Kampung Makau Suah residents facing eviction offered affordable housing

The 21 families at Kampung Makau Suah have been living there for more than 70 years. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Twenty-one families at Kampung Makau Suah in Sungai Jawi, Penang, have been offered affordable housing by the state government ahead of a possible eviction.

The families, who have been residing there for more than 70 years, have been ordered to vacate the land by Sunday by its owner, Bernama reported.

After meeting the residents yesterday, Penang deputy chief minister Mohamad Abdul Hamid said the state government proposed to sell state-owned affordable homes at Taman Puteri Gunung to them at RM42,000.

He said this was the “best possible solution” for the villagers, who will only have to fork out a 10% deposit for the houses, since the land they were living on was privately owned.

“The landowner initially proposed compensation of RM3,000 but we will attempt to negotiate a higher amount to help the residents cover the RM4,200 deposit,” he said.

Mohamad was joined at the meeting by state housing and environment committee chairman S Sundarajoo and Pakatan Harapan’s Sungai Bakap by-election candidate, Joohari Ariffin.

Sundarajoo said his officers will meet with the landowner to negotiate a higher compensation for the residents and for the eviction notice to be withdrawn.

“If the residents agree to purchase the offered homes, we will expedite the ownership process,” he said.

“An agreement will be drafted with the landowner and the Penang Housing Board, which will take about three months to finalise. Once the residents receive their keys, they can move in.”

A representative of the residents, Nordin Hassan, 66, said the villagers were relieved that the state government had responded to their predicament.

“It feels like a weight has been lifted. I believe the residents who attended the briefing will accept this offer as a resolution to the long-standing problem,” said Nordin, who has been living there since 1991.