Space for development: The current landscape of Kampung Manis in Butterworth. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
BUTTERWORTH: Kampung Manis sounds literally sweet, but it is really one of the poorest squatter communities in Penang.
It is the remnant of a pre-Independence settlement of labourers, built right beside the perimeter wall of Malayan Sugar Manufacturing (MSM), and that is how the village got the name Manis or sweet in English.
Instead of roads, the village only has tarred alleyways wide enough for motorcycles and with the state election days away, politicians and their campaigners are striding around in the village again.
In particular was Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Perai state seat, Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo from DAP, once the deputy chief executive officer of a large property development firm and now entering politics for the first time as a candidate.
He said for many years, he has harboured a wish to be able to help the 300-odd families in Kampung Manis to get affordable housing and improve their quality of life.
He said the landowner – Railway Asset Corporation (RAC) – was in the process of
calling for request for proposal from developers to develop the land and
provide permanent new homes for the villagers in the same locality.
“The land belongs to RAC in which I am a board director, and I tell you this place will be developed if I am chosen as the Perai assemblyman while all villagers will get modern housing,” Sundarajoo told the squatters of Kampung Manis in a recent dialogue session.
“As a former senior management staff of a reputable housing developer, I have had much experience in helping residents to relocate and building new homes for them.”
But Sundarajoo’s contender, David Marshel, expressed surprise that Sundarajoo laid claim to a solution worked out last year.
“I was in the meeting in which we asked that RAC surrender 2ha of the land there to the state government to build affordable housing with modern amenities to be built for the villagers.
“This means that RAC must restructure their lease to MSM and the Transport Ministry must also give the okay. So it will take time to sort it out,” he said.
Marshel is contesting in Perai in a four-cornered fight with Sundarajoo, H. Vikneswary from Muda and R. Sivasuntaram from Gerakan.
He resigned from DAP after 15 years, during which he was a city councillor of Seberang Prai for 10 years.
He was tipped to be chosen to contest in Perai on a Pakatan ticket but was ultimately dropped from the candidacy and subsequently fielded himself as an Independent.
Marshel admitted it was tough campaigning as an Independent with minimal resources.
“The voters know me because I have been handling their daily issues as a city councillor for 10 years, and some were not aware that I left DAP and am campaigning as an Independent,” he said.
“So I am out every day meeting as many voters as possible.”
Meanwhile, Kampung Manis villagers interviewed hope to see those promises materialise.
Batumalai Ramasamy, 67, has been staying there for 50 years.
“My father worked at MSM and all my four children were born here. A lot of promises were made since decades ago about developing this place but nothing was ever done,” he said.
Santha Anthony Dass, 54, said her father-in-law worked at MSM and she has been staying there for 10 years.
“I hope my grandchildren will be able to enjoy the benefits of the development,” she said.
Saad Ibrahim, 76, said promises were made by so many political parties for the last 40 years.
“I still harbour hopes of moving into a new house. It’s more for my children rather than me,” he added.
