Penang plans to buy estate land at centre of eviction tussle

NIBONG TEBAL – The Penang government has resolved to purchase a parcel of estate land at Ladang Sg Kecil here to avert the eviction of 23 traditional resident families who have also erected three temples in the vicinity.

The families have lately been relying only on a temporary stay injunction to defer the eviction after they lost in their bid in the high court to remain there.

Officers from the state legal advisor and the valuation services department will meet the landowner and his lawyers to determine the price of the 2.4ha plot, said Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy.

“I briefed the state executive council on what transpired last Monday when the court bailiff and the landowner’s lawyers arrived at the scene to execute the court order to demolish the houses and the temples. 

“Initially there was tension, but eventually good sense prevailed. It was agreed that the state would acquire the land for public housing as the valuation and property services department would determine the price of the land,” Ramasamy told The Vibes.

“This was agreed upon by all parties when they met at the Seberang Prai Selatan district land office on Tuesday.” 

He added the landowner was keen for the state to acquire the piece of land, a former oil palm plantation.

Ramasamy said property development company Aspen Group had expressed its interest to build low-cost houses on the land to contra its quota of low-cost houses.

Once acquired the state would follow the housing model at the Caledonia Estate near here as an example.

Earlier, the land owner’s lawyer P. Vasudevan after the meeting told the media that the state legal advisor had asked the landowner to submit a letter to quote the price of the land.

He said the state told him that they planned to build 110 units of low-cost houses on the land and the remaining units will be given to the deserving families there.

On Monday, there was a commotion when parties representing the land owner arrived with the intention to evict the affected families.

It was learnt that the landowner bought the land for RM2 million from the previous owner. – The Vibes, October 22, 2020