MPAJ - The Evil Authority.
This morning Bernama released a report on the plight of squatters who are bona fide Malaysian citizens in Ulu Klang. On reading it I was reminded of the footages I've seen on CNN where Israeli tanks steamrolled into Palestinian territory destroying everything in sight and the unarmed, hapless population could only look on. The report tells us of the extreme cruelty of the Ampang Municipal Council (MPAJ) enforcement authorities, the partiality they practice towards non-citizens especially Indonesians who perhaps have bribed them outright, to be spared the demolishers' wrath and the indifference shown by their officers towards the suffering inflicted on fellow citizens. All because they are poor and have no recourse to anyone who will help them. Ironically this report was released on our 49th Merdeka Day!(August 31, 2006 00:50 AM) Read on.....
......Squatters in Batu 8 in Ulu Klang here, whose homes were demolished earlier this month to make way for development, want the government to keep its promise to provide them with alternative housing and monetary compensation. "We only want what is right and what has been promised to us. We are not against development or the government," said Khairuddin Mohamad, 44, who said that he spoke on behalf of the affected squatters.
Khairuddin, who said he represented some 100 squatters who had lived there, said the Ampang Municipal Council (MPAJ) had demolished their homes on Aug 1 without notice. He said that most of them were low-income earners and could not afford to rent houses elsewhere, prompting 15 families to raise tents in the area, while the others shifted elsewhere or stayed with their relatives.
He said that last Friday, MPAJ personnel again came and this time tore down their tents to get rid of them. Parts of the place were also blocked off using zinc fences. "They tore everything down without any regards to our things and equipment. It rained heavily that evening, so we raised our tents again as we have nowhere else to go. We have to live inside tents without electricity and water supply," he told Bernama when met at his family's tent there.
The retired soldier, who now works as a labourer, has lived there since the 1970's with his wife and three children aged 22, 18 and 14.
What amazed them was that other squatters, mostly Indonesians, living adjacent to their area were not disturbed by the local authorities.
"When we asked them (MPAJ) why the adjacent squatter area was not demolished, they replied that they do not know, and that they were just doing their jobs. We feel there is no justice," Khairuddin said.
He said the action to demolish their homes was made after the Shah Alam High Court on July 31 rejected their appeal to move only when their new homes were ready. "Under the agreement we made with the government in 2005, we were to move immediately when the low-cost houses, being built at Sungai Sering, Ukay Perdana, are completed in 2007. "The government had also promised to give RM400 a month compensation as rent for the new place for two years, and RM500 to rent a lorry for shifting expenses.
"The problem now is that the houses, being built since 2005, are not ready because of being abandoned. The construction work on them also seemed to have proceeded at a snail's pace as though on purpose, so much so that only a few percent of the project was done," he said.
Khairuddin said the land they were occupying was previously owned by the government, but between 2004 and 2005, it was bought over by a developer.
He hoped that the government and other relevant authorities would come and see their plight and discuss with them possible solutions to the issue.
"Since the demolition, none of MPAJ's representatives have come to see us and help find a solution to our problem. In fact, Ulu Klang Assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Bujang, has also never come to this place or is aware of our existence," he said, adding that MPAJ should send its representatives to hold a dialogue with them for not keeping its promises.
**** As you would have read by now, even the elected representative, the Yang Berhormat who fought tooth and nail to be elected to 'serve the people' could not be bothered. Why should he? These are not rich people, he's already got his mandatory Datuk title and has probably started 'saving' enough for a rainy day. The last thing he needs to hinder his 'struggle' for bangsa dan negara are these troublemakers.
Selamat Hari Merdeka everyone!!!
......Squatters in Batu 8 in Ulu Klang here, whose homes were demolished earlier this month to make way for development, want the government to keep its promise to provide them with alternative housing and monetary compensation. "We only want what is right and what has been promised to us. We are not against development or the government," said Khairuddin Mohamad, 44, who said that he spoke on behalf of the affected squatters.
Khairuddin, who said he represented some 100 squatters who had lived there, said the Ampang Municipal Council (MPAJ) had demolished their homes on Aug 1 without notice. He said that most of them were low-income earners and could not afford to rent houses elsewhere, prompting 15 families to raise tents in the area, while the others shifted elsewhere or stayed with their relatives.
He said that last Friday, MPAJ personnel again came and this time tore down their tents to get rid of them. Parts of the place were also blocked off using zinc fences. "They tore everything down without any regards to our things and equipment. It rained heavily that evening, so we raised our tents again as we have nowhere else to go. We have to live inside tents without electricity and water supply," he told Bernama when met at his family's tent there.
The retired soldier, who now works as a labourer, has lived there since the 1970's with his wife and three children aged 22, 18 and 14.
What amazed them was that other squatters, mostly Indonesians, living adjacent to their area were not disturbed by the local authorities.
"When we asked them (MPAJ) why the adjacent squatter area was not demolished, they replied that they do not know, and that they were just doing their jobs. We feel there is no justice," Khairuddin said.
He said the action to demolish their homes was made after the Shah Alam High Court on July 31 rejected their appeal to move only when their new homes were ready. "Under the agreement we made with the government in 2005, we were to move immediately when the low-cost houses, being built at Sungai Sering, Ukay Perdana, are completed in 2007. "The government had also promised to give RM400 a month compensation as rent for the new place for two years, and RM500 to rent a lorry for shifting expenses.
"The problem now is that the houses, being built since 2005, are not ready because of being abandoned. The construction work on them also seemed to have proceeded at a snail's pace as though on purpose, so much so that only a few percent of the project was done," he said.
Khairuddin said the land they were occupying was previously owned by the government, but between 2004 and 2005, it was bought over by a developer.
He hoped that the government and other relevant authorities would come and see their plight and discuss with them possible solutions to the issue.
"Since the demolition, none of MPAJ's representatives have come to see us and help find a solution to our problem. In fact, Ulu Klang Assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Bujang, has also never come to this place or is aware of our existence," he said, adding that MPAJ should send its representatives to hold a dialogue with them for not keeping its promises.
**** As you would have read by now, even the elected representative, the Yang Berhormat who fought tooth and nail to be elected to 'serve the people' could not be bothered. Why should he? These are not rich people, he's already got his mandatory Datuk title and has probably started 'saving' enough for a rainy day. The last thing he needs to hinder his 'struggle' for bangsa dan negara are these troublemakers.
Selamat Hari Merdeka everyone!!!
Labels: Cruelty., Majlis Mania., Toyolism, Unmitigated Greed.
posted by The Malaysian. at 8/31/2006 11:37:00 AM
4 Comments:
MPAJ is among the worst of the worst Majlis. I have many bad experience with them. Almost all in my neighborhood face problems with them. PM should force the mentri besar to probe the majlis. Everything is money for the work they do. No duit kopi means no work. the boss are also corrupt and no one is taking action. Jahanam dia semua.
MPAJ, MPSJ, MPPJ, or any of this Majlis perbandaran are all same. Malas to the core. Is right to call them little Napoleons. Berkhidmat utk diri sendiri.
What's Pak Lah going to do about the deplorable state of affairs. What's happened to the National Integrity Plan, the fight against corruption, etc. etc. that he promised when he became PM?
hamba abdi majlis, some say that the MB is part of the problem, so I wonder how useful it would be to ask him to intervene.
semboyan, you are very correct in describing these local authorities as working for diri sendiri. But they don't seem to care.
anonymous, we are still at the 'talk the talk' stage. I don't know if between that and 'walk'
there is a 'crawl' stage, in which case these issues will probably see the light of day by 2020.
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