2000: The Penang Government Officers Cooperative is adamant that it wants to demolish the Kg Buah Pala houses tomorrow, reports the NST/Bernama here. “We are not cruel, but our decision to demolish the village still stands because the court has decided the land is ours,” the cooperative chairman Abdul Razak Mansor is quoted as saying.
This effectively throws a spanner in the ongoing talks between the state government and the developer, Nusmetro, to resolve the crisis, according to a source.
Meanwhile, villagers reportedly have taken a week off from work to protect their homes from demolition. They are also expecting many activists and sympathisers to turn up tomorrow to lend their support, reports theSun.
1500: The developer and state government leaders are believed to be holding round-the-clock talks to resolve this crisis, a source informs me. The talks, which could continue tomorrow, may be extended if they fail to come up with a solution.
1300: The villagers are now waiting for a detailed blueprint from the developer/state for them to evaluate the proposal that they could co-exist side-by-side with the condominium project, says Sugumaran, the chairperson of the residents committee.
The villagers are in the midst of a heritage festival in the village.
0058: Today is the the day – the deadline given for Kampung Buah Pala residents to vacate their land.
There’s still considerable uncertainty over what will happen tomorrow.
According to one activist, as late as yesterday, the villagers were still hoping for the state to intervene and save their land by acquiring it.
Today, the villagers will be holding Ponggal celebrations with mixed feelings.
They will probably issue a press statement as well.
And then, who knows what tomorrow will bring.
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God bless everyone.
May all be settled amicably.
I hope and pray all goes well for all of you.
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why don’t LGE follows the advise from YB Karpal Singh? Just caveat the land and revoke the development permit.
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Honestly I am very fed up with the villagers excessive demands.
I was a very satuch supporter of their causes at first. But they keep on pressing for the impossible.
WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THEM IS THAT THEY PUT THE BLAME SOLELY ON LIM GUAN ENG.
IN FACT IT SHOULD BE KOH TSU KOON.
LOOK AT HOW THEY SWITCH LOYALTY SO FAST. WHEN SAMY OR HIS SON JUST PROMISED TO PAY RM3.2 MILLION FOR THE LAND WHICH I DOUBT IS SUUFICIENT, THEY WERE SO THANKFUL.
THEY DID NOT SEE THAT MIC WAS DAMN SILENT WHEN BN GOVERNMENT SOLD THE LAND.
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the reason for their excessive demand is that Lin Guan Eng is more accomodsting.
If it had been Koh, by now Kpg Buah Pala is history!!!!
Maybe they would not be compensated a sen because the develoer had said that being squatters they need not be compensated!
They should realise their position by now
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The tears will fall
The anger will spin
As the residents feel
The High Chaparral may be gone
Decades of living
Knowing its fate
Yet the people still vote
Bee Anne
Only when help doesn’t come
Changing guard hoping it will be done
The damages have already gone
By Bee Anne
Now they want to blame
Only themselves they say never
All those decades ago
Bee Anne promised
Backdoors the residents got
The last effort
By the conditions on the lease
The power of the current government
PR must get it done
The day is drawing nearer
The bulldozers revving to go
Tears will fall
The anger will spin
The land once known
High Chaparral is the name
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Lim Guan Eng is a human being first and Chief Minister second. I am sure he will do the right thing.
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I just want to go on the record – Athi Sankhar of Malaysiakini has become a very irresponsible writer in this whole episode. I truly hope Malaysiakini review his role in the online newspaper as well as his (alleged association with) Hindraf…
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You said, “Today, the villagers will be holding Ponggal celebrations with mixed feelings.”
Are you sure?
Ponggal is an annual cultural festival celebrated during mid-January.
Anyone instigated the Kg Buah Pala village folks to celebrate it now to get more sympathy?
Or is is a mis-reporting?
Anil – You should also check previous records of discussions between the developer and the village folks, before PR came to power.
There were a number of discussions and offers made by the developer then.
Somehow these got buried in the latest developments that are being capitalised by various parties.
For that matter Kho Tsu khoon knows about such discussions, but he is now preferring to keep mum – probably due to the dicatates of the Penang UNO fellows who were the ones who really ruled Penang (not Gerakan – which was a mere figurehead).
