Story by Danny Ooi
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud
VILLAGERS of Kampung Mutiara in Batu Ferringhi were relieved that another scheduled demolition exercise has been shelved.
Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari said he received information on the night of Dec 28 that there will be a demolition exercise
the next day.
“I was made to understand that talks were still ongoing between Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon and the landowner.
“We are disappointed that the landowner has refused to wait till the outcome of the court case on Jan 6,” he told a media conference held in front of the Ferringhi Garden Restaurant on Dec 29.
He said the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) had offered to purchase the land from the landowner but to no avail.
“We are standing by the villagers. The state government has stressed that there will be no development allowed if the villagers
are not given compensation,”
he said.
Also present were Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail and Tanjong Bungah assemblymemberTeh Yee Cheu.
Zairil added that exco for Town & Country Planning and Housing Jagdeep Singh has been working to get the evicted residents temporary housing at PPR (people’s housing project) flats.He said Rashid had also announced that priority would be given to the residents to buy low- and low-medium cost homes in Penang.
Later after the media conference, Northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid announced that after a
discussion with the police and the court registrar, the demolitionexercise had been postponed
for another month. The announcement was received with applause and cheers from the villagers.
Present during the announcement were Penang police chief Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Hanafi and High Court staff.
Meanwhile, Ahmad said they had intended to form a human barricade against bulldozers to prevent their homes from being
demolished.
“We hope to gather around 1,000 villagers but we were not too sure because Dec 29 is a working day,” he said.
Light Strike Force and plainclothespolicemen were seen patrolling the area as villagers and well-wishers began gathering at the entrance of Kampung Mutiara as early as 7am. The road to the village was barricaded with cars and concrete blocks to prevent eviction.
It was reported on Aug 29 that the JKP (Bumiputra Steering Committee) is looking into purchasing plots of land which Kampung Mutiara sits on.
Ahmad added that a letter had been sent to landowner Peter Loke’s lawyer stating the intention to purchase the land. Kampung Mutiara is one of
the last Malay villages in BatuFerringhi, situated behind the Yahong Art Gallery and the police station.
The villagers formerly lived by the sea where the Penang Parkroyal Hotel is now located
Another reprieve for Kg Mutiara
