Awal pagi hari ini di Kampung Buah Pala, Bukit Gelugor, Pulau Pinang, nampaknya segar dan sunyi seperti hari-hari biasa tetapi diselubungi oleh suasana yang tidak luar biasa. Pada malam sebelum ini telah terdapat khabar angin pihak pemaju akan masuk ke kampung untuk merobohkan rumah-rumah, sedangkan belum adanya satu penyelesaian yang baik dan dipersetujui oleh para penduduk.
Pulau Pinang, 13 August 2009
Today was the moment of truth for Kampung Buah Pala villagers. It was the third time that their homes face demolition. But it was the first time that the local villagers outnumbered the outsiders who were the majority during the previous attempt on 4th. August. Today when the police, the developer and the bailiff came, the villagers did not have the luxury of State Assemblymen or MPs, the State Government representative and even lawyers. Only a handful of PSM members and Hindraf supporters were there with the villagers.
Based on our statement made on 3rd July 2009, a Central Committee meeting which sat on July 12, 2009 as well as a meeting with the Kg Buah Pala Committee by our Central Committee member, Jeyakumar Devaraj, on 20 July 2009, we would like to further state the following:
1. We applaud the recent declassification of documents by the State Government on the issue of Buah Pala and call upon all similar documents on land deals and other public documents to be made available so that any member of the public can scrutinize these documents.
2. We also call upon the investigation on land fraud and mismanagement of the disputed Kampung Buah Pala land being conducted by the State Government be given utmost importance and done efficiently. We call upon the Penang State Government to take an injuction to stop any forced eviction in Kampung Buah Pala until the completion of this investigation.
3. If the investigation reveals that there has been fraud involved, then the State Government should invoke Section 340 of the National Land Code and revert back the land back to the villagers.
4. We call upon the Federal Government to ensure the police are not used to facilitate any forced eviction until all outstanding matters are resolved.
5. Based on current facts, we feel that the villagers have a legitimate right over the disputed land and the historical facts support their existence and their right over the land. Based on this, we would stand by the villagers if there is any attempt to evict them forcefully. We would also mobilize other settlers as well as other organization to stand by these villagers if there is a forced eviction.
6. PSM feels the issue can be resolved with political will. The housing trust in favour of the residents that was acquired by the BN government through shady means has to be reacquired and returned to the people.
7. Firm action by the state government in righting the wrong of the BN, will show up the government as intolerant of fraudulent deals, abuse of power and irregular procedures. This can only serve to inspire confidence in prospective investors.
8. As for precedence, we think it is good precedence to demonstrate that when land is considered for development, the rights and livelihood of the users of the land are taken care of.
9. There is an urgent need to dialogue without insisting on pre-conditions. Dialogue is the only way to break this impasse and settle the problem.
10. The Penang PR government cannot allow forced eviction to take place in its state. Should the matter drag it should get an injunction based on Section 116 of the National Land Code to prevent forced eviction.
Released by:
S.Arutchelvan
Secretary General
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)
Tel: 019-2537791
The Kampung Buah Pala villagers are determined to safeguard their home, livelihood and heritage
Yesterday, a team from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) leaders which included PSM’s National Deputy Chairperson M.Saraswathy and myself visited Kampung Buah Pala in Penang. The main intention of our visit is to assess the ground situation as well as to get a first hand information about what is the true nature of the problem there. Prior to this, we have been constantly in-touch with the issue from information obtained from JERIT who have been working very closely with the villagers there.
Based on the visit, and having looked at the village ourselves as well as holding a dialogue with the villagers and their leaders and seeing them in action in handling the bailiff’s notice, we have come to the following positions.
Source: The Nut Graph
PETALING JAYA, 3 July 2009: The Penang government needs to intervene and solve the Kampung Buah Pala issue even though the problem was caused by the previous Barisan Nasional administration, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) said today.
While Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is fully aware that the previous Government under Barisan National (BN) is to be blamed for the current problems in Kampung Buah Pala, Penang; yet the DAP led Pakatan Rakyat Government cannot just wash its hands off yet and blame the previous Government all the way.
In fact it puts to test or rather gives Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng a chance to prove that his government is pro people against being pro capitalist. For the time being it looks like peoples power has succeeded in postponing the forced eviction of the Kampung Pala settlers this Thursday.
