E Contrario

Kampong Kasippillai is another long dragged out land issue. Kg Kasipillay is located at Batu 2½ off Jalan Ipoh Kuala Lumpur. Over the years rapid urbanization gradually encircled the settlement.

According to the pioneer residents who had lived there for nearly 50 years, the land belonged to an Indian family. In the past the residents paid rent to the land owner. In 70s, the owner left the country and died in India. In 2004 the land was sold to a company known as Suhati Sdn Bhd.

Suhati requested the assistance of the KL City authorities and began the process of eviction in October 2005. Some residents sought help from DAP and KeADILan. With the mediation of DAP, the owner offered a certain amount of compensation. A majority of over 30 families in Kg Kasipillay accepted the deal and eventually moved out under pressure from DBKL.

At the end of 2006, there were still some families who defied the eviction. They approached KeADILan’s Batu Service Center to help negotiate a more reasonable compensation settlement. Among them were Loo Chuan Seng, Lim Ching Ean and Leong Chee Ming.

Later on Arumugam and his extended family too joined the demand for just treatment. Arumugam is a reserve policeman. The land was explored by his father SS Madhavan who was working for the railway during the pre-Independence time.
After a very lengthy discussion with the lawyer representing Suhati, the negotiation led nowhere. At different stages, the land owner made various offers but no agreement was achieved. Finally we were able to secure DBKL public flats for Arumugam’s family. Unfortunately, DBKL rejected the application of the three Chinese households. Loo, Leong and Lim were denied public housing due to Council’s criteria.

On 21 March, about 9am, DBKL enforcers came unannounced to demolish Arumugam’s house. His 20 year-old boy bravely tried to prevent the demolition was arrested by police. He was remanded for 6 days.

In fact Arumugam and his sister’s families were in the process of moving. DBKL offered them to flats in Taman Wahyu and they had just received the keys two days before. It was totally unreasonable for not giving the residents sufficient time to move.
The enforcers also deliberately damaged many of Arumugam’s properties and household goods. This irked Arumugam, who was a police officer loyal to his job.

“Where is justice?” He kept repeating this during our press conference in the kampong on 26 March. DBKL could have waited for him to move out before taking action. He had to continue living in the broken house, at least until their new flats are ready.

DBKL gave Loo and others till the end of the month to vacate their houses. On Monday 4 April the demolition team returned. The entire Kg Kasipillay is now annihilated. What left is only memory.

Read report by Harakah

I also felt rather helpless and regret, though we have exhausted all means of efforts.

Arumugam’s sister (left), his mother (middle, blue) standing in front of their destoyed houses.

Resident Arumugam complaining to me

Demanding justice

The last houses belonged to Loo (left) and Leong, demolished on 4 April. Lim’s house was on the left, not shown in the picture.