Friday October 23, 2009
MPKj demolishes illegal Indonesian settlement
Story and photo by GEETHA KRISHNAN
THE demolition of the illegal settlement in Taman Bukit Permai near Cheras by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) on Thursday was carried out without any altercation.
MPKj assistant enforcement officer Khaironi Idris said her team had earlier met with the Indonesian settlers and given them a week’s notice to remove their belongings because the council had wanted an incident-free exercise.
“Because this clearing is a council-designated open space, we demolished close to 25 houses. We suspect the settlers have been living here for nearly eight years.
Gone: All that remains of the illegal settlement after the demolition exercise. “We were unable to act previously because the land belonged to a developer. Now that the project has been abandoned, the council can assume responsibility for the 0.5ha clearing,” she said.
Enforcement staff also discovered evidence of water theft because pipes illegally connected to a hydrant in a hilly area next to the settlement were uncovered.
A foreign worker, who only identified himself as Odi, claimed he had been living there for a few months with his family and was employed as a construction worker.
He also claimed he had valid travel documents and a work permit.
“Word is, the settlers were hired to work on a housing project nearby and lived in the kongsi opposite, which mushroomed into the settlement. But the developer failed to pay their wages and the project was abandoned,” he claimed.
As a temporary measure, the settlers have been allowed to store their belongings in the row of abandoned houses. Khaironi said it was now up to the police and the immigration to keep an eye on the workers, only some of whom were said to have valid travel documents and work permits.
Source:
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