Why fire victims are smiling
The Star 5/8/2005 By K.KASTURI DEWI

TEST piling over the past two months at a Noordin Street Ghaut foreshore area in Penang has brought smiles to the faces of 50 families who lost their houses in a fire there more than two years ago.

This is because they have been uncertain over when they will get their new houses.

”We are truly relieved. We no longer have to worry whether we will have a home.

“We have been uncertain after the fire broke out on Jan 7, 2003,” said Noordin Street Ghaut Fire Victims’ Coordinating Committee chairman Teh Cheng Khim recently.

Teh said the victims were looking forward to moving into their new homes, expected to be completed in March, 2008.

Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Lee Hack Teik said the victims appreciated the attention and priority given to their plight by the state government.

Lee, who is also the Noordin Street Ghaut Fire Relief Commit- tee chairman, said the predawn fire left about 50 families home- less.

Until last November, the victims had to fork out monthly rentals of between RM300 and RM500.

“After that, the developer PLB-Wonder Bay Development Sdn Bhd gave them a monthly allocation,” he said.

Lee added more than 2,000 low-medium-cost units would be built in three phases on the 5.6ha site.

He said the flats in the three 25-storey blocks were priced between RM42,000 and RM75,000 each.

“The fire victims will be given a free unit each in the first block,” he said.

Lee added another block would be completed in September 2008 with the third in March 2009.