Taken by surprise: Tanjung Aru residents are in a bind after the sudden and unilateral move to evict them.
KOTA KINABALU: Some 300 residents at a government flats here were caught by surprise after an announcement that they had agreed to vacate the premises by July.
The residents of the Tanjung Aru low-cost flats said they were shocked by the Feb 14 announcement by Sabah Housing and Town Development Board (SHTDA) chairman Datuk Masiung Banah, claiming there was no consultation at all.
The residents highlighted their anxiety and anger over SHTDA’s sudden and unilateral move to evict them from the 330 units in 11 blocks that are now 50 years old, citing safety reasons.
A spokesman for the residents said that there was no official eviction notice or discussions with SHTDA on vacating their units by the end of July.
They said that at the meeting with SHTDA and the residents on July 5, 2022, they were informed that engineering firm IKRAM had confirmed that the main structure of the building was good, but there was a need to refurbish the units.
However, SHTDA explained that they did not have the funds to rehabilitate the building.
“We only asked them to give alternative low-cost houses,” the spokesman said, adding that so far 40 to 60 residents were offered alternative housing.
Out of the 330 units, the spokesman said that 249 units were still occupied as SHTDA has yet to provide them with alternative housing.
“For us, Masiung’s announcement that we agreed to vacate the premises by July came as a shock. In fact, we are still waiting for a follow-up by SHTDA since our meeting last year.
“They have not come back to us officially on the follow-up actions from the last meeting. We have been continuing to pay our RM170 monthly rent,” the spokesman added.
They urged Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joachim Gunsalam, who was recently appointed Local Government and Housing Minister, to intervene.
They said that former local government and housing minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (now state Finance Minister) had told the Sabah state assembly that the residents would be provided alternative housing before they are asked to vacate.
