Chor lashes out at Penang Govt

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THE Penang Government must fulfil its promise to the Rumah Hijau squatters in Mak Mandin to build affordable flats within their present village.

MCA vice-president Datuk Chor Chee Heung said Pakatan Rakyat’s alleged pledge to the Rumah Hijau squatters in Butterworth during the 2008 general election has apparently vanished into thin air.

“The state government is now trying to push this to the Federal Government to solve but our hands are tied as the land belongs to the state. Nonetheless, I will try to help,” he said.

If Barisan Nasional manages to win back the state in the next general election, Chor said he would take it upon himself to ensure that the long-suffering Rumah Hijau villagers got what was promised.

He said this during a dialogue session with the people at the Bagan MCA division headquarters on Sunday.

Sixty-six families there are demanding that the current state government build new flats within the village for them, as allegedly promised.

★Squatters in Butterworth open Dialog with Dato' Wira Chor Chee Heung,10 July 2011. from left to right Loo Khay They, Chor Chee Heung, David Chua & Sum Yoo Keong.

On a separate matter, Chor, who is also the Housing and Local Government Minister, said his ministry would investigate a developer allegedly involved in building an inferior quality housing project in Ampang Jajar.

The Ampang Jajar project is located near Rumah Hijau.

“I will wait for an official report from Bagan MCA and if it is true, the developer will be blacklisted,” he said.

Chor also urged Chief Minister and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng to assist the Ampang Jajar homeowners in getting a soil test report, as they could not afford it.

“I understand that this is a big problem as some houses are now sinking. The state must look into this because the hard-earned money of the buyers is at stake.

“Meanwhile, I will check with the Seberang Prai Municipal Council president (Maimunah Mohd Sharif) to see how my ministry can help,” he said.

Later in Jawi, Chor presented appointment letters to the Village Safety and Development Committee members and presented two Proton Arena cars to the Sungai Jawi and Kampung Valdor voluntary firemen there.

He said at present, there were about 26,000 firefighters nationwide — half of whom were volunteers.

“It’s just not possible to have fire stations in every kampung nationwide, hence we need volunteer firefighters on standby, especially in villages,” he said.

He added that the Government was actively looking at ways to improve the welfare of volunteer firefighters.

Also present was Jawi Barisan coordinator Tan Cheng Liang.

In her speech, Tan said under Chor, the constituency’s drainage and flooding woes would be taken care of as they came under his ministry’s purview.

Penang Govt taken to task over demolition

Friday May 14, 2010

THE Penang Government has turned a deaf ear to numerous appeals made by the Rumah Hijau Residents Association over the tearing down of the vacant houses at the Rumah Hijau longhouses in Mak Mandin, Butterworth.

Bagan parliamentary coordinator and Bagan MCA division Youth chief David Chua(pic at right three), who said this, also claimed there was no proper planning when the demolition was carried out recently.

“The empty houses are attached to other houses. Because of that, water seeps in from the side when it rains,” he said.

“To make things worse, the site has become a mosquito breeding ground because of the debris, clogged drains and pot holes,” he said in a press statement on Wednesday.
Chua claimed a 12-year-old boy was now sick with dengue fever.

He said during a meeting attended by state Town and Country Planning and Housing Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai and state Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng with leaders from Barisan Nasional at Wong’s office last month, it was agreed that the residents would not be forced to move out from their houses.

Barisan was represented by Bagan Umno division chief Datuk Latiff Mirasa and state MIC liaison committee chief Datuk P.K. Subbaiyah.

Chua called upon the executive councillors to put aside politics and assist the Rumah Hijau folk to solve the long-standing issue once and for all.


Rumah Hijau Resident Association chairman A. Tamil Selvam said he went to Lim’s service centre on Jalan Raja Uda near Butterworth last week to request for him to stop the demolition work.

However, he claimed Lim did not entertain him and said he had nothing to do with the demolition work.

Last November, 170 of the 236 families from the area accepted the keys to their flats.

The remaining 66 families, who declined the offer, have chosen to remain in their village while demanding that the state build a block of flats within the village.

from : The Star Metro North

Kerajaan negeri takutkan penduduk Rumah Hijau Mak Mandin

■PENDUDUK Rumah Hijau Mak Mandin, Butterworth mengeluarkan perabot dari rumah yang dirobohkan.