Whatever the case, its good if Kg Buah Pala was documented for archives purposes and the struggles of the people who finally brought the developer to offer better alternatives to simple minded Malaysians.
And that should be the way forward for NGOs like Jerit that are championing for the proletariat.
This is a good showcase of how PR resolves issues and crisis that were the doing of BN.
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Now only we know there is Kampung buah pala village,
where the past BN MIC Govermant doing, when they sold
the land.Please dont blame our honest,honourable CM.
PAST 50 over years what our Indian doing,just vote for BN …. Think wisely/change new gvmt.Tqs
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The reason why P Waytharmoorty is “shooting” LGE from London everytime he open his mouth is to showing Najib that he is a good boy and is trying buying a ticket without being held under ISA.
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spineless Koh. what else you wont sell to please your UMNO political master? I wonder what you would do next time your family’s heritage land is wanted by UMNO cronies?
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The long legal battle between High Chapparel and developer had been decided in Federal Court. Court decided that the villagers have to move out in deadline. DEADLINE WAS GIVEN BY FEDERAL COURT TO VILLAGERS. High Chapparel issue become so hot now. Political activist, NGOs, individuals targeted the CM and hold him resposible. Many appear as the latest opportunist since it become so hot, one individual by the nname Dereck Fernandez suddenly appear in Penang as HERO in the final minutes. All target againts LGE? Where is the legal status of the villagers as the rightful owner of the land? BN rule for over 50 years had never issue land title but rob the land from villagers. Is CM should go againts the Federal Court order at the cost of compensation suit? Should MIC BN ended as champion of Indian villagers cause?
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Rajan, I absolutely agree with you. Athi Shankar, previously know to everybody as Athi Veerangan… is notorious for his biased writings. I have written many times to Stevan Gan, editor in chief of Malaysiakini – but the excuse he gives is there is no other writer in Penang.
Meanwhile Anil would not allow me to write her about his previous misdoings. Ask TheStar and NST Penang (where he worked previously)…
I have been in Bual Pala a few times, he is practically camping there… Its absolutely shameful that Mkini is allowing this character continue to write… Notice how he likes to put question marks at the end to prevent anybody questioning his article.
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Lim BC,
I agree with you 100%!!!
Look they are virtually putting the blame squarely of Lim and Ramasamy.
Hardly would you read any adverse comments onKoh Tsu Koon or any UMNO guys.
Aiya,
I simply cannot stomach their claims and demands anymore.
The amonut of damage Gerakan , MCA and MIC and UMNO done to Penang are all forgotten if only Samy Vellu or Najib can save KPG Pala.
To those guys, A SWALLOW WILL MAKE A SUMMER!!!
In Chinese there is a saying, “If you do good deeds for 364 days in a year but fail to obligh for 1 day in a year, you will be deemed a bad guy”. This is what LGE is experiencing now!!!
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Peter,
If you were in the villagers’ shoes you wouldn’t be talking about the blame game. These people are about to lose the roof over their heads, they are desperate, you cant blame them for accepting help, wherever it comes from. Remember, “a drowning man would cluthch at a straw.”
This is not the time for politicking and it applies to both BN and PR.
Of course KTK is to be blamed, he created this mess,nobody said he is not responsible, least of all the villagers. But the sitting CM is LGE, all the powers of state are in his hands. Only he can help. KTK cannot and will not help.
You said,
“If it had been Koh, by now Kpg Buah Pala is history!!!!”
Very true, thats precisely the reason why KTK/BN were kicked out and replaced by PR. The people wanted a CM who would be different. A CM who would be sensitive to the needs of the people.
Are you now saying that LGE can also behave like KTK and it would be acceptable.
Would you be happy if the villagers are not compensated?
Why do you hate these poor folks so much. Did they take away your land or your livelihood?
The people who speak-up for the villagers are driven by justice, compassion, sympathy and empathy.
But what drives the people who are hostile towards them. Some of you have consistently and persistently despised, ridiculed and demonised the villagers. You are so unmoved by injustice and human suffering. You guys are so inhuman, heartless and totally devoid of compassion. You are so disgusting.
