Anguish etches the face of Muniammah, 75, at the front door of her home, as she stares out at an uncertain future. – Photo by Anil
Earlier, Muniammah had come up to a few visitors to the village, her hands clasped as if pleading with us for help: “Where will we go after this?” she asked, almost in tears. “We don’t have any money for rental.”
Her parents arrived from India decades ago – she doesn’t know exactly when – and her mother lived in Kampung Buah Pala until she was 90.
She showed a couple of us around her family home, her back hunched as she struggled to walk up the steep path leading from the lane to the front door.
Perhaps those who are coveting the land on which her home stands – and can only see real estate $$$ – and those who allowed and facilitated the land grab will look deep into her eyes and understand the anguish they have caused.
She could be your grandmother or mother.
K
are you happy now?
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The … will not sell the units with all the curses of the KBP. I would not buy the unit .
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What the next thing to do is to accept the offer….then ask for Pg govt help to settle them temporarily but also demand that the developer built their new houses first so that their misery is not prolonged. I gues LGE should agree to this minor request.
The main factor here is to accept or not, the offer. If accept then set such terms. If not, then sorry lah….find your own lodging and say goodbye to RM350,000 houses vanish into the air. Since there are originally 24 units, then its 24 units. Nothing more , nothing less…unless developer is kind enough to give more. This is the hard facts of life and during each eviction and after being moved to new homes, things will fall back to normal very soon.
Once again, dont listen to all those so called “Heros” as they know its a lost cause and will not see you guys again once the dust has settled. Take whats there to give and be contented and dont turn the rest of Penang against you. You wont like it.
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Sorry Anil, I still maintain that if that face had been of a different ethnic group, the outpouring of sympathy would be tremendous! Just reading the comments on your other post today is proof of that.
P.S. Hey, u edited my previous comment.. diluted the effect lah! But thanks nevertheless for publishing it.
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Jaymie…you are so right. And LGE would never acted in such lame and dismissive manner had this been some other ethnic group.
This episdose is a black mark on Penang’s and LGE’s history. LGE and DAP will never able to live down this shameful and cruel act.
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then count 66, plus me.
I also want free house!..
come on KBP …
you has to justify how many of the real resident there.. not 24, then 64, then 180 then bla bla bla.
The real resident should be those born there’ their pa n ma are living there .
not everyone those living in there now.
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Jaymie,
I never belittle everyone, just look at Muniammah house it was old, rusty, and in poor condition. Why not take the terrace house compensation offer?
After 2 years, they will smell new paint ordour around their new house which is good and many ordinary squatters will envy!
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was told that there are 3 people who are creating the main ruskus and who were (allegedly) initially trying to make a fast buck but lge put a stop to it and its was then they got aggresive to the fight the actual cause
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Shame on you Jaymie, you have to draw your racial card. If she accepts the offer, she is certain to get a roof over her head in two or three years time. Otherwise it’ll be a long drawn-out court battle which may last donkey years. And probably years and years of uncertainties, anguish and regrets.
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the fact is the land bot belongs to the villagers !
the villagers has no right in staying people land … of coz the land not belongs to Penang state …. so not to blame LGE anymore …. blame KTK for this.
Greedy … greedy …greedy
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I am not sure who is the ‘Heroes’ behind the scenes but my opinion is to accept the deal , I strongly believe current Pg goverment will protect and make sure developer keep their words . Everyone should feel happy with 20×60 dbl teres offered . If we to buy will easily cost more than $500k in that prime area even lease hold. Dear Kg Buah Pala … you have your right to accept the offer and stay there in better environment in few years time by accept the offer , everything will settle in peace or you will lost everything ….. the place you grown up…
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My dear borther anil !
As i stated earlier, if it was a malay or chinese village, the whole nation would be in uproar state…As i stated earlier as well, onlY PR gOvernment cares and are doing something about it.
HOWEVER NO AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION CAN BE GIVEN TO THIS PEOPLE WHO HAVE GIVEN EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SO THAT THEIR GENERATION AND GENERATIONS TO COME CAN SURVIVE ON THIS SOIL.
Who will come and save their land and home….. only Guard On Duty (G.O.D.) can. I have only one thing to say, “We must all pray hard for Kampung Buah Pala and her residents to survive this outrageous scandal and the land be given back to them”.
For me, i have always prayed for their safety, land and home the moment i came to now this scandal. KTK is accountable for this. As i recall, the land cannot be transferred or sold or leased to any one.
This is one of the scandals that has plagued this nation – illegal transfers and (scams) for all the land deals on this state.
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Air Batu Campur…
Don’t you get it ? These people are not materialistic folks who are intersted in luxury houses or money. They are happy enough to stay in their current houses, living freely and practicising their traditional lifestyle.
Please stop idolising LGE and let your political alleigence blind your thinking and kill your humanity.
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Why must people like Jaymie and K turn a non-racial issue into a racial issue? Racism is the last refuge of scoundrels. If there was no public sympathy for the villagers do you think their houses will still be standing now and do you think the developer would have come up with this offer?
However public sympathy is eroding fast. The residents cannot expect to have 1 house for every family. The developer agreed to compensate 1 house for each house demolished and I think that’s fair.
