Relocation of squatters of Kg. Tail Lee need to be speeded up - M.Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat MP)

Last Friday DAP Ipoh Barat met with the residents pf Kg. Tai Lee to discuss to find a solution to the squatter issue. For over three generations over 50 families are staying in the village with repeated assurances that they will be given/provided housing lots by the stat government.

Just before the General Elections of 2008 letters were sent by the Ipoh Land office that all will be resettled in Pusing. Nothing has proceeded after this promise. This kind of promise are made and never kept by the BN government.

Sometime in 3rdJanuary2010 there was a gotong royong organized by the state government with the Kg. Tai Lee residents. At that gotong royong the MB Zamri ordered the local council of Ipoh (MBI) to find a solution to settle the squatter’s issue. A number of meetings had taken place, between both this parties. We are here to day to speak to the Mayor to speed up the process of relocation of the squatters.

There is a pending court case to evict the squatters of Kg. Tai Lee in the High Court. No date for Hearing has been fixed yet. Only a political solution will bring about a permanent solution to this squatter issue.

Sometime in 2000 the former MB of Perak Tajol Rosli had assured all that Perak would be squatter free by 2005. 2005 has passed by and there are thousands still in squatter settlements in Perak. Recently Zamri has apparently promised 2015 a new date for Perak to be declared squatter free. The “goal post” keeps on changing all the time!

It’s no use declaring a date which the state government cannot fulfill. What is needed is “blue print” policy decision on this matter.

We suggest the State Government to set up a high level committee to formulate a new policy and ways be found to settle squatter issues in Perak.

Presently there are over 14thousand squatters in Perak according to the Perak Economic Planning Unit.

It is duty and obligation of an efficient State Government to find a just a fair relocation of all squatters in Perak. Question is, has the present Perak Government the will power to do so?