Around 50 shop owners and tenants on a piece of Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) land at Layang-layang, Simpang Renggam, Johor held a rally yesterday to demand ex-gratia compensation after being evicted from the land.

They gathered for about an hour in front of the shops that are to be demolished, close to the Layang-layang railway station.

NONE Supervisor of the PAS People’s Complaints Centre Suhaizan Kaiat said the protesters, who have been doing business there for over 30 years, are unhappy with the policy of not giving ex-gratia payments to the shop owners.

“The government’s explanation is that the shop owners and tenants do not have the right to receive compensation because they have already earned profits from the shops that sit on KTM land.

“This explanation is ridiculous, because in business there is profit as well as loss,” said Suhaizan, who is also state PAS Youth chief.

NONE He said the Transport Ministry was biased because in the case of the  Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking project, RM2.33 million was paid in compensation for relocation, including for stalls at the location.

“If the government compensates stalls for the relocation, then surely the Layang-layang shopowners should accordingly receive compensation,” said Suhaizan, referring to the double-tracking compensation raised in the Auditor-General’s Report 2011.

NONE He also called on KTM to follow the approach of the state-owned JCORP that offered RM39,000 cash for relocation of shops and tenants in Tampoi towards the end of 2011.

“The question is if JCORP as a state subsidiary of Johor can give such an attractive compensation to the shopowners and tenants in Tampoi, why has KTMB through the Transport Ministry offered no compensation whatsoever... for Layang-layang, Simpang Renggam, Johor?”