More than 50 villagers from Kampung Saujana in Batu Tiga, Shah Alam, today sought the help of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to resolve the issue of housing units that were promised to them 10 years ago.

Led by Suara Warga Pertiwi, a grassroots group that champion housing rights of marginalised citizens, the representatives of 30 families submitted a memorandum to commissioner Prof Dr Chiam Heng Keng at the Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Coincidentally, Suhakam also released a report on 'Adequate Housing: A Human Right' an hour earlier which promoted housing as a basic and fundamental human right urging the government to incorporate it into a new housing policy.

Suara Warga Pertiwi co-ordinator V Selvam, who explained the problem in detail, said the people wanted houses which a Selangor-linked developer had promised earlier via a relocation agreement signed with 74 households.

But since the relocation to a nearby area which subsequently proved to be a flood-prone location, he said the developer abandoned the project without offering the villagers any redress.

"Now, they are being offered low-cost flats in Taman Bukit Subang but that place is 25km away from Kampung Saujana and this poses a problem to most families, the reason most are rejecting the offer," he said.

Facts to be studied

"Furthermore, the Shah Alam City Hall has adopted a threatening tone in a letter asking for a decision by Nov 18, after which they will not be made any other offers and their homes would be demolished.

"This clearly amounts to intimidation and extortion by the authorities. The people want Suhakam to probe into this and reveal its findings."

In response, Chiam said Suhakam will have to study the facts first.

"In the course of our investigations into this complaint, we will have to ask the other parties involved for their side."

After the meeting with Suhakam, the group of 50 demonstrated outside the Housing and Local Government Ministry to highlight their plight.

Last week, vexed villagers, mostly women and children, had stood firmly with huge banners and placards outside the Shah Alam City Hall and Selangor state secretariat in a plea for help and justice.

The Shah Alam mayor explained to several Kampung Saujana residents action committee members how the Selangor government's acquisition of the developer's land had forced the company to abandon the low-cost housing project.

He told the villagers that they will alternatively be offered RM35,000 low-cost units in Taman Bukit Subang, a development by Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd, following a RM7,000 state subsidy.

However, villagers suspect that Selangor is covering up for several politicians and the state-government linked company, Cekap Mesra Development Sdn Bhd, which is a subsidiary of Talam Corporation.

Attempts to reach Cekap Mesra have proved futile.

Uprooting families

Earlier, Selvam explained to Chiam how the village children's schooling was constantly being disrupted by floods including last Sunday's major incident which required boat rescue and temporary shelters.

"The families now stand to lose their homes to the Shah Alam City Hall's demolition team. The action is one of uprooting families."

Another point of contention is a name-list compiled by City Hall which villagers claimed had included the names of non-villagers during a recent survey.

"That probably happened at a time when some villagers decided to rent out their homes and move elsewhere due to frequent flooding in Kampung Saujana.

"Now, there are 54 families left. The rest have moved away but the villagers are sticking to the original list of 74 families on grounds that even those who left the village had a right to accept the offer."

On Sunday, the committee lodged a report against the Shah Alam City Hall, Mayor Ramli Mahmud and Ahmad Zamri Kamaruddin as the city hall's planning director for allegedly issuing threats and using criminal intimidation in a letter offering alternative housing.

The parties named in the report, lodged at the Section 11 police station in Shah Alam, could not be contacted for comments.