KAMPUNG Mutiara, a Malay village in Batu Feringghi scheduled for vacant possession today, has been given its last three months, after negotiation between Umno, and state and federal governments.

Representatives from both sides of the political divide – who usually jump at each others’ throats – put away their differences to solve the villagers’ predicament, which had dragged on for about 12 years.

They finally reached a settlement with the landowner following last-minute, through the night negotiations.

Temporary homes now, new apartments later

Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail said the residents would be moved to temporary homes in Sri Tanjung Pinang in Tanjung Tokong, while federal agency UDA built apartments for them.

“We thank UDA for providing the homes. The houses are ready with occupancy certs provided but the strata titles are not ready, so we can’t hand over the house keys yet.

“We will contact housing and local government minister Nor Omar, and ask him to treat this as a special case,” he said.

Ahmad said the apartments, that would come later as part of a UDA mixed development project, were meant to give Kg Mutiara residents their new permanent homes, as well as solve other Batu Feringghi villagers’ housing problems should their kampung have to make way for development.

“There are two adjacent lots here measuring 5.1 acres. UDA will build the new apartments there for the 70-odd Kg Mutiara families, and some 500 other families around this area.

“UDA has been given RM10 million by the federal government. We are short of another RM20 million. When Prime Minister Najib Razak comes to Penang on August 17, we will bring this up with him,” he told reporters at the village today.

He said no plans had been drawn up yet but they had an idea of what to do, adding that they also planned to provide the apartment units for free.

Rare Pakatan, Umno and federal government co-operation

Ahmad said they had reached an understanding with the state government that would facilitate the project for the people’s interest.

He also said he had given the landowner two cheques of RM50,000 each as “compensation and guarantee”.

“The landowner complained that he made losses paying quit rent for years without developing his land. The first RM50,000 is for that.

“The other RM50,000 is a deposit, to guarantee him that the villagers will move out. If some refuse to go, he keeps the money,” he said.

Ahmad urged the villagers to respect the agreement reached, adding that even deputy chief minister II Mohd Rashid Hasnon agreed that those who refuse would have to face the landowner themselves and would not be offered the UDA homes.

“The villagers must sign the agreement. I hope they will do so within the week.”

Meanwhile, the Penang government agreed to cancel its July 27 preliminary notice to the landowner to acquire his land in Kg Mutiara for public housing under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act.

Rashid, who played a role in persuading the landowner to negotiate, said the man was worried that the state would use the law to hamper his plans to develop the land to build houses for his extended family members.

He said the village issue had previously failed to reach an amicable solution because everything had gone through the courts.

“We also have to respect the courts’ ruling (in favour of the landowner). The settlement we reached today is for the best. We hope everyone respects it.

“One day, when the apartments are ready, the villagers will be able to return,” Rashid said.

Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari said he was grateful that the 12-year problem was finally resolved with all parties working together.

He said the state government entered the picture two years ago as a mediator to help solve the problem and help the villagers.

In limbo for more than a decade

For almost 12 years, the Kg Mutiara residents, who had lived on the land for generations, had been in limbo since it was reported that the landowner bought the land in 2006.

The landowner initiated legal proceedings to evict the residents without offering any compensation in 2012.

The residents then filed an application for an injunction to prevent the landowner from exercising a vacant possession court order in 2015. The application was rejected.

In the mean time, the state government announced that no application for development by the landowner would be approved if he failed to settle with the residents amicably.

The residents also took their case to the Court of Appeal, but it upheld the Penang High Court’s decision in a ruling early last year.

The residents continued to fight every eviction attempt, including this morning when court officials and the police arrived at the village.

Huge tree branches and cars blocked the narrow lane that led to the village, and emotions ran high as residents and supporters gathered to protest.

‘We won’t move an inch’

Several elderly wheelchair-bound residents were at the frontline, like Saadiah Mat Isa, 94, who said she would never leave her home even for money.

“I have been living here since my parents were still alive. I am not some squatter. No, I don’t want to move,” she said.

Another resident Latipah Din, 58, said she had raised six children in Kg Mutiara.

“If we cannot fight to save Kg Mutiara now, what will happen to the others in future?

“There are four other villages here: Kg Masjid, Din Bamboo, Chetty, and Che Ahmad. There are more than 1,000 villagers.

“From the beginning, the landowner had been harsh. If he had offered us replacement homes, things would not have come to this,” she said when met during the protest earlier while the final negotiation was underway.

Accepting reality

With temporary homes almost ready for the residents to move into, many changed their tone and expressed relief.

Zawiyah Ismail, 62, who earlier insisted she would not leave, said she accepted the settlement.

“If they say they will give us homes, then we have to accept, whether we like it or not… as long as we can still come back and stay here.

“Our whole lives are here. Our mosque and cemetery are all here. This is where we live and die,” said the wheelchair-bound woman, who was widowed four years ago.

Rokiah Ali, 62, who has lived in Kg Mutiara since her marriage decades ago, was thankful that they would not become homeless.

K. Govindarajoo, 61, who is also in a wheelchair, said he had lived in the village since 1973, and the thought of moving was daunting.

His wife was bedridden, he said, but moving was a reality they must accept.

“We are getting a temporary home for now, so we have to take it,” he said. – July 31, 2017.