The Kg Buah Pala villagers have been portrayed as greedy, demanding, and unreasonable. This is partly due to the mixed signals coming from the committee, the seemingly conflicting statements and misrepresentations of those speaking on their behalf including those with vested interests and even those in the state government.
Guan Eng even claimed – incorrectly as it turned out – the villagers want RM3.5 million bungalows or compensation. Where did he get that from? But the damage is already done as it is all over the media.
As a result of such statements in the media by those intent on portraying the villagers as greedy – and the village committee’s own public relations blunders along with outsiders taking advantage – public opinion may have swayed against the villagers.
I have been to the village a few times, and I have never heard of a demand for RM3.5 million bungalows or any similar demand.
I did see the RM3.5 million figure mentioned once, in one of the handouts given. But look at the context: that was when the residents were reacting to accusations that they were greedy. They retorted that the real greedy parties were those who were coveting their respective property lots, some of which they claimed could be worth an average of RM3.5 million. That’s quite different from purportedly asking for compensation of RM3.5 million or demanding a RM3.5 million bungalow.
I contacted Sugumaran, the residents’ committee chairperson, for comment and he said the claim that the villagers wanted RM3.5 million bungalows is baseless. “They are just using that figure to turn public opinion against the villagers and to portray us as unreasonable,” he lamented.
Few have actually walked in their shoes and lived in the village to experience what life is like for them. It’s a different life-style closer to nature than what most city folk can understand – and I don’t claim to fully understand it either. Only the villagers know their real situation and what they really need to continue living in dignity, if and when they are wrenched apart not only from their homes but their land, their livelihoods and their community.
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These squatters are just unreasonable. Give an inch ask for a foot, give a foot, ask for a yard….
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I know and I know that certain committee members are being played into the hands of the MIC and Hindraf.
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Get this articles in MT.They are colluding in giving wrong picture of (villagers) in KBP.Some bloggers are really hammering these poor (villagers) as utter greedy…beings. LGE is responsible.Some even use (derogatory) terms … on (the villagers) there…
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OMG, from a squatter to a half a million house. I want to be a squatter too. I will find a piece of land and erect my shack and wait a few years and bingo!! I have a house without paying a single sen. So easy!! Why struggle to make ends meet. Everybody be a squatter from now on..
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“TOO MANY COOKS SPOILED THE BROTH”. This old adage had been proven right again. The KBP’s residents had had one too many representing them. The residents might have had inadvertently put sand into their own rice due to manipulative ‘outside interferences’who are only voicing the residents’ grievances for own sinister gains. As had been rightly pointed out by Anil, the residents have now been portrayed, and may I add, deemed to be, greedy, demanding and unreasonable. As a fellow Penangite, I do really feel for them. Their pain, anguish and most of all, their vulnerability at this very moment. The situation now is one of “nasi sudah jadi bubur”. My only fervent hope for them is that, there will come a knight in shining armour to rescue them from their present critical predicament, come rain or shine! CIAO!
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Lies all lies. admit that you ask for 3.5 mil.Greedy bunch of idiots.
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greedy thats what they are. 3.5 mil.ask BN for it.
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Lim Guan Eng has decided to back out of this whole issue.
Well, i hope he keeps to his word.
Enough already with KBP and its greedy inhabitants.
They can negotiate with the developers themselves.
Maybe Hindraf, MIC can help.
LGE and the State govt should focus on the rest of the State.
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Only the villagers know their real situation and what they really need to continue living in dignity, if and when they are wrenched apart not only from their homes but their land, their livelihoods and their community.
Anil, am I interpreting wrongly from what you wrote. If what you wrote is correct, that the land are theirs, why is it that the developer can come in to move them out? How can the high court gave the rights to the developer to move in when the land belongs to the residents of KBP as what you wrote.
Confusing, and why the residents had to go for negotiation when the lands are theirs???
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You are doing a good job. keep it up. Most do not understand the problem and even more pretend as if they do not understand and keep blaming the villagers as greedy. I am shocked with the behavior of Guan Eng.
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The moment the (political) eunuch Koh Tsu Koon, as head of the previous Penang state government, approved this land grab, ownership was vested on the new owners and this fact had been affirmed by the highest courts in the land.
The villagers must be realistic in their demands and stop allowing themselves to be manipulated by the likes of MIC and Gerakan whose actions to date have been to use the present state government as their whipping boy.
There has to be a finality to all this and this will come when Koh Tsu Koon is held accountable for this blatant land grab and the destruction of an entire community’s way of life.
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It would be nice if these Kg Buah Pala folks can get their act together and speak with a unity voice.
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Actually, Anil.. I’ve not heard of this RM3.5 million demand till today.. but already I could not help but feel that the villagers are being arrogant and that their greed is showing.. Just by listening to the words of the villagers’ representatives and their arrogant demands, as well as increasing number of families (from 24 to 41 to 65), one can tell that they’re achieving this reputation all on their own..
Nevertheless, my heart goes out to the older folks of KBP who got caught up with the games of KBP’s ambitious “representatives”..
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greedy or not!!do do it by their own!!!
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yeah anil you are right,the buah palah folks have srewed up maximum, first by the MIC Subayar a BN Exco and thier 2 then councilors one of them is none other than the biggest frog of all time … and seems to be trying hard to be the hero to the villages. Some of the villages were mostly MIC members and secured for themselves
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If there were 24 plots, it means that originally when Helen Brown bequeathed the trust to the villagers, there were 24 plots of land.