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I hope the issues at KBP be settled amicably. Don’t blame the developer, the present govt or the residents. Blame Koh Tsu Koon!
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I agree that they should accept the offer.
But , meantime the deceloper must find a place for them to stay temporily and pay for their rentals.
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My suggestion as a outisder from the little red dot. People of Kampung Buah Pala need not despair. They should think of the big picture when making decisions. Now given the yerrace house, their net assets had gone up a few hundred thousands, compare to the legal case where they have lost. Whether they can win later is a big question mark knowing the legal courts had decided unfavourable against them. When given a house, they can always do a reverse mortgage if they have no money. They will allows them to stay and also have income if they need money. They also sublet some rooms out for income. This may be better for some just have a poor condition house now. The state government should arrangement for some financing with institutions for them to do such a deal. A proper cost and benefit analysis should be done for people affected for the various options to allow them to make an informed decisions without political interference. Whatever decisions they take, they should be accountable and not blame anyone later as they are the one who make their choices
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My suggestion as a outsider from the little red dot. People of Kampung Buah Pala need not despair. They should think of the big picture when making decisions. Now given the terrace house, their net assets had gone up a few hundred thousands, compare to the legal case where they have lost. Whether they can win later is a big question mark knowing the legal courts had decided unfavourably against them. When given a house, they can always do a reverse mortgage if they have no money. They will allows them to stay and also have income if they need money. They also sublet some rooms out for income for those that need not need some many rooms. This may be better for some now who just have a poor condition house. The state government should arrangement for some financing institutions for them to do such a deal. A proper cost and benefit analysis should be done for people affected for the various options so as to allow them to make an informed decisions without political interference. Whatever decisions they take, they should be accountable and not blame anyone later as they are the one who make their choices. Think about win-win solutions, instead of zero sum game. All the best in your outcome that is favourable to all involved.
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This is where greed leads you!!!
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K
Of cos not. You tell your KTK and BN goons that (they are responsible). Not LGE
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Anil,
You notice the comments ?… Originally KBP exited “200 years ago”.. then .. down to.. “more than 150 years ago” … now most commentators saying its “about 100 years ago”… i think it will soon decrease to “75 years ago”.. then “50 years ago”… “30 years ago”.. finally .. 0
Many comparing KBP with squatters just because the court decided. Comeon lah !!! Even after PR government toppled in Perak and the court said new BN government is legal, everyone still protested on streets, wearing black lah, drinking black coffee lah….
Put the court ruling aside when commenting. We all know the Malaysian Juridical (system).. but still the readers here using the court decision as a solid ground to get the KBP folks move out from their home.
The whole mess created by former BN government(90%) & current PR government(10%) plus the greedy Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan. But the current governments negligence and blunder caused the 10% to multiply to a figure they never imagined.
Hope UNESCO can do something about it.
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We now see LGE’s master plan. First make an offer that sounds fantastic (double story houses, temple,etc) and spread the news that the state govt is fighting hard for the residents. And then put the pressure on the residents to accept the offer without any concrete plans or details. At the same time, spread news that the houses worth several hundred thousand ringgit. Also claim that the villagers are greedy while the CM is an embodiment of kindness and justice. So when the residents reject the offer, then accuse them of being greedy and as BN supporters with a political agenda.
Now we can expect the bulldozers to come in anytime. We can expect the meek Penang PDRM to be given instructions to “maintain law & order”. The pro-Pakatan press will be told to tone down their coverage of the demolishment of the houses. We can expect the alternative media to make KBP as a footnote news while DAP supporters in MSM will try their best to push the story to the inner pages and minimise the coverage.
I sincerely hope that Anil you will continue to prove the coverage on the ground and not allow the name of KBP to be ever forgotten.
Today is a black day for Penang and Malaysia.
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Grandma and KBGan,
I stand by my comments, whether anyone likes it or not, and even if hundreds deny it and chastise me for it. It is a fact that in this country, people have different, sometimes totally opposite reactions on issues when it concerns one of their kind. Also, there are many here who are harsh and critical of the villagers, including calling them greedy. It makes me wonder if these critics have read and weighed all the facts of the case before passing judgment. I reproduce here a quote from Anil from one of his other posts on this matter, for your information. Please read and understand the facts from various other sources as well.
Quote: The villagers live on 24 property plots, ranging from about 3,000-5,000 sq feet each, with one even 13,000 sq feet. Quite a few of these plots have additional pondoks or extensions for extended families to live in. – Anil Unquote.
It seems to me that these critics are blindly supportive of LGE. Step back and look at it fairly, please.
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I do not understand some remarks by some i.e take it or leave it and don’t turn the penang people against you? Wonder what kind of …. would make such an insensitive comment? If this is of your ethnicity would you make such statements. Be sensitive lah! Think of Bukit Cina in Melaka n the pigs issue in Kedah, what did u all do?
I am not sure what you got to lose chanjoe? Do not let your political aliance to certain party cloud ur judgement!
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i am sad for her and many others. IF BN is in power today, do you think we will be having this dicussion? The kampung will be down last week with police and FRU in tow.
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