Kg Papan Residents Protest At Bnm Demand Promised Homes

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About 80 residents from a village in Klang, Selangor, who are facing eviction, gathered peacefully in front of the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today to demand the houses they were promised decades ago.
The residents, many of whom have lived in Kampung Papan for generations, are calling on BNM subsidiary TPPT Sdn Bhd to halt all eviction activities until their housing concerns are resolved.
Carrying placards and banners, the villagers voiced their frustration over a new eviction notice ordering them to vacate their homes by Monday (Nov 10).
“They gave us a notice to demolish our homes, which is why we came here today.
ADS“TPPT should give us a proper explanation and not destroy our homes before the issue is resolved,” said Kampung Papan resident Teoh Ah Guat.
The 63-year-old, who has lived in the village for over 30 years, lamented the unfair treatment that followed an earlier eviction order scheduled for Oct 27, when residents were advised to stay home or risk having their houses demolished by developers.
Villagers appeal as eviction looms
The protest today saw five representatives from Kampung Papan and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) meeting with BNM officials to hand over a memorandum outlining their demands.
“In the memorandum, we informed them of two main things. First, to ensure that only vacant houses are demolished, as per the terms negotiated with the Selangor state government.
“Second, to discuss temporary solutions for residents who have yet to receive replacement homes. We’ve also sent a letter to the prime minister, asking for intervention in this issue,” said PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan after the meeting.
He added that the group was informed that BNM officials could not make any immediate commitments but would escalate the matter to higher authorities.
When asked about TPPT’s role, he explained that the land had been sold to the current developer, Melati Ehsan Sdn Bhd, but TPPT remains involved as the owner of the land and has granted power of attorney to the developer.
PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan (second from right)According to the memorandum shared with Malaysiakini, the residents claimed that TPPT was originally granted ownership of the land by the state government.
TPPT was supposed to address squatter issues, promote orderly urban development, and provide relocation housing for affected residents.
However, Kampung Papan villagers said those promises remain unfulfilled despite years of waiting.
Promises unfulfilled for generations
ADSThe residents have a long history in the village, having ties to the settlement dating to before Merdeka.
Initially, they were granted temporary occupation licences by the state authorities, but in 2004, the Selangor government tasked TPPT with the responsibility of providing relocation.
TPPT was allocated about 77ha of land to develop housing, including alternative homes for the residents.
However, the company later sold the land to Melati Ehsan Sdn Bhd, which promised to build replacement units for the residents.
Despite this, a group of residents received eviction notices from the developer while negotiations on replacement housing units were ongoing.
This prompted some residents to mount an ongoing legal challenge against the eviction. - Mkini

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