslim cemetery in Ampang.

“We support the gazetting of the land which is just next to our apartment and separated by a ditch.

“However, we would like to suggest that the community hall that will be built in the buffer zone to also have a surau and a funeral parlour,” he said.

Opposing the cemetery plan was resident Julia Long, 48, who said that it was unfair to the residents who had been living there since 2000 to have to put up with a cemetery beside their homes.

“When we bought our houses, the master plan indicated that the land next to our area was a forest reserve. I would prefer it to remain as such,” she said.

She added that bulldozers and excavators had tried to level the forest in 2008 without residents’ knowledge and it was only stopped after the latter appealed to MPAJ.

“A cemetery will mean increase in traffic in the area, she said, adding that she did not want any kind of development taking place at the site.

Another resident, Sara Chan, 44, said she would approve of the building community facilities like playgrounds at the site.

“Our property value will drop if a cemetery is built and I do not think that is right,” Chan added.

Another hot topic at the hearing was the issue of primary vernacular schools.

“We have received objections from five residents of Bukit Indah who do not want SJK (T) Ampang to be relocated to their area.

“We have also received petitions from residents who want part of a land to be used for a national school in Taman Saga to be given to the building of a Tamil vernacular school,” said Iskandar.

Taman Pandan Glades Residents’ Association chairman Terence Ee and Teratai assemblyman Jenice Lee voiced their support for the construction of a vernacular Chinese primary school in the open space along Jalan Perdana 6/2 in Pandan Perdana.

“I believe only a portion of the 2.45ha land is needed for such a school. The rest can still remain as an open space,” said Lee.

Iskandar said that the hearing, the last of four held for the MPAJ draft plan, was very good as residents came armed with facts and relevant arguments.

“All the information, suggestions and objections we have heard will be discussed at the State Planning Committee along with experts in December,” he said.

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Update on Crematorium proposal in Subang Jaya

October 28th, 2010
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Yup, Batu 14 Puchong is in Subang Jaya municipality.

We hear from the MPSJ president himself on the status of the crematorium. Earlier, there was a commotion during MPSJ’s budget meeting when the crematorium was mentioned. Read it here.

A crematorium is needed in Subang Jaya municipality following the rapid population growth over the past 10 years.

However, before the facility is constructed, a few details have to be taken into consideration, such as research, location, design of the building and cremator, cost and allocation as well as the management of the facility.

We also have to ensure the crematorium is equipped with a foyer, a small office, toilets and sufficient parking bays.

Since the crematorium is fitted with two cremators, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) has to select a suitable site that will not raise opposition from residents.

Suggestion: The proposed site for the crematorium is on a plot of land which is part of the Hindu cemetery in Batu 14, Puchong.

Our planning department has suggested a plot of land that is part of the Hindu cemetery in Batu 14, Puchong, which is accessible by Jalan Bunga Kertas.

We need to get skilled consulting engineer for the construction of this crematorium for the design should incorporate the machines and equipments.

We also have to identify the types of machines to be used.

The construction cost is estimated at RM1.2mil, including the building structure (RM500,000), cremators (RM650,000) and Tenaga application fees (RM50,000).

Lastly, we also have to decide if the facility should be privatised or remain under MPSJ.

The appointment of a consulting engineer for the project was raised in the Finance and Assessment Committee meeting in July, and later, discussed in the Technical and Finance Consulting Committee meetings in August and October.

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Misleading Publicity by YB Sungai Pinang

September 8th, 2010
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I’m flabbergasted to say the least! This looks like a case of misleading the public. Teng Chang Kim should have not put the word “sumbangan” as it means contribution (but rakyat like me usually associate it with “donation”). Obviously its not the assemblyman’s contribution but actually from Selangor government. This doesn’t sound right to me at all.

Consider the amount of money wasted to print or emboss on each of the items.

Everywhere you turn looks like seeing his name.  Silap-silap, end up get cursed instead of praise. Cannot be like this la YB.

SELANGOR Speaker Teng Chang Khim’s name is found written all over the place at public parks in the Sungai Pinang constituency.

The Sungai Pinang assemblyman seems to have adopted a bold strategy by displaying his name on benches, gazebos and playground equipment provided by him to the constituents.

However, Teng’s action has not gone well with some of the residents in the constituency which covers a large part of North Klang town, Taman Eng Ann and a section of Jalan Meru.

Nothing spared: A slide in the playground bearing the Speaker’s name.

These residents felt that the move to display the assemblyman’s name as a contributor of the facilities was misleading especially when public funds were used to provide them.

A check by StarMetro following tip-off from a Klang resident, revealed that there were some 110 parks and playing fields in the constituency with Teng’s name displayed on the benches, gazebos and playground equipment.

Each venue has between three and seven benches. A few of them have facilities like playground equipment and three parks has gazebos.

Based on the information provided on the equipment, it was learnt that the assemblyman had started displaying his name on the facilities since 2008 after Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor.

All the benches, gazebos and playground equipment displayed his name — as the contributor of the facilities.

For all to see: A signage in Malay and Mandarin on a gazebo stating it was a contribution from the Sungai Pinang assemblyman (why no English and Tamil?)

