Kampong Sungai Baru: Water supply cut off from dwellings to assist company bully occupants in accepting compensation offer
Another case of corporate gangsterism
In a recent meeting between residents in Kampong Sungai Baru and Abdul Hadi Ahmad, a director of the developer Glitzy Gloss Sdn Bhd broke up abruptly when Abdul Hadi lost his temper at the residents. According to Scoop, the hastily called meeting held at the Temu Hotel with Abdul Hadi and about 15 residents, broke up after just 15 minutes.
The development project in Kampong Sungai Baru began in 2016. The Land Acquisition (LAA) Act 1960 was mysteriously invoked by the Federal Land and Mines Department against some 98 terrace house and 204 flat residents. Thirty-seven terrace house and 72 flat dwellers have disagreed with the amount of compensation offered by Glitzy Gloss Sdn Bhd. The residents believe it is grossly below market rates for the area.
Air Selangor is reported to have cut the supply of water to the remaining residents in an attempt to bully them into accepting the Glitz Gloss offer. Â
After becoming prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim postponed the project in January 2023, pending negotiations with residents. Now utility services like the water supply are used as a weapon against residents.
The water supply to the residents was cut on May 23, the morning of the residents’ meetings with Abdul Hadi of Glitzy Gloss.
The restriction of water supply is a denial of basic human rights.
The Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim asked a question about the residents of Kampong Sungai Baru and their current plight to the Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, who replied she would visit the residents. Instead of her visiting the residents, the water was cut off.
Hassan Abdul Karim, a practising lawyer in Johor visited the residents, and recommended the residents to seek a judicial review in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, and make the claim the Land Acquisition (LAA) Act 1960 has been abused. This forced acquisition to enable a private company make profit from a development, is a potential action contradicting Article 13 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees protection against their property being seized without reasonable compensation.
Malaysia is becoming a corporate gangster land.
Subscribe Below:
I thought the land acquisition act can only be used if the redevelopment is for public use.
There's that certainty in the air those who resist the bullying will get waterboarded.
We've got just the regime to do that!