KOTA KINABALU – Aminah Mohd Zainin invited all her family and neighbours for one last gathering at her restaurant, Restoran Kak Min, this Hari Raya Haji, yesterday.
As of today, her eatery, which is along a row of shops on the ground floor of the Tg Aru low-cost flats, will be closed for good.
It has been a memorable 18-year run, she said, and the neighbourhood has held a special place in her heart as well as with her family.
“If anyone still wants to taste our food, like soto, rojak, and nasi lemak, they will still be available at a school canteen,” said Aminah.
“I saw my children born and raised here. So are my neighbours, with whom I have become good friends, and their children, who also became good friends with mine,” she told The Vibes.
Aminah’s restaurant had practically become the source of breakfast and lunch for hundreds of those living in the neighbourhood for years.
But a circular from the premises owner, the Sabah Housing and Urban Development Board, came by last month, stating her tenancy contract would not be renewed.
The move also affects over 10 businesses in the row of shops.
So far, six have already closed, while the rest say they will wait until the contract term ends in July.
“This is why I decided to do an open house on Hari Raya today. It is to remind myself and my neighbours of the good times we had while staying here,” she said.
As of July, which is just a day away, the extended deadline for the shop operators and tenants in the low-cost flats will come to an end.
It was the state housing board’s final extension after the tenants were supposed to vacate their flats at the end of 2021.
A “Moving Day” ceremony was held on January 25 last year, but tenants grouped together and held a peaceful protest opposing the eviction.
All residents of the 11-block apartment complex had developed a sentimental attachment to the place, as some of the families had lived there since the 1980s.
But they also made it clear they are not against the housing board’s policy but want the agency to provide them with alternative low-cost homes.
According to the renting guidelines, tenants will lose their eligibility to rent the houses if they have occupied the units for over 10 years, own a house, earn above RM3,000 per month, or have sub-let the units.
But the initial number of tenants who had gone against the eviction had reduced significantly since the protest took place last year.
Out of the 315 tenants, only 100 are left.
A tenant who spoke on condition of anonymity said the housing board had gone through the records of its tenants.
Some have been found to already own houses and earn over the required income bracket, while some have rented out their units to others.
This means they have lost their eligibility, said the tenant, adding that those left are genuine cases or those still entitled to housing aid.
“Over three weeks ago, the agency staff had also been coming around, knocking on each door, checking the tenants.
“They were checking details of the tenants to see whether they still met the requirements,” the source said.
According to him, tenants had reached out to Putatan MP Datuk Shahelmey Yahya over the problem but had not yet received any assurance over their housing future.
“At this point, we are still not certain whether we can continue to stay here. But we are not losing hope. We will still go against the deadline until a solution is found,” he said.
Safety has been cited as the reason for the eviction as the housing board plans to demolish all the 12-flat complexes.
The board also indicated plans to redevelop the land but has not decided on the kind of development at this point.
The agency had also stopped all maintenance on the buildings and ceased collecting rent from the remaining tenants since last year. – The Vibes, June 30, 2023