BUTTERWORTH: Seperti lagak samseng. Itulah yang boleh disimpulkan terhadap cara penduduk Rumah Hijau Mak Mandin di sini yang diarahkan keluar dari rumah mereka oleh kerajaan negeri. Kenyataan itu dilemparkan Ketua Umno Bahagian Bagan, Datuk Latiff Mirasa, terhadap tindakan kerajaan negeri merobohkan dua rumah penduduk di kawasan berkenaan walaupun sudah menyatakan komitmen untuk membantu. Latiff yang menjadi penasihat kepada penduduk, berkata tindakan kerajaan negeri itu seperti samseng dengan menakut-nakutkan penghuni supaya mematuhi arahan berpindah ke Flet Ampang Jajar.

"Dalam pertemuan saya dengan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Bagan Jermal, Lim Hock Seng dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perancangan Bandar dan Desa Perumahan Kesenian, Wong Hon Wai tiga minggu lalu, mereka cakap akan selesaikan masalah itu dengan memohon bantuan Kerajaan Pusat.

"Itupun selepas saya berkeras bahawa kerajaan negeri terdahulu (Barisan Nasional) sudah menyediakan pelan pembinaan rumah kos rendah di sini seperti dipersetujui penduduk. Tetapi, lihatlah apa berlaku sekarang.

"Mereka roboh dua rumah yang memberi kesan sampingan antaranya seorang kanak-kanak berusia 12 tahun menghidap penyakit deman denggi kerana kawasan itu kini menjadi tempat takungan air. Tindakan mereka ini seperti samseng," katanya ketika melawat kawasan perumahan itu.
Tinjauan Berita Harian ke kawasan itu mendapati, ada takungan air di kawasan rumah dirobohkan, sekali gus menjadikan kawasan itu tempat nyamuk Aedes membiak.

Selain itu, sisa kayu dari rumah yang dirobohkan juga tidak dibersihkan, malah masih ada wayar elektrik tergantung yang mungkin akan menyebabkan berlaku renjatan elektrik.

Berikutan masalah itu, penduduk mendesak Lim yang juga Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kerja Raya, Utiliti dan Pengangkutan negeri, meletak jawatan sebagai wakil rakyat kerana bersikap lepas tangan.

Desakan itu dibuat selepas Lim menyatakan kepada penduduk bahawa beliau tidak mempunyai sebarang kuasa untuk menyelesaikan masalah dihadapi penduduk yang jelas berbeza ketika berkempen pada pilihan raya umum lalu.

Pengerusi Persatuan Penduduk Rumah Hijau Mak Mandin, A Tamilselvam, berkata Lim memaklumkan bahawa penduduk tidak akan dipindahkan ke Flet Ampang Jajar jika pakatan pembangkang memerintah negeri ini.

"Tetapi apabila sudah memerintah, banyak pula alasan diberikan Lim kepada kami. Kami kecewa dengan sikapnya itu dan mahu beliau letak jawatan sebagai Adun supaya seseorang yang lebih berkemampuan dilantik," katanya.

Tamilselvam berkata, pihaknya menemui Lim pada Rabu minggu lalu bagi meminta penjelasan selepas dua buah rumah dirobohkan minggu lalu walaupun kerajaan negeri sudah berjanji untuk membantu penduduk menyelesaikannya.

"Dalam pertemuan dengan Lim dan Wong, mereka menyatakan akan membantu penduduk dengan memohon bantuan untuk menyelesaikan masalah itu.

"Tetapi sehingga kini, surat memohon peruntukan bagi membina rumah kos rendah di sini masih belum disiapkan. Lebih teruk lagi apabila dua rumah dirobohkan walaupun jalan penyelesaian masih belum ada," katanya.

Source from : Berita Harian

Penduduk Rumah Hijau bengang Adun DAP lepas tangan

BUTTERWORTH 9 Mei – Penduduk perkampungan Rumah Hijau, Mak Mandin di sini mendesak Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bagan Jermal, Lim Hock Seng (gambar) meletakkan jawatan kerana gagal menyelesaikan isu perumahan di kawasan itu.

