In a bind over ‘land grab’

JOHOR BARU: About 1,500 people living in one of the oldest housing estates in the city are upset that their properties are being acquired by the state government, only to be handed over to a private developer.

The residents also claimed the same situation took place about four years ago but the acquisition process was called off after a few months.

They were left wondering as to why their properties were being acquired without any engagement although their housing estate is located next to the proposed Rapid Transit System between Malaysia and Singapore in Bukit Chagar.

Kim Teng Park Residents’ Association chairman Daniel Lokman Hakim, 56, described the latest attempt by the state government as a “land grab”.

“Over this 11.3ha site, there are 279 freehold lots comprising various kinds of properties.

“Most of us are retirees and have been living here since the 1950s,” he said, adding that they found out about the acquisition via a government gazette published by the Johor Baru Land Office last month.

“We are going through this nightmare all over again,” he said.

The residents are set for a town hall session this Sunday.

Daniel said so far, no one from the government, land office or the developer had engaged with them since 2015.

He said the residents were hoping that their elected representatives would intervene and help stop the acquisition.

About four years ago, when the government wanted to acquire the land, the private developer offered between RM230 and RM250 per sq ft.

The same year, a group of Chinese investors also came in with a bid of RM1,000 per sq ft.

But the offer did not materialise after China imposed capital controls to curb the outflow of funds.

Resident Velasamy S. Pillai said he was not against development but it should be done in a transparent manner.

“We did a search and found that the same company is involved in the acquisition,” he said, adding that the state government also has a 10% stake in the company.

Velasamy, who was the residents’ committee chairman in 2015, said former Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Samad assisted them to stop the previous acquisition.

“I hope our new MP Akmal Nasir and Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen will help us. We want more clarity about the acquisition,” said the 68-year-old, who has stayed there for over 40 years.

Another resident, N. Selvarajah, 70, said he bought the house with a government loan some 42 years ago.

“If they acquire our houses, where are we to go?

“The house price in Johor Baru is not cheap and most of us can’t get bank loans,” said the retired civil servant.

When contacted, Chen said he was aware of the situation and had engaged with the residents.

“I have already met 50 residents,” he said, adding that there was mixed reaction from the residents.

Chen said “feedback from the town hall would be submitted to the state executive councillors and Mentri Besar for a decision.

An official from the Johor Baru Land Office said the intended acquisition by a private company was still in the initial stage.

“If the residents are unhappy, they should bring up their concerns to the Mentri Besar,” said the official.

 

Source: The Star