The streets of Kg Papan in Klang, Selangor, are quiet now, save for the rumble of distant traffic and the bustle of stalls outside the village.

Three blocks of tiny 8-by-8-foot rooms stand in a lot off a dirt road and next to a pile of debris where a home once thrived.

Outside, two ramshackle shacks cling precariously to the back of the lot, their rudimentary toilets and water containers a stark reminder of the harsh conditions that residents endure.

For 63-year-old Teoh Ah Guat, life here is...