BETWEEN LIVELIHOOD AND A MEGA ROAD?

After my last posting on the Jacob Walk (which was a 'copy & paste' work to be exact), I hardly have time to blog or even train for my coming maiden full marathon on 28 June 2009.

Almost every other day, I received calls from residents of Jinjang Selatan Tambahan wanting to know about their fate. Since I took up this case into my file in late 2008, I have made countless trips to this housing lot which was a former TOL (Temporary Occupancy Licence) land. The residents were invited to stay there by the then Selangor government in replacement of their land/house in Kg Malaysia, Batu Caves 40 years ago. Currently there are 525 plot sitting on this lot known as Lot 9714 Jinjang Selatan Tambahan.

Look deep into her eyes . . . . . . . . . . . the despair, sadness, frustration and . . . . I really don't know. But this sorry sight truly touched my heart to see so much sorrow on that wrinkle face not knowing where her future lies . . . . . . Is this really necessary? Is this how she should be treated after toiling the land - a former deserted muddy mining land with her own bare hands together with her husband and young children 40 years ago. Walked miles away and carry sands to bury the muddy plot for months. Then with the little earning of less than RM100, they bought bit and pieces of wood and more sands to build their homes.

11 May 2009 - More than 300 police personnels, enforcement personnels from DBKL and technicians from TNB intimitated and forced 17 houses to vacant their home at 8.30am when most of the young people were at work or school.

I received a call at 9.00am from a resident. Quickly switched off my computer, grabbed my tiny back-pack, camera phone and a note pad- and jumped into a taxi. Arrived at the scene within 30 mimutes. I was shocked to see so many enforcers intimidating and targeting 2 particular houses at the edge of the housing area whereby one is a senior citizen and another a young mother were at home with a few months old baby.

A young mother looking helplessly as TNB technicians happily taking order from DBKL to cut off her power supply

The presence of police and FRU to intimate 17 families

As time past, more villagers came forward to lend moral support and watched helplessly



DBKL enforcement officers on standby





TNB's technicians moving in to cut power supply of the 2 houses

The meter was removed


TNB team on standby

DBKL truck - ever ready to load and empty the houses and awaiting instruction from their boss - the Datuk Bandar

Few of the villagers and committee members of the residents association were at sight negotiating with the Chief Enforcement Officer not to demolish the houses as to allow them to contact the relevant authorities to get confirmation.

I called on the Human Rights Committees of the Bar Council to be on standby. Meanwhile few of the villagers and myself rushed to DBKL Head Office in Jalan Raja Laut trying to lobby for extention and seeking a dialogue session to end this predicament.

After waiting for hours at the Datuk Bandar's office where we were told that Datuk Saravanan (Deputy Minister of FT) and Datuk Bandar were deliberating on their issues. We were made to wait for 2 hours. And the final outcome - 3 Days extention!

Absolutely ABSURD! I was furious! WHAT? 3 days to get out with no clear direction? This is total violation on Human Rights!

After receiving a call from the Datuk Bandar's office, TNB's technicians restored the power supply to the 2 houses.

Is it really necessary to intimidate few innocent, naive and harmless villagers with such huge entourage of enforcers? Yes, this scene is not new to me as I have seen cases worst than this whereby villagers where beaten and being hospitalised in ICU (intensive care unit). However, the residents in this residential area hardly see more than 2 policemen patrolling their area and what took place that day had traumatised a handful of the elderly of late that they are having sleepless night ever since then.

This is not my first case but I have taken special interest to ensure that the villagers are being taken care and compensated accordingly.

I will keep lobbying for support from every sector and bring this matter to national level. It is sad that some unscrupulous individuals / developers have disregards for the wellbeing of other human kind. They did not hesitate to adopt dirty tactic to throw the weak and poor out in the name of development and to further enrich their bank account. It is more sickening when the higher authority who supposed to take care of the welfare and livelihood of those under their governance also conspires with these crooks.