Around 150 urban settlers from 20 settlements in Perak, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur gathered today at the Housing Ministry in conjunction with World Habitat Day demanding the Housing Ministry to stop all forced eviction notice against them.
Many of these settlements are just counting days to be forcefully evicted by developers and respective local authorities without any fair compensation or alternative housing. For example, Kampung Semarak, Kg. Sri Temenggung & Kg. Sri Makmur.
Several other settlers like those from Kampung Maha Tambahan, Kg Batu Lapan and Kg AU3, Ulu Klang were forced to live in tents as their houses were demolished by developers with the help of local municipals and police without any alternative decent housing or compensation.
Also present were those who have been forcefully evicted or relocated, they find themselves forced into poorly maintained pigeon hole low cost flats. Another category of settlers who were provided rental houses by the local government sometime ago and now they too face forced eviction from the government itself!!
Around 10.30am, the settlers slowly walked and gathered in front of the Housing Ministry holding banners calling the Ministry to stop all forced eviction and to provide decent housing. Unlike on previous occasion when settlers used to stand protesting opposite the road facing the Ministry, today the settlers just walked into the Housing Ministry lobby occupied the space and put out their banners and demands.
The Committee led by JERIT Housing and Urban Settlers Coalition led by E.Parames demanded to meet the Minister himself or his Deputy Ministers or any elected representatives as these were the people given the mandate to lead the Government.
The Ministers PRO and other officials then came out to say that all the elected representatives were not around but the Main Director of Housing Dato Dr.Ahmad Salludin Dali Ah Haj has been waiting eagerly to receive the memorandum.
The committee then after consulting the protesting settlers then finally agreed to meet the Housing Director and finally a 15 member delegation met with the Director for more than an hour . They raised serious issues and one delegate from Rimba Jaya even broke down under tremendous pressure faced by the settlers. The attacked the Government and the ruling party for treating them like dirt.
While the delegation was raising serious concern inside the building, outside speeches in between slogans were shouted. The settlers used high powered potable microphone system to highlight their plights.
Later the delegation came out but they were unhappy because the Director was very reluctant to give any assurance to stop imminent eviction but said that he will raise the matter to the Minister.
The delegation consulted the people and they unanimously agreed to stay on until 5 pm if it takes that long for the Datuk to give a letter of appointment to see the minister, the least. Finally they was a stand-off and then they was applause when the announcement came that that the Housing Director has agreed to call and give an appointment date with the Minister- Ong Ka Ting tomorrow.
The delegates said that today they sat down comfortable at the lobby and if things does not get resolved, they would plan to camp on.