Menurut mereka, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kerja Raya, Utiliti dan Pengangkutan negeri itu bersikap ‘lepas tangan’ walaupun sebelum ini berjanji untuk menyelesaikannya ketika kempen pilihan raya umum lalu.

Pengerusi Persatuan Penduduk Rumah Hijau, A. Tamilsalvan berkata, Hock Seng sebelum ini pernah berjanji untuk menyelesaikan kemelut yang dihadapi penduduk itu apabila mereka diminta berpindah ke Rumah Pangsa Ampang Jajar.

Menurutnya, tindakan Hock Seng itu bagaikan ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’ kerana sebelum ini beliau pernah berjanji untuk membantu penduduk, tetapi apabila ditemui baru-baru ini wakil rakyat DAP itu menolak untuk membuat sebarang rundingan.

”Hock Seng kata dia tak mahu ambil tahu masalah penduduk Rumah Hijau kerana ia di bawah bidang kuasa Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perumahan, Perancangan Bandar dan Desa negeri, Wong Hon Wai.

”Kami benar-benar kesal dengan tindakannya itu kerana dia (Hock Seng) yang menabur janji untuk membantu ketika kempen pilihan raya. Kalau masalah rakyat tidak dapat diselesaikan, lebih baik dia letak jawatan,” katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini hari ini.

Turut hadir Ketua UMNO Bahagian Bagan, Datuk Abdul Latif Mirasa.

Tamilsalvan turut kecewa apabila dua buah rumah penduduk di situ dirobohkan minggu lalu mengakibatkan penghuninya hilang tempat berteduh.

Jelasnya, kontraktor swasta yang datang melakukan kerja meroboh itu mengingkari perjanjian bahawa rumah mereka tidak akan diusik sehingga kerajaan negeri berunding mengenai nasib mereka dengan Kerajaan Pusat.

”Tapi minggu lalu rumah-rumah ini dirobohkan dan sisa runtuhan itu dibiarkan bersepah di tapak rumah itu sehingga membahayakan kanak-kanak.

”Selain itu air yang bertakung di tapak runtuhan menjadi lokasi pembiakan nyamuk aedes menyebabkan seorang kanak-kanak diserang demam denggi baru-baru ini,” ujarnya.

Sementara itu, Abdul Latif melahirkan rasa kesal dengan tindakan kerajaan Negeri yang seolah-olah menganiayai penduduk di situ.

”Mereka bertindak seperti gangster yang merampas tanah orang lain di sebalik laungan ingin menjaga kebajikan rakyat negeri ini.

”Saya mendesak kerajaan negeri atau kontraktor jangan mengganggu penduduk di sini sehingga rundingan dengan Kerajaan Pusat selesai,” katanya. – Utusan Malaysia


Source from Pemuda Subang

Drawing people together

IN the spirit of 1Malaysia, Bagan Barisan Nasional (BN) organised a Juara Rakyat programme in Mak Mandin in Penang recently which attracted about 1,000 people from all walks of life.

The highlight of the event was the presentation of food hampers comprising rice, biscuits and other items to 250 poor people.

Bagan Umno division chief Datuk Abdul Latiff Mirasa gave away the food hampers.

The event kicked off with an aerobics session at 7.30am which drew residents and leaders of political parties.

Viewa photo album

Bagan parliamentary constituency coordinator David Chua said many people participated in the various activities held on that day.

He said residents of Mak Mandin flats also took part in a fire-fighting drill to equip them with basic knowledge in the event of a fire.

“Residents also enjoyed multi-cultural performances such as silat, lion dance and BharataNatyam,” he said.

Many children also took part in a colouring contest.

Also present at the function were Bagan MCA chairman Loo Khay Thye and Bagan MCA Youth vice-chairman Sum Yoo Keong.

from : The Star

Residents worry over ‘unstable’ longhouses

FAMILIES still living in the Rumah Hijau longhouses in Mak Mandin, Seberang Prai, are worrying over their safety as the vacant units are being demolished causing their longhouses to be unstable.

Bagan MCA division Youth chief David Chua said on Wednesday the structures are now unstable as contractors have moved in to demolish the units vacated by families who have moved to the replacement flats in Ampang Jajar, some 3km away from their squatter village.

