With pix by Michael Ong
GEORGE TOWN: Residents of Kampung Kastam here were given a brief reprieve after demolition works on the houses they were occupying, was called off, temporarily.
The 200-odd residents, who comprise of mostly retired customs officers and their families, were living in old government quarters for customs officers in the state.
They were served with a final eviction notice two weeks ago but had refused to leave their houses.
This morning representatives from the Federal Land and Mines Director-General Department (JKPTG) and utility companies as well as police arrived at Jalan Kampung Kastam to clear out the 8-acre site, which used to house quarters for customs officers in the state.
The site is being cleared to make way for the island’s first 1Malaysia Peoples Home (PR1MA) project, which comprises of some 2,000 units.
JKPTG’s Enforcement and Federal Revenue Division principal assistant director Mohd Rashidi Ruslan said all 114 houses were served with notices to leave the premises two years ago.
He said another ‘final notice’ was served to the “residents” two weeks ago, informing a demolition process was about to take place.
Rashidi said the current residents of the area were considered squatters as they were occupying the quarters illegally.
“The land and the properties at Kampung Kastam are owned by the Federal Land Commissioner. Those staying there are squatters,” he said when met at Jalan Kampung Kastam.
Rashidi said it violates the General Orders of the civil service for the custom officer or their families to stay in the houses after retirement.
“It is illegal for them to continue staying there,” he said.
Rashidi said to date, 37 of the houses were still occupied while the other 77, have been vacated.
“Today, 20 houses of the 77 that were vacated were demolished while the rest would be cleared out by tomorrow.
“The 37 houses that are occupied will not be demolished for now. We will give them some time,” he said.
It is learnt the squatters were offered a compensation of RM30,000 and a discounted rate on a PR1MA home, but they had refused to take them.
They had instead demanded for a “home-for-home” compensation.
A resident, Muhammad Musa Ramli, 50, said the developers in charge of the housing could have spoken to the remaining residents before going ahead with clearing.
“We are not against the clearing but at least show us some sympathy. We are only asking for another month for us to look for a place. We need time to move out,” he said when met by reporters.
Another resident claims that he has been paying rent for the unit, without knowing that the units were actually owned by the Federal government.
The 56-year-old man who refused to be named said he thought the quarters was owned by a customs officer and hence thought it was “okay” to rent them.
Meanwhile, Md Munawir Md Noor, 41, who claimed to be an in-law of one of the residents, called for the representatives to stop the clearing work .
“There are children and old people crying in the house because they are afraid.
“You are treating us like immigrants. Stop work and let’s discuss and talk over this,” Munawir had shouted to the representative and police.
Munawir had also tried to stop the backhoes.
The officer-in-charge of the Jelutong police station ASP Rohizat Halim had advised Munawir to stop interrupting the clearing works, or risk arrest.
Munawir refused to obey and was arrested by two officers for stopping a backhoe from clearing out rubble for the fifth time.