Urban oasis: Seri Perlis 2’s central location in the capital city makes it an ideal residence. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
Seri Perlis 2 in Kampung Datuk Keramat is a public housing project slated for urban renewal but Kuala Lumpur City Hall has yet to reveal the redevelopment plans, sparking anxiety among tenants in its 300 units.
SOUNDS of laughter filled the air as a group of elderly women enjoyed their nasi lemak and teh tarik.
The camaraderie among them was evident as they chatted animatedly over breakfast.
“It has become a routine for my neighbours and I to take turns bringing food for our daily gathering,” said Safiah Ahmad who cooked the dish that day.
“We have been living here for over 40 years and have become like family,” she said.
This heartwarming scene at Seri Perlis 2 Public Housing project in Kampung Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, may soon become a thing of the past.
Sri Pahang flats in Bangsar is undergoing redevelopment as seen in this January 2022 filepic. In the background is PPR Sri Pahang.
This is because the low-rise strata project, which sits on prime land in the city centre, is among 30 projects identified for redevelopment in the city.
In December, a group of Seri Perlis 2 residents held a press conference demanding the government honour a commitment that they would be part of a rent-to-own scheme in the 1980s.
They claimed that they were told the amount paid over a 10-year period would be converted into a deposit for their units.
However, four decades on, residents are still paying RM124 a month in rent to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
Many are worried that they will not be compensated if redevelopment takes place as they do not own the flats.
State of uncertainty
Some Seri Perlis 2 residents are not keen on redevelopment and want to stay put, while others welcome the chance to improve their living conditions as they say the premises is rundown.
If redevelopment were to take place, they wanted to know if they would be allowed to rent at the new project or offered the opportunity to buy a unit at a discounted price.
Many are wondering if they will be relocated to other public housing or people’s housing projects (PPR) or left to fend for themselves in the interim.
Rohani Arshad, 65, worries about finding a new place as rentals are so high now.
“We have been living here since the early ’80s. My husband is a retiree and I operate a warung (stall) nearby.
Residents of Seri Perlis 2 are eager to become unit owners after being tenants for more than 40 years.
“We cannot afford to buy a new house nor rent another place in Kuala Lumpur unless it is subsidised like here,” she said.
Abdul Muttalib Zul Hamid, 59, who also runs a stall nearby, is worried about where he can move to if Seri Perlis 2 is redeveloped.
“I wake up at 3am daily to start my business. If I have to move elsewhere, it may disrupt my schedule and affect my income,” he said.
Madi Sharuddin, 50, who lives with his sister, believes that many residents are not keen to leave as their flats are centrally located.
“We are a stone’s throw from Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle, with many schools, hospitals and markets nearby,” he said.
Madi, who recently quit his job as a driver due to ill health, said he would not be able to buy a unit if the flats were to be redeveloped and sold rather than rented out as they were currently.
“We will need a loan. But at our age, banks will not approve our application nor can we afford to pay the instalments,” he added.
Housewife Fazilat Ariffin, 53, said her husband was willing to buy a replacement unit if it was reasonably priced.
The mother-of-five, who has been living at the flat for more than two decades, is not in favour of monetary compensation.
“Nowadays, money flows like water. It is more important to have a home to call our own,” she said.
Royah says leaking pipes and water seepage are common issues at the flats.
Some residents say the redevelopment is needed due to the buildings’ aged condition.
Royah Daud, 73, said leaking pipes and water seepage were common, resulting in mould forming on bathroom and kitchen walls.
“We do alert DBKL but contractors tend to come late. Most of the time, we fix the problem ourselves,” she said.
Safiah recounted how a brick once fell from her kitchen ceiling into a pot of boiling soup.
She said this was indicative of the rapidly worsening situation at the flats.
Gayah Ali, 74, wants a bigger floorspace with the number of rooms increased from the current two to three.
The mother-of-five has no qualms about being relocated temporarily to a PPR unit but wants to be among her neighbours.
“We have lived here together for decades. We look out for each other and have grown very close,” she said.
Ideal location draws interest
The areas surrounding Seri Perlis 2 have seen rapid development.
It is located about 500m from Damai LRT station and UTC Keramat and is also near the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway.
The five-block three-storey project comprising 300 units was built to rehouse squatters from a nearby area in the late 1970s.
The ground floor of each block is for commercial use with businesses like barbers, tailors, laundrette and a kindergarten situated there.
There is also a playground and multipurpose hall as well as a community garden run by the residents’ association.
Abdul Muttalib is worried a move may affect his stall business.
On Sept 15 last year, StarMetro reported that 30 low-cost flats projects – including Seri Perlis 2 – in the city had been identified for DBKL’s urban renewal project.
The then Federal Territories minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said engagement sessions would be held to gather input from the residents involved.
On Dec 21, 2020, Shahidan’s predecessor Tan Sri Annuar Musa made a similar announcement.
He said projects which were over 40 years old would be redeveloped under an urban renewal initiative. The plan included Seri Perlis 2.
In a report by The Star on Jan 29, 2021, Annuar said consent from at least 50% of residents must be obtained before such a project could take off.
When contacted, Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said many redevelopment plans were drawn up for Seri Perlis 2 by DBKL and the Federal Territories ministry in the past.
Rohani is hoping to own a house in the city.
“However, nothing has materialised. To date, no consultation has taken place between any developer and the residents.
“DBKL as the owner must approve such sessions first,” he said.
Johari said he was unaware of the rent-to-own scheme as claimed by some residents.
He said they should present relevant documents to DBKL to substantiate their claims.
He stressed that any future redevelopment must focus on affordable housing with residents’ welfare in mind.
“DBKL must ensure the developer allocates some of the completed units to current Seri Perlis 2 residents,” he added.
Several success stories
Several low-cost public housing projects in Kuala Lumpur have undergone redevelopment in recent years to provide a bigger floorspace and more bedrooms for families.
In 2017, the Razak Mansion flats in Sungai Besi were rebuilt and rebranded 1Razak Mansion.
The old units, measuring some 500sq ft, had only one or two bedrooms with a single bathroom.
The new units, measuring 800sq ft, were built with three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Shops on the ground floor of Seri Perlis 2, Kampung Datuk Keramat. — Photos: YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
Some 560 original owners gave up their units in exchange for a new one free of charge.
About 90 who were renting were offered new units at RM42,000 each.
1Razak Mansion comprises three 18-storey blocks and was developed via a public-private partnership, with construction starting in 2014.
Apart from the residential units, 23 shops, a market and other public facilities such as a surau and community hall were also built on a 99-year lease.
In 2018, another redevelopment kicked off, this time involving the 40-year-old Sri Pahang Public Housing in Bangsar, which then comprised nine 17-storey blocks.
The old units measured between 380 and 550sq ft, and the plan was to increase the floorspace to 800sq ft, with each unit having three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The redevelopment plan was finalised after a two-year negotiation between the government and a private developer.
At press time, DBKL had yet to respond to numerous requests on the redevelopment plans for Seri Perlis 2.
