Then (2007):<\/p>\n
Workers get option to buy houses<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe workers in Tuan Mee, Caledonia and Coalfield estates will be the main beneficiaries,\u201d he told voters at a community centre.<\/p>\n Tuan Mee\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Samy Vellu said the estate workers had put forward a proposal for the houses two days ago.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is how the Barisan Nasional Government works. We discuss and got the approvals within a short time for the benefit of the estate people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He said that there would also be other infrastructure like schools, temples and a playing field<\/strong><\/span> that would help to upgrade the standard of living of the people.<\/p>\n 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<\/strong><\/span>. [still got two room houses ah???]<\/p>\n \n<\/blockquote>\n Samy Vellu also added<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n He said this came under the Selangor government\u2019s regulations requiring estate owners to provide housing schemes for the workers.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will also ask for agriculture land <\/strong><\/span>so that the people can farm and cultivate vegetables to raise their income,\u201d he added. 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.<\/p>\n He claimed that when opposition candidate Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was at the helm in Guthrie, he had opposed housing schemes for estate workers.<\/p>\n \u201cHe (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.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n in 2009, Xavier said this<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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,\u201d he said, adding that Coalfield Estate workers in Subang also successfully fought for their cause<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In late 2009, there were attempts<\/strong><\/a> to relocate workers to other estates. Also, workers couldn’t afford to buy the houses allocated to them due to inability to obtain loans.<\/p>\n Now:<\/p>\n\n
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\nHe 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.<\/p>\n\n