Jinjang Selatan residents rally at DBKL again, demand fair compensation before Oct 31 eviction

For the umpteenth time, a residents’ coalition from Kampung Jinjang Selatan Tambahan, Segambut rallied their forces to demand fairness and clarity from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) over their looming eviction.

Carrying banners and placards, some of which pressed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) and Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh to address their woes, around 40 residents gathered outside DBKL’s headquarters today to appeal for compassion.

The memorandum they brought with them for the government’s perusal weighed heavily with urgency and the coalition’s fears, as residents had earlier received eviction notices that set Oct 31 as the deadline to leave their homes.

The residents’ chants with raised fists were backed by their insistence that while they are not opposed to plans that will see their residency being developed, even if they have to move elsewhere, authorities should first ensure fair compensation for affected families and businesses.

For one resident, Saraswathy Krishnasamy, 48, the area has become part of her family’s history, considering how she is the fourth generation to inhabit their home in Kampung Jinjang Selatan Tambahan.

She said some residents without temporary occupancy licenses (Tol) were previously offered the chance to purchase houses priced at RM42,000. However, she reiterated claims that some were left to fend for themselves after being excluded from the list.

“We hope DBKL will provide reasonable compensation for us who have lived here since the 60s,” she told Malaysiakini at the gathering in Kuala Lumpur today.

READ MORE: Jinjang Selatan residents submit third memo to DBKL over housing woes

Another memo submission

In September last year, the residents’ association submitted their third memorandum to DBKL to demand clarification and immediate action over their housing and compensation issues, which had dragged on for years and seemingly continues to do so now.

The coalition’s secretary then, Ameer Khan Bargathalli, said the memorandum calls upon the authorities to urgently review the process of providing homes and compensation to the original residents of the area, following a development project which began in 2013.

The memorandum was submitted to former Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif. Today, the group’s memorandum was received by a representative from Yeoh's office and a representative from the DBKL Administration Department.

Kepong Community Service activist Yee Poh Ping also highlighted the plight of the area’s store, workshop, and factory owners who have received similar eviction notices, stressing that such businesses had already set up shop before any developers’ supposed interference.

“If the developer wants to come in and develop the area, we have no issue, but any compensation must be paid appropriately and fairly,” Yee said.

Claiming that some business owners were only offered RM5,000 in compensation, he described the amount as unfair, especially when compared to settlements given to other residents.

‘Give residents priority’

Also present at the memorandum submission today was PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan, who emphasised that the eviction order should not proceed before residents' issues are properly resolved.

He pointed out that the Kampung Jinjang Selatan Tambahan residents’ coalition is no stranger to DBKL.

"It is simple: withdraw the eviction notice and hold a meeting. We demand that Yeoh and the DBKL mayor ensure this notice is withdrawn," he said.

He argues that since the issue has dragged on for close to 60 years, long-term residents who have lived in the area should rightfully be given priority under any development plans.

In 2017, the planned demolition of several buildings at Jinjang Selatan Tambahan was postponed following talks with residents.

At the time, Jinjang Selatan Tambahan Social Development Association’s then-chairperson Karuppiah Palaniandy said the residents wanted the demolition to be put on hold pending a response from former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Nearly a decade later, residents are still seeking better compensation, along with legal documentation to ensure that the terms of any compensation are honoured.

It was previously reported that the redevelopment of the 115-acre area would see the relocation of 525 residents.

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