Nine families formerly residing in Kampung Buah Pala are insisting that the state government has not resolved the issue of their eviction from the site, despite claiming publicly so.

The families said they are yet to receive any compensation from the developer and protested against banners displayed during Thaipusam last week that said "Penang Pakatan Rakyat Government delivered its promises".

NONE The banners also carried pictures of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy.

"The banners imply that all the residents there have been compensated," said Kampung Buah Pala Residents Association chairperson M Sugumaran.

Site cleared for upmarket condominium

"This is misleading. Out of 33 families originally residing there, only 24 families have been compensated," Sugumaran said.

Lim announced last November that the Penang government had not driven out a single person from Kampung Buah Pala or Kampung Pokok Asam, despite being allowed by the court to do so.

The 6.5-acre land, once known as Penang Tamils High Chaparral for its long history of cattle breeding, is being cleared for an expensive condominium project, called Oasis.

Lim said the state had resolved the villagers' woes by getting the developer, Nusmetro Venture Sdn Bhd, to agree to build 24 units of double-storey terrace houses for them.

However, nine of the 33 families affected by the project say they have yet to receive any compensation from the developer, or help from the state government.

They are now living in rented premises, while continuing their struggle for better compensation for moving out of their houses.

Sugumaran also said the state government had "given the developer a 50 percent discount on the land conversion premium" so that it could compensate the residents there.

"We believe the state government has our welfare at heart, and as such we appeal to it to look into the matter...we kindly request the state to consider our plight," he added.