BUTTERWORTH – Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy has told the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) to provide residents of Kg Manis, Prai with housing before evicting them from railway land they stay on.
Ramasamy, who is Prai assemblyman, gave this assurance to the 286 families of the village currently threatened with eviction notices by RAC to vacate their land.
They have been occupying the plots for more than five decades, but have now been given six months to vacate.
He said the RAC had misled the residents on August 24 during a site visit on the pretext of upgrading the village roads.
During the visit, the families claimed the RAC brought the police along and forced them to sign documents.
“As their elected representative, I will fight to the last and will defend their interest to get a house before vacating the land,” he told the villagers.
The villagers claimed that the RAC threatened them with legal action, which could see them forced to pay a maximum fine of RM500,000 or a jail term of not more than five years, or both.
Kampung Manis is located in front of the Malayan Sugar Manufacturing Sdn Bhd plant. It was named after the sugar plant known as “Manis” to mark the existence of the plant.
D. Dharmalingam, 65, a news vendor and resident for 50 years, said his family has nowhere to go and no money to buy a low-cost house, which generally costs more than RM100,000.
Kuih seller Suthani Kaslan, 60, has lived in the village for 22 years and pleaded with the land owner to be merciful to them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Housewife M. Selvi, 52, said she was born in the village and her mother has been living there for years.
“I was threatened to sign the notice as police were with the land owners. I did not understand what was in the notice. What I want is a replacement house for my family”.
Meanwhile Batu Kawan Umno division head Datuk Mohd Noor Ahmad said Umno will support Ramasany in his bid to get a house for the affected residents.
RAC was not available for comment. – The Vibes, December 16, 2020
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