Pray tell, what drives your hostility? Is it racism, or have you guys purchased properties from Nusmetro?
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Understand LGE has many suporters here. What peeves me is the length DAP is willing to go if its a pig farm or Chinese school etc.
Over Kg Buah Pala, DAP seems to be dragging its feet, blaming KTK, BN and what not. The fact is the deal were allowed to go thru after LGE took over. His fans seem to gloss this fact conveniently.
The villagers have for decades struggled to get their rights to the land, of course UMNO/Gerakan/MIC … played them out kaw-kaw. They saw some light finally when Pakatan took over.
All kinds freaky places were declared heritage status in Penang. Why can’t Kg Buah Pala?
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Agree with Rajen. This whole episode is an attempt to shame and destabilize LGE and Pakatan Rakyat. MIC was involved in (the BN administration that sold) the land, and now they(inluding Waytha and Uthaya) are using this issue…
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Its inappropriate for the current state govt to actually “rob” the developer, imagine u are an investor who pay millions and spend so much time and resources from drawing the building blue print to getting all the approvals and fighting in court cases(they won it right?) and when some stubborn squatters refuse to vacate the land.. the state govt comes around and start “nationalizing” the piece of land to appease some vagrants.. its certainly not going in well for investors if the CM decides to take such drastic actions.. Who would invest in penang if all the approvals that took months and years to approve can be negated with just a “stroke of a pen” ..
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No Investor, it’s inappropriate for Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang to get in a deal with Nusmetro Venture (P) Sdn Bhd and sell the land and risk the livelihood of the villagers. Take a look at the land title here.
Sorry to disappoint you, but legally you’re not supposed to have invested in that land. It’s your problem that you did so without checking the land title and other relevant documents.
If justice scares away investment, then so be it.
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Investor,
Your disdain for the villagers is obvious. At least you are honest about your vested interest.
These people are neither squatters nor vagrants as you claim. They have been there for 200 yrs. The court ruling came about because of the PR state govts action in tranfering the land title. It is because of this transfer of title that the Ct of Appeal and Federal Ct gave summary judgment and refused a full trial in accordance with the High Ct judgment. You and your ilk just refuse to admit this point which is the crux of the issue between the villagers and the state govt.
Anway the investor in this case knew about the sordid mess and yet went ahead to sink millions because they did not expect BN to lose the state govt….
LGE should take drastic actions to teach a good lesson to greedy investors who collude…
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Investor – do you have any solution then? DO you ? Stop talking trash here. I am an Indian and you are just not speaking sense here.
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Eagle eye,
It’s simple. It’s Economics! Stupid. State geovernment going to pay 150 million dollars. It’s not 3.2 million dollars. If that’s true, LGE would have done it long time ago
Eagle eye,
State government collects 300 million every year. State government spends 350 millions. State government reserve only stands at 1 to 2 billion dollars. So, logical to spend 150 millions to save 30 village families.
Use your head & think! It’s supposed to be for all Penangites not just 30 village families. Why not you fork out your money & pay for them?
People,
I think it’s the best deal so far that villagers & the condominium can co-exist. Perhaps, it will end this sad chapter. However, the state government should be expected to scrutinise all deals especailly this one. Lets hope that state govenrmeny can nail those b*******
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It is always them??? that creat troubles.This so call Malaysians if they are
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… the political eunuch Koh Tsu Koon who presided over this land grab is still keeping his trap shut.
Gerakan – Shame on you !!!
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Dear Eagle-eagle,
I want to tell you that I was a very staunch supporter of the villagers cause.
At first when I thought that LGE could acquire the land by just a stroke of a pen. But on learning that it was not that easy because it involves millions of Penangites money.
I did write that since LGE could not possibly achieve it by that simple means, I did write that LGE should drive a hard bargain for the villagers.
Now that LGE and Ramasamy had bargain fir a double storey house each, don’t you think that it is a good deal?
I am very fed up of the villagers because they keep on harpingon the fact that LGE transferred the land title and sold them out.
I understand from those developers who are well versed inland deal, LGE has to accept the last payment and dutifully transfer the land title because that was the agreement sign between Koh Tsu Koon on the deal. No way that LGE can refuse the trnsfer!!!
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