Will the state Government walk the talk on the People First slogan and stand up for the Kg Tai Lee residents?

Media statement by M.Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on Saturday, 25thAugust 2012.

Will the state Government walk the talk on the People First slogan and stand up for the Kg Tai Lee residents?

Last night the settlers at Kg. Tai Lee met up to discuss the progress of their pending eviction proceeding case in the High Court Ipoh.

Kg. Tai Lee lies in the heart of the city of Ipoh. Initially the settlers were mainly from the Indian community and with a few from the Chinese community. Over the last 3 decades the area was populated exclusively by the Indian community as the Chinese had moved out from there.

It can be confirmed almost all the families residing in this area are from the lower income group. Many are working as laborers or as odd job workers in the city.

All the over 55 houses were built by the residents with the consent and permission of the land owner. The occupiers were paying land rent ranging from RM 30 to RM 60 per month.

But the land lord stopped to collect rental some 10 years ago and started eviction proceedings. The land owner had filed case against 35 residents but had not filed against another 20 residents for reasons unknown.

In the meeting last night, after a lengthy discussion, the residents expressed their desire for a permanent settlement of their issue and requested DAP to:-

1. write to the land owner requesting the land owners to allocate an area in this Kg for the residents to be settled permanently with a house to be built by the developer.

2. ask the developer if he is involved building flats on an area measuring some 4 acres adjoining this Kg. From reliable sources, we have been given to understand that the developer/land owner have been approached by the relevant authority to build flats for the residents on the land which belongs to the Government. If the developer is so involved, then what are the proposals and terms that will be offered to the residents.

The land owner should bear in mind that the residents are third generation residents and they need a permanent shelter before they can be asked to move out.

In January 2010 while launching a "gotong royong" event, the Mentri Besar of Perak had requested the Mayor to seek a permanent solution to the issue of the residents. Two years have passed but nothing much has taken place.


In early July 2012, a memorandum was submitted on the Kg Tai Lee matter to the state government. To date there has been no response from the government.

The residents don't have the bargaining power and only the Government of the day can put pressure on the land owner to resolve this issue humanly.

Will the state Government walk the talk on the People First slogan and stand up for the Kg Tai Lee residents?