It is reasonable that the developer offers compensation to 24 and not to the extended families which obviously came to squat over the years. If the original families would take them into their new quarters, then well and good. Otherwise, they need to seek residence elsewhere, just like the rest of Penangites when our landlord cancels our tenancy.
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Favourable public opinion was all the villagers had and that is where their power to apply political pressure on the state govt rested but it has been badly managed and squandered away. How?
1) Unwarranted and scurrilous attacks on LGE and his govt at every opportunity.
2) Allowing political opportunists like Hindraf to abuse and threaten the state govt on their behalf while ignoring the real culprits, Gerakan.
3) Arrogance of their spokesman when talking to the press.
4) Inability to concede that they have lost the court case and became squatters in the eyes of the law They may have been given false hopes by outsiders.
5) Rejecting the double storey houses outright instead of accepting in principle as a springboard to negotiate further.
The majority of Penangites support LGE’s govt. What do you get when you keep attacking the state govt as if it owes you a living?
The villagers have my utmost sympathies and I blame the political opportunists for leading them down the garden path.
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Be fair. have you checked with Guan Eng what he really meant.
“I STRONGLY AGREE with CM, Lim Guan Eng that he has to wash his hands off now. Anyway, it is not his issue even though this is in Penang state. Those greedy and selfish … residents at Kg Buah Pala should … at Samy Vellu and Tan Tsu Koon. You guys voted for BN previously, then you should go to them to solve your … problems. Bravo, LGE and pls stands firm. Business is business which the state govt has tried its best already.”
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Anil, will you delete my post again if it is not in line with your opinion?
I feel that the residents are getting too arrogant and greedy. I saw the TV news where one of the residents spoke so arrogantly, “Do you sign the documents after you see the house or do you sign the documents before you see the house?” It is obvious he hasn’t bought a house before in Malaysia…
My sympathy was with the residents but now I think if they do not accept the 2-storey terraced house worth RM400,000, then the developer should just move in and flatten the place.
Don’t come tell us Penangite it is a heritahe thingy. Only Uthayakumar beleive that….
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All this happened when too many parties eager to show their face or have their own agenda in the name of upholding the rights of Kg. Buah Pala residents.Sugumaran, Tharmaraj,T.mohan,Hindraf,Maksai,Samy Vellu, all these guys keep on attacking the current state government and CM but NEVER EVER mention BN,Umno,Koh Tsu Koon,Gerakan,MIC which in my opinion does have their hand on this issue when Pg was under their power.Furthermore, everytime the residents had their discussion with CM and agreed on anything that was discussed, the very next day Sugumaran and Tharmaraj will attack CM in the media and to make themselves even more proud, they lodged police reports against CM. C’mon, this is the man who is helping you guys. At least, ask CM to correct his statement, no need to make a POLICE reports what.Get real.Show some appreciation.
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Yeah Anil you are right,the buah palah forks have srewed up maximum,FIRST by the Penang MIC,Dato Subayar and thier 2 councilors one of them is none other then the biggest frog of all time,… and seems to be trying hard to be the hero to the villages.Some of the villages who are MIC members have secured for themselves low and medium cost houses from BN govt,I know back in 2007 the villages met with Samy Velo who told them nothing can be done. Anil, now the villages are supported by people like you,Aliran,Jerit,PSM,PRM AND sudddenly the MIC and Hindraf came into the picture.
Some of them the villages are making the people of Penang fed up wiht them. There is a guy who is a developer himself who claim to be a villager and asking for sympathy,one an engineer with a condo all asking the state govt for help. These are all nothing but greed. Help the real poor.
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Thanks for the frequent updates Anil.
Media coverage cuts both ways doesn’t it. It’s not only the MSM that can get it wrong.
The concern is not the negative or positive perception that the villagers are getting from the readers, but whether there is a way to help them keep their livelihood intact.
The fact that LGE will wash his hands of the issue citing the 3.5 million demand as the reason is a fantastic indicator of the level of efficiency that the Penang government has managed to instill in itself.
I believe that many are underestimating the long term effect of Kg Buah Pala and its outcome will have on the psyche of some of the voters.
Ths spin and counterspin seems more reminiscent of BN and the MSM rather than the esteemed martyr LGE and the DAP.
What a SNAFU. Question is what’s next for the residents?
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Hi Anil,
It is not new to the blog readers that you are biased towards the villagers. And I doubt this is the best way to uphold the credibility of free media.
You chose to mention the 3.5 million issue.
What about the villagers asking for more than 24 double-storey houses, or for a 3000 sq ft kampung tersusun, that land to settle their cow, for RM1200 per month rental fees per family? Your not mentioning all this just confirms the consistency of your selective way of reporting news.
In an earlier post, I mentioned the villagers’ reservations about the offer and what they were hoping for. – Anil
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3.5 milliom claim is LGE desperate attempt to turn the heat away from him. This is normal dirty tactic used by our politician.
Hainanese used to have a proverb, “He acts like human and he also acts like a ghost.”
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Ths STAR said that the villagers have rejected the developer’s offer and also quoted LGE as saying that he cannot do anything else for the villagers. Is it true?
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