150 folks to drag builder to court

23/8/2004 The Star By BAVANI M

ABOUT 150 residents of Kampung Tai Yew in Sungai Besi have decided to take legal action against a developer for failing to build low-cost houses for them as promised.

They are also requesting RM300 per month in rental each for 30 months in the interim, pending the completion of the promised houses in Pekan Sungei Besi.

Some 239 families were relocated from Kampung Tai Yew in 1997 to make way for the construction of the Salak South expressway.

They were paid RM300 monthly to offset their rental payments pending the completion of the low-cost flats, priced at RM25,000 each.

However, while the families had received the rental money, their flats were not built. Many of them had to relocate to as far as Nilai because the rent was cheaper.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, who is helping the residents in their legal suit, said she had sent letters to the developer, the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) as well as to Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu regarding their plight, but had yet to get a response.

“During our initial meetings, the minister did direct the MHA to look into the residents' request for rental payments pending the completion of the flats.

“And to be fair, they did continue with payments, but even that had stopped for almost a year,'' said Kok, adding that residents were fed up and had decided to go to court.