KOTA KINABALU – Warisan’s Tg Aru assemblyman Datuk Junz Wong has challenged owners of Rumah Pangsa Tg Aru low-cost flats, the Sabah Housing and Town Development Board (LPPB), to present its evidence that the building is unsafe.
According to him, tests on the buildings’ safety are still ongoing but the board had already declared it unsafe with residents having already been told to move out.
“The residents have called for the full assessment of the building.
“Even if it is unsafe, perhaps it is due to LPPB not doing any maintenance for the last 15 or 16 years.
“LPPB had also hired a company to test the buildings’ safety and had informed that the buildings are believed to be unsafe.
“So, we want access to the report and for the state government to explain why it is unsafe,” he told reporters when met during a walkabout in the town of Inanam, today.
Wong, who is also Warisan vice-president, had accompanied party president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and youth chief Datuk Azis Jamman for a party walkabout in view of the forthcoming Chinese New Year celebrations.
Wong said LPPB had also refused a dialogue with the flat tenants who had been paying the monthly rental, which was supposed to include funding for the buildings’ maintenance.
He also said the decision to evict the tenants goes against LLPB’s objective and purpose in providing affordable housing for Sabahans.
Wong added that state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun had apparently assured that no action would be taken until a solution on a new settlement is found for the tenants.
Towards this end, Masidi also said the residents had told him that they will not move out until the board could provide evidence that the buildings are unsafe.
On January 24, LPPB held a “moving day” ceremony where five tenants allegedly agreed to take up the board’s offer to move out and take residence in other LPPB flats.
However, the ceremony was hijacked when tenants started to gather in protest of LPPB’s move to evict them.
LPPB chairman Datuk Masiung Banah who was also present at the ceremony announced that LPPB will no longer collect rent and the residents can continue to stay in the flats until a time when they need to move out.
He also had said all maintenance work will cease from there on, after having an unprecedented dialogue with the tenants. – The Vibes, January 26, 2022
