Unesco inspectors who are scheduled to visit George Town in July may be in for a rude shock if they are told about the last disappearing Tamil Catholic settlement in the heart of the city’s heritage zone.

Residents of the heritage village, nestled within the grounds of the ancient St Francis Xavier church, wants to approach the inspectors, who are visiting for the first time since George Town was listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.

NONE The group of about 50 families living in seven dilapidated homes wants to tell the international officials that a “living heritage” is about to be made extinct by none other than the Catholic Bishop of Penang, Antony Selvanayagam.

Selvanayagam became embroiled in the controversy as he owns the land title, courtesy of the  Roman Catholic Bishops (Incorporation) Act 1957.

Leading the group is resident Andrew Rajah, who said the group has exhausted several avenues including approaching Selvanayagam and the state government, all to no avail.

NONE Rajah ( right ), who is Jelutong PPP division chief, alleged that the bishop had ignored their appeal, despite being told the eviction would affect several elderly people.

Rajah said the residents had no choice but to use the media to reach out to the bishop, who they had tried to approach about nine times but failed.

They were told instead to meet with the church’s legal counsel as the matter was “about business and nothing humanitarian”, claimed the business executive.

“We feel it is very fishy that he has not come to meet with us. The bishop should not be thinking about business but how to get more followers to come to church,” he quipped.

“(As he does not want to meet us) now we are planning to seek someone higher than him... we will approach Archbishop Murphy Pakiam to help us,” he added.

In September last year, the families received legal notices from the bishop’s lawyers asking them to vacate the houses.

Although each household was supposed to receive cash compensation of RM10,000, this amount would eventually reduce after deducting outstanding rental of RM150 each plus interest.

Since the offer was made, two tenants have accepted the ex-gratia payment and moved out of the area, while the remaining 12 are steadfast in their resolve not to move.

Accusations ‘difficult to swallow’

In response to the various allegations against him, Selvanayagam had denied that the church had neglected the residents, saying their needs had been taken care of for a very long time.

He said he found the accusations “difficult to swallow” as the church was then studying the possibility of assisting those who were truly in need, especially those who had no children to look after them.

NONE However, he added that the residents cannot run away from the fact that they had lived within the compounds of the church by paying a very low rental fee, and that it was time to say “thank you” and find another place to live as the church wanted the place back for “religious and charitable” causes, as the area was gazetted for such purposes.

He also questioned the filial piety of the families, asking, “Where are the children?” of these people who say that they are in their 70s or 80s.

“I strongly feel it is the responsibility of the children to care for their parents,” Selvanayagam had said in an interview with Malaysiakini citizen journalists.

Meanwhile, state exco member in charge of local government Chow Kon Yeow has met the residents, but Rajah said he lacks decision-making power to find a proper solution to their problems.

Rajah added that the group is planning to meet Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng personally, and hope the latter can wield his power to halt the eviction of the houses, built about 100 years  ago by the British.

“CM can just stop the eviction, he has the power, why doesn’t he do it?” he asked.

NONE “The state government should be fair... during election time they used to come and ask for our support, but what has happened now?” he queried.

Meanwhile, when met by reporters, a resident, B Arikasamy Sandana Dass, 86 ( left ), almost broke down in tears when he tried to explain to reporters why the houses and families should remain intact.

“God is very forgiving, and in church we are always making confessions to ask for forgiveness,” said the former Public Works Department staff member.

“So if we have done something wrong, please fogive us but don’t ask us to leave our homes,” he lamented.

NONE Another elderly resident, Anthony Muthu ( right ), said he had lived in the village since he was seven, and had studied in a nearby Tamil school, which was later turned into a convent.

The 80-year-old said the residents were not against development, like the St Joseph’s orphanage, which surrounded the church and the land where their houses stood on.

“We feel really sad that we would have to leave... we call on the Father (Bishop) to help us,” said Muthu, a former Ludlow (headline layout) typograph operator for the now defunct Straits Echo .

“No other religion calls their priest or spiritual leader Father, only the Catholics... and what the Father must do is help his children,” he cried.