COMMENT | Last Sunday's town hall meeting by the panic-stricken residents of Kim Teng Park in Johor Bahru facing “eviction” from their land could mark another milestone in the early administration of the Pakatan Harapan government.

“Panic-stricken” because they were suddenly confronted (without forewarning) by a second attempt in four years to take over their land for dubious purposes under the all-powerful Land Acquisition Act 1960.

“Milestone” because it is the first major incident under Harapan rule that evokes the dreadful memories of the massive land grabs across the country unleashed by the 1992 amendment to the act that empowers the government to acquire private land “for any person or company for any purpose” as long as the authority considers such usage is good for the economy or for the public.

Such sweeping powers had catalysed widespread land-related corruption that helped to propel Umno’s crony capitalism to new heights in the nineties.

Victims of oppressive land law

Kim Teng Park residents have cried foul because of the clandestine manner and the seemingly questionable purpose for which such an acquisition was launched for their land.

The same developer who failed in the first attempt four years ago, thanks to the gallant intervention of then Johor Bahru MP Shahrir Samad, has returned this time to initiate the same acquisition.

Such persistence is understandable as the land where Kim Teng Park is sitting – ideally shaped and sized at 28 acres – has been turned into a gold mine being adjacent to the terminal of the proposed Johor Baru–Singapore Rapid Transit System. Needless to say, this land has immense commercial potential and value.

The residents were offered a compensation of no more than RM250 per square foot in the first attempt four years ago, while nearby land was transacted at over RM1,000 per sq ft. for the high-rise condominiums which have sprung up.

But the historical Kim Teng Park is not for sale. It is the first residential estate in Johor Bahru and the residents are mostly senior citizens, some in their nineties and at least one has reached 103.

Many have lived there for over 60 years. The residents are unwilling to move out and are incapable of securing new houses of comparable comfort.

Betrayal of loyal supporters

A recurring question during the town hall meeting was why must the Harapan government follow the previous corrupt government in collaborating with the rich to exploit the poor?

If these new leaders could forget their pledges and forsake their loyal supporters so early, what future do we have?

Disappointment, incredulity and anger were written all over the residents' worried faces at the packed meeting hall. However, they also showed fierce determination and swore to fight every inch of their way to save their homes, though there is little room under the draconian law for them to stop the juggernaut from rolling over them.

Much to the consternation of residents, their written plea delivered to the Johor menteri besar almost a month ago has met with silence.

This means that if the state government remains unmoved by their plea, the process of acquisition can roll very fast from the present stage of Section 4 (Preliminary Notice) to the finality of decision at Section 8, with no room for intervention by the landowners.

Beyond Section 8, it is a road of no return for the residents.

Stop the rot from going viral

If the Harapan state government of Johor could abuse the law to trample on ordinary folk like the Kim Teng Park residents plus get away unscathed, wouldn’t this be used as modus operandi to allow such land grabs to spread like wildfire?

At this time when public grumbling, and even anger, against the Harapan government is rapidly mountin,g as reflected in the two most recent by-elections (Cameron Highlands and Semenyih), can the coalition afford a spark like the Kim Teng Park fiasco to go viral in the cyber-world?

Is Pakatan Harapan knowingly and willingly sliding towards an Umno 2.0 and BN 2.0 mindset?

Wouldn’t it be wise for the top leadership of the coalition to pull the brakes on such a perceived slide towards the old decadent rule?

They can, starting by reversing the misadventure at Kim Teng Park.

KIM QUEK is author of the banned book The March to Putrajaya and the bestseller Where to, Malaysia?

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.