Checks also revealed that the names on the benches were very bold as they occupied almost the entire space of the back rest of the concrete structures.

The white coloured concrete benches had black prints which stated (Sumbangan dari Teng Chang Khim Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri 2008) Contributed by Teng Chang Khim, state assemblyman 2008 and the third line written in Mandarin.

Some of the benches have the year 2010 printed to indicate the year the benches were provided.

The check also revealed that a white rectangle signboard was placed on the entrance of the each of gazebos with similar information provided in red characters.

All the playground equipment had a square black plastic signage with golden square lining and characters. They stood majestic on the colourful PVC board.

These black pieces had Bahasa Malaysia wordings stating that they were contributed by “Speaker, Teng Chang Khim”.

Some residents claimed the number of public facilities bearing Teng’s name have increased over the last two years and the situation had caused confusion among the public.

They said most people have been misled into believing that the facillities were provided by Teng through his personal contribution.

And the situation has attracted strong criticism from voters in the constituency who felt there was no need for Teng to advertise himself in this manner since he was duty bound to serve the constituents.

A resident who alerted the StarMetro on the existence of what she viewed as a strange practice by the Speaker questioned Teng’s sincerity.

In a strong tone of voice, the caller who declined to be identified said, this is clear misuse of authority by the assemblyman.

“How can he take credit for facilities that have been provided to the people from the public funds especially when his action gives an impression that he had used his own money to do so.

“It does not go well when some of the labels also stated that it was contributed by the Speaker,’’ she said,

While the majority of the residents were appreciative of Teng’s contribution in his official capacity as the elected representative, some of them felt that the presence of his name on the facilities at the public parks and fields in the constituency does not reflect well on the Speaker.

They described Teng’s action as uncalled for and felt that the assemblyman had gone overboard by displaying his name on these objects.

Social worker Peter Tan said it was clear that the assemblyman cum Speaker had became power crazy by seeking cheap advertisement for himself.

Teng, he said, had adopted an “ungentlemanly” approach to seek political mileage for carrying out his responsibility as a state assemblyman.

“You can see his name scattered all over the parks from the benches to gazebos and I wonder from where he got such an idea.

“I think he is getting too obsessed over his position especially after becoming the Selangor State Assembly Speaker from an opposition assemblyman in the past,” said Tan who is Taman Eng Ann resident and a voter in the Sungai Pinang constituency.

Law Chee Keen, 45, of Taman Gembira said he was taken aback when he first spotted the name of the assemblyman on the benches at a park in his housing estate about two years ago.

He said most residents from the housing estate were of the impression that the facilities were contributed personally by Teng.

“Initially, there were only benches with his name on the park but now we even have playground equipment and gazebos.

“We are happy that the assemblyman has provided us with these facilites but putting his name on them sounds strange,’’ he said

K. W. Tan, 56, from Jalan Serendit 9 of Taman Eng Ann said the park in front of his house had benches, a playground equipment and a gazebo with Teng’s name displayed on them.

He said he was unsure if the facilities were provided thorugh Teng’s personal money or allocation from the state but acknowledged that there was a need for the facilities in the area.

Tan said he was more concerned about the frequent flash flood problem in the area than the facilities at the park.

“We have been having sleepless nights for more than 10 years due to flash floods and we hope Teng can help us solve the problem,” he said.

YB Teng has this to say:

SUNGAI PINANG assemblyman Teng Chang Khim sees nothing wrong in putting his name on the benches, gazebos and playground equipment that had been provided to his constituents from state allocation.

Teng said he had been doing so since the Pakatan Rakyat won the Selangor state in the 2008 General Election in a move to show the voters the new administration was doing more things for the people now.

He said he had turned around the image of more than 10 open areas in the constituency into public parks.

“Most of these venues used to be just plain fields but now they have benches, gazebos and mini playground facilities.

“The facilities will encourage the residents including children to come out of their homes and get involved in outdoor actitivies as a community,” he said.

Teng said he had spent 30% from his RM500,000 annual allocation for providing park facilities in his constituency.

He said he was very focussed in his efforts to turn the plain grounds in the constituency into a recreational area for the community.

“At the same time, I want the public to be aware that I am doing my part to make their life better than what it was in the past.

“Just in three years since PR took over, I have been able to bring about so much changes that I was unable to do in the past,” he confessed.

Furthermore, Teng said, the Klang Municipal Council was in the red and had ran out of money to offer the residents with this sort of facilities.

However, he said, things had changed for the better for the people now as he was in the position to offer them such facilities.

“In fact, I was in a way assisting the council so that it can be relieved of some of the financial burden,” he said.

On displaying his name, Teng said, it was aimed at sending a clear message to the people on his contribution as a Pakatan assemblyman.

When asked why some of the singanges had addressed him as Speaker, he said, it was merely for easy identification.

“The wordings are printed according to the availability of the space and it does not matter if it says speaker or assemblyman, both refers to me,” he added.

Me thinks, best if you edit the signages to say “peruntukan Kerajaan Negeri Selangor melalui YB Sungai Pinang tahun [xxxx]”. The word “peruntukan” means “allocation” which is more accurate than “contribution”.

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Coalfields Estate problem never ending

August 3rd, 2010
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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?

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