It is a story that spans over a decade, going back to the birth of administrative capital Putrajaya, to faulty low cost flats which forced former estate workers to live in tents for 400 days.

But carrying candles in a 'peace walk' on Wednesday to commemorate their 400th night living it rough, the residents of Taman Permata Dengkil flats say there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

"After 14 years of struggle and 400 days in tents, we the residents of Taman Permata Dengkil flats can finally see a ray of hope for a permanent solution.

"The Selangor government is now the process of procuring land at Ampar Tenang to build our homes (and) the federal government has agreed to build low-cost terrace homes at the land provided,” the residents said in a statement yesterday.  

The residents are among the elderly and children who are forced to live in make-shift shelter for more than a year in front of their flats after the flats sustained severe cracks.

Residents were sent fleeing for safety when loud noises were heard and cracks started appearing on the walls in June last year. The fire department had then advised them not to enter the structure.

The former estate workers were relocated there in 2000 to make way for the construction of Putrajaya.

They claimed they were told the poorly built flats were temporary until low-cost terrace houses they paid down-payments for were ready, but the terrace houses never materialised.

Tug-of-war

There was a tug-of-war between the state and federal governments after the residents moved to the tents, with the federal government first claiming that the land allocated by the state was unfit to build terrace homes.

The Selangor government then said that it will provide suitable land as long as the federal government give an undertaking that it will build the terrace houses.

The back and forth dealings dragged on for many months.

Meanwhile, the residents expressed thanks to its supports including NGOs, the media, Dengkil residents and others who contributed to their cause.

“A note of gratitude is also extended to the state and federal governments for their concern over our housing issue and for agreeing to resolve the matter.

“We hope both the state and federal governments will hasten the construction of these alternative houses and end the hardship of Taman Permata residents,” they said.