DAP has urged Selangor Mentri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo to re-consider his decision to reject the appeal of the Kg Cempaka villagers to allow them to stay on until their children have finished their examinations this year.

The party's international secretary and NGO bureau chief Ronnie Liu (photo) said today that Khir's decision yesterday came as a shock to the affected villagers because there is no real urgency for them to vacate their homes as the TNB reserved land currently occupied by them would not be developed until the end of this year.

"The menteri besar has apparently made this inconsiderate decision because of his plan to declare Selangor a fully-developed state on August 27 this year," he said in a statement.

In a meeting at MPPJ yesterday, Khir has decided to reject the appeal forwarded by the affected 163 families in Kg Cempaka to allow them to stay put till year's end after their school-going children have completed their examinations.

According to Liu, the villagers were only told to leave by the local MCA assemblyperson C K Lim in May. He further claimed that Lim and Petaling Jaya Utara MP Chew Mei Fun have decided to turn their back against the villagers after they realised that the menteri besar was adamant about clearing all squatters by July 31 this year.

"How could Khir expect the villagers to move to Kota Damansara transit homes (more than 5km away) within such short notice? Could he help them to resolve problems such as transfer of schools, arrangement of transport, changing textbooks and preparations for examinations?", he asked.

Offer all new homes

The DAP leader also revealed that some 40 families among the affected group have yet to be allotted with transit homes and the opportunity to purchase low-cost units.

He hoped MPPJ could offer all the families with transit homes and low-cost units before asking them to leave by the end of this month.

Liu had earlier urged the menteri besar to postpone the Zero Squatters Program 2005 by another year or two since the state government has failed to provide sufficient transit homes and low-cost units for the affected families in the state.

"It certainly defeats the purpose of the program if people become homeless instead of benefitting from a better and healthier living environment", he added.