They became wealthy overnight when their land was acquired to build Malaysia’s most advanced container terminal.

But families from two fishing villages here have now fallen on hard times in a tale of “rags-to-riches and back-to-rags”.

Two decades ago, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) took over the Tanjung Pelepas and Tanjung Adang villages for the development of the terminal, acquiring 1,416.4ha of land, which is about the size of 1,700 football fields.

The two villages comprised of 400 families of 1,500 people

Mostly involved in fishing and farming activities, these families were compensated between RM400,000 and RM600,000.

Many of them splurged on luxury cars while others spent it on their relatives and friends.

A number of them poured their entire funds into get-rich-quick schemes and scratch-and-win scams.

But for the past two years, PTP has begun issuing eviction notices to about 60 families, who were among the 400 households who moved to a new residential area called Desa Paya Mengkuang, about 10km from where they previously lived.

These families had not paid up for the houses, which were sold to them by PTP at cost price.

A 72-year-old orang asli housewife from Kampung Tanjung Pelepas, who wanted to be known only as Mak Long, was among those who lost it all after her late husband invested in a farm and a petrol station in Indonesia, which ceased operations after several months.

“We received about RM548,000 in compensation for a 0.8ha land (tanah kurnia) in 1996, which my late husband used to buy a plot of land in Indonesia and as investment to set up a petrol station.

“So when port officials told us that we have to pay RM45,000 for the house some six years after receiving the compensation, we could not afford the payment,” she said.

Mak Long, who has received two eviction notices in the past two years, is worried about losing the roof over her head.

Furthermore, three of her nine children are still living with her.

She admitted that there had been miscommunication with PTP, saying that many of the villagers had assumed that it was a “house-for-house” exchange where they thought they were given a new home in return for giving up their old place.

“I suggested to the company that I pay them RM200 monthly but they insisted that we take up bank loans, which we feel is unfair as we will end up paying more due to interest rate,” she claimed.

Rela member Shamsuddin Abd Hamid, 60, said he was living with his mother-in-law when they were offered a RM200,000 compensation.

“In 2002, despite us not being able to pay for the house, an official handed over the keys to our unit and a RM1,000 relocation payment, telling us to move in,” he claimed.

“The issue has resurfaced. I received two eviction notices, one last year and another three months ago. Where are we supposed to go now?” he asked.

When contacted, PTP declined to comment on the matter.

Local Government and Housing Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Latiff Bandi said the matter was being looked into and the PTP had issued multiple notices to residents who had yet to pay for the houses.

“It is understood that the residents were issued court notices for not paying their dues and some even renting out their unpaid houses to others,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by Kathleen Ann Kili

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