Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has rescinded the demolition order for Bukit Jalil Estate - the last standing plantation estate in Kuala Lumpur.

NONE His deputy, M Saravanan, told the 41 families who live in the estate of the minister's decision at a meeting this morning.

“The Federal Territories Ministry, Human Resources Ministry, National Union of Plantation Workers and the Housing Committee of DBKL (city hall) will be sitting together to find out exactly what these former estate workers are entitled to,” he said.

NONE The Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur has ordered the former estate workers to vacate their homes as the land has been earmarked for a modern cemetery and a crematorium.

The Bukit Jalil estate residents were given an eviction notice on July 20. The eviction notice stipulated that the residents must make a decision on the DBKL’s compensation offer by tonight.

In a last-minute attempt to save their homes, the residents had submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak yesterday. They requested Najib to give them more time to consider the compensation offer given by the city hall.

“The prime minister has told us to sort out the problem of the residents first before taking any drastic measure, such as demolition,” explained Saravanan.

From estate workers to squatters

When contacted, residents’ spokesperson S Thiakarajan told Malaysiakini that the affected families are, for the first time, recognised as estate workers.

NONE “All these years, they have addressed us as squatters,” he lamented.

 

A fresh round of discussion will start soon but the ex-estate workers are apprehensive over the outcome.

“I think that’s why they want National Union of Plantation Workers and the workers representative to be part of discussion,” said Thiakarajan, who has been engaged in negotiations with various parties for over 20 years on behalf of the affected families.

With today’s minor victory, the residents hope that they will finally get what they have been demanding for - not only alternative housing but also a fair compensation.

Demolition postponed, not cancelled

In a later development, Raja Nong Chik told Malaysiakini that they are not cancelling the demolition of the estate house but merely postponing it (to an uncorfirmed date).

He also said that the residents of the Bukit Jalil estate has been served with 11 notices on the demolition to date.

When probed on the demand of the residents to have a low-cost terrace house just like their former neighbouring Kinrara estate, Raja Nong Chik said it is out of the question.

“We already offered them PPR housing and written guarantees to sell the flats to them”, said the minister after officially opening the newly-built 1Malaysia flyover on Jalan Travers.

However the minister also said that the stakeholders and NGOs still have a lot of time to discuss this and come to a conclusion.

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