Twenty settlers of Kajang's Kampung Sungai Chua today appealed for Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to intervene in resolving a land dispute with their local land office and a highway developer.

The residents, including a number of elderly persons, met with Suhakam commissioner Dr Raj Abdul Karim and investigation officer Jamaludin Othman for close to two hours this morning to relate their plight.

According to DAP Selangor chairperson Ronnie Liu, who spoke on behalf of the residents, 15 of the last 20 houses in the area were bulldozed last Tuesday although the land office and developer, Sunway group, did not have a court order.

"They forcibly threw the residents and their belongings out and hurriedly demolished their properties. It was all over in two hours," he alleged.

Liu said the site is part of a stretch required to construct the 37km Kajang traffic dispersal ring road, a project undertaken by the Sistem Lingkaran Kajang Sdn Bhd (Silk), a subsidiary of Sunway.

The dispute started after some of the Sungai Chua residents refused a settlement package offered by the developer on grounds that the compensation offered was far below the market-value of the land and their properties.

Their first lawsuit against the land office and developer was struck out by the Shah Alam High Court on Nov 8 but following their appeal filed three days later, the residents were granted a stay order on further demolition by High Court judge Suriyadi Halim Omar.

The new village was originally home to 80 families although the majority of them left after accepting their respective compensation offers, valued individually according to the location of their properties.

Some families were said to have been offered RM25,000 as compensation while others were reportedly promised up to RM500,000.

Belongings destroyed

During the meeting, several residents spoke out indignantly about the treatment meted out by the developer's personnel and Federal Reserve Unit officers during the demolition exercise.

"They came during business hours when some of us were working. They didn't allow us to collect our things. They just pushed us out of our homes and threw out our belongings," said Wan Siew Yoke, who ran a coffee shop in the area.

"There was a downpour at about the same time and it destroyed things like our refrigerator."

Wan said she and her family members had to split up and bunk in with other relatives after their home was demolished.

Siew Yot Kim, 68, broke into tears as she related that she and her family of 14 stood to lose their livelihood making and selling biscuits if they lose their home. Siew's family is among the houses that remain intact at the site .

Another resident, 72-year-old Heng Sin, said he would have no more source of income if he loses his home, as he survives by renting out his rooms.

District officer's role

Accepting the complaints, Raj said she would raise the matter for discussion during the next commissioners' meeting in order to decide on possible courses of action.

"If the commission feels that a public hearing is required, we will call for one," she said.

Investigation officer Jamaludin said that, although Suhakam's powers to act may be limited due to a pending court appeal, he said there may be other angles that can be considered.

"(For example) We may be able to look into the involvement of the district office in the demolition of the homes without a proper court order," he said.

Silk general manager Ang Kew Chuan was not immediately available for comment.