“The contractor rightfully should only demolish the front and the back portion and leave the dividing wall of each unit but now these walls have been brought down causing the structures to be unstable as water is seeping in.

“I was informed by association chairman A. Tamil Selvam that when he spoke to State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng, I was told that Lim had given the directive to tear down the units,” he said when contacted yesterday.

However, Chua said when the association representatives met State Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, who is Sungai Puyu assemblyman, they were told that the contractor should not tear down the units.

“Why are the families given different versions of what is happening when their lives are in danger?” he questioned.

He added that the state was not serious in helping the families solve the problem as they were delaying inviting representatives from Barisan Nasional to discuss the fate of the remaining families at the longhouses.

“The association representatives who met state Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai just before Chinese New Year in February were told that the state would hold a meeting with Barisan representatives, the affected families and the association representatives.

“But it has since been a month now and there is no such invitation from the state. Why is there a delay if the state is serious in helping?” he asked.

When contacted, Wong said it was not true that the state did not want to meet the families.

“We have met them a couple of times and the state will meet with the affected families again on March 30,” he said.

From : The Star. Metro Norhtern 19.03.2010

Residents worry over ‘unstable’ longhouses

FAMILIES still living in the Rumah Hijau longhouses in Mak Mandin, Seberang Prai, are worrying over their safety as the vacant units are being demolished causing their longhouses to be unstable.

■The vacant units are being demolished

Bagan MCA division Youth chief David Chua said on Wednesday the structures are now unstable as contractors have moved in to demolish the units vacated by families who have moved to the replacement flats in Ampang Jajar, some 3km away from their squatter village.

“The contractor rightfully should only demolish the front and the back portion and leave the dividing wall of each unit but now these walls have been brought down causing the structures to be unstable as water is seeping in.

“I was informed by association chairman A. Tamil Selvam that when he spoke to State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng, I was told that Lim had given the directive to tear down the units,” he said when contacted yesterday.

However, Chua said when the association representatives met State Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, who is Sungai Puyu assemblyman, they were told that the contractor should not tear down the units.

“Why are the families given different versions of what is happening when their lives are in danger?” he questioned.

He added that the state was not serious in helping the families solve the problem as they were delaying inviting representatives from Barisan Nasional to discuss the fate of the remaining families at the longhouses.

“The association representatives who met state Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai just before Chinese New Year in February were told that the state would hold a meeting with Barisan representatives, the affected families and the association representatives.

“But it has since been a month now and there is no such invitation from the state. Why is there a delay if the state is serious in helping?” he asked.

When contacted, Wong said it was not true that the state did not want to meet the families.

“We have met them a couple of times and the state will meet with the affected families again on March 30,” he said.


Source from : The Star . North

‘Help Rumah Hijau folk’

BAGAN MCA division Youth chief David Chua has handed over a memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, urging him to personally intervene in the plight of Rumah Hijau families who are facing eviction.

Chua, who was accompanied by a small group of affected residents, to the state administrative base in Komtar, urged the state to engage the Rumah Hijau residents and developer in negotiations so they could come to an amicable solution.

“The residents are hoping to be relocated within the same area as the area has many amenities such as places of worship, clinics and schools.

“If the residents are relocated to low-cost flats 3km away, they will be burdened with transportation costs,” Chua said before handing over the memorandum to Lim’s political secretary Ng Wei Aik yesterday.

■Chua (left) handing over the memorandum to Ng in Komtar.

About 240 families of Rumah Hijau in Mak Mandin, Butterworth, are facing eviction as the land on which their homes stand, has been earmarked for a redevelopment housing scheme.

Out of this number, some 170 families have accepted keys to low-cost flats while the remaining families are adamant on staying in their Rumah Hijau long houses, Chua said.

He also urged the state to consider aliena-ting one of the neighbouring plots of land around Rumah Hijau at a reasonable price to build a block of low-cost flats for the residents.

“We hope this suggestion will get the support and help from the state and Federal Governments.

“The Federal Government must help as Barisan Nasional has a responsibility to the people,’’ he said.

from : The Star, Metro North
Friday December 18, 2009