KUALA MUDA – “If the (Kedah) menteri besar can help the people of Selangor affected by the floods, the people (in Kedah) themselves need to be helped as well,” said Kg Baru Pulau Tiga Action Committee chairman Saheme Hashim.
Saheme, 54, who represents more than 30 families who lost their homes after receiving a notice from the Alor Star High Court, expressed his disappointment as the group was “ignored” by the state government, which had failed to resolve their problems since 2014.
“During the floods in Selangor, Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor announced that the people of Selangor would get RM200,000 in assistance.
“But we lost our homes and got nothing. If the menteri besar gives us the same allocation, we will definitely be able to shift from our homes today as well,” he said when met by reporters today.
Yesterday, The Vibes reported that Sanusi had instructed the district officer to help find a suitable location on government land to house the families.
However, Sanusi said the residents will have to find rental houses or temporary accommodation at the moment.
The development comes as residents of Kg Baru Pulau Tiga received a notice from the Alor Star High Court to vacate their homes starting today.
Earlier, Alor Star High Court representative, police, and several agencies came to the village as early as 9am to begin the process of demolishing the residents’ houses.
Saheme said the 30 families, who are unable to relocate, were facing financial problems as they cannot afford the relatively high deposits for rented houses.
However, he was thankful that as a result of today’s negotiations, the court gave another two weeks for the 30 families involved to vacate their homes.
“Not all residents here have money, especially as school sessions will be reopened.
“A lot of money needs to be allocated for daily expenses and for when the school reopens, so it is quite difficult for residents to find a house to rent because they have to pay deposits,” he said.
Saheme said he hoped the state government could help provide an immediate financial allocation to help residents find temporary accommodation.
Former menteri besar once promised solution
In 2018, Saheme said, former menteri besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir had promised to help the residents of Kg Baru Pulau Tiga get new homes, through an official letter dated October 29, 2018.
However, he said, after the change of state government, all efforts were abandoned and no leaders were present to help defend their fate.
"No leader wants to come and help us. We have been fighting on our own since 2014,” Saheme said.
Kg Baru Pulau Tiga is under the purview of Tanjung Dawai assemblyman Hanif Ghazali of PAS, and Merbok MP Nor Azrina Surip of PKR.
The high court issued the notice on December 19 after the 44.2ha piece of land the families had lived on for more than 40 years was said to belong to an individual with a “Datuk” title.
Residents claimed they believed the land belonged to the government. However, an individual came forward to claim the plot of land in 2000. – The Vibes, January 3, 2021
