Shocked over eviction notice | The Star

MORE than 100 Jinjang Selatan Tambahan shopowners were shocked to be given a month’s notice to vacate by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

The notices, dated Nov 22, were pasted on doors of the machinery, car and bike repair workshops along Jalan Pintasan Segambut.

Bike repair shop owner Choon Kim Foong, 50, said the notices came as a big surprise.

“Aside from losing our shop, we will also lose our business that we have built up over the years,” he said.

Plans to redevelop the area were first mooted in 2006.

Mohd Anuar (seated left) and Saharuddin (next to him) meeting stakeholders at the dialogue. — Photos: FAIHAN GHANI and GRACE CHEN/The Star

The mixed development is a joint venture between DBKL and a private developer.

Some residents were relocated in phases from 2016 to make way for the development.

About 400 houses and shops remain in the area.

In 2019, former Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan agreed to allow the remaining residents to stay put until their replacement houses were built.

The shopowners said they were offered RM5,000 in cash as moving fees as well as RM5,000 vouchers to buy any property priced at RM300,000 and above by the developer.

Following protests at the speed of the eviction, a dialogue was arranged between the shopowners, DBKL and the developer.

At the dialogue, the shopowners were given three months to move with the new deadline set for February.

During the dialogue DBKL Economic Planning and Development Department deputy director Saharuddin Hamid told about 150 stakeholders present that the sooner they vacate, the faster construction work on infrastructure like roads and water pipes could commence.

The housing project located beside Jalan Pintasan Segambut, was targeted for completion by September next year.

Community activist Yee Poh Ping said the developer should reconsider the compensation offered to the affected shopowners.

Uttara Land Sdn Bhd director Mohd Anuar Idris said the company would honour its earlier agreement on the moving fees and vouchers.

He said 145 eviction notices were issued to shops as well as illegal structures built for storage purposes.

There are 107 shops affected in total.

Mohd Anuar said although the developer was unable to offer replacement lots to the shopowners, the company has given free houses measuring 83.61sqm to over 300 residents who had temporary occupation licences (TOL).

Those who bought their lots from the original holders were offered the chance to buy 70.6sqm units for RM42,000.

Mohd Anuar said a separate discussion would take place at a later date to allocate land for non-Islamic houses of worship including a Hindu and Chinese temple as well as a gurdwara.