ALOR SETAR: The Kedah government is offering Paya Nahu flats to 30 families from Kampung Pulau Tiga in Sungai Petani, who were ordered by the High Court to vacate their homes.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the offer was agreed upon during the state executive council meeting yesterday.
Sanusi said there were 40 unoccupied units available at the Paya Nahu People's Housing Project (PPR) which could house the families.
"From the total, 25 units are ready to be occupied while the remaining 15 units will require some repair works which will be undertaken by the state government.
"This is what the state government can offer to them. We can't provide them with compensation as this is not a land acquisition process by the government since the land they are occupying now belongs to an individual and the land ownership issue has been decided in court," he said.
Sanusi was speaking to reporters after witnessing agreement signing ceremony between state government-linked companies and Universiti Sains Malaysia here today.
He added that families who decide to take up the offer may move into the flats immediately with a monthly rental of RM124.
Asked to comment on his earlier statement on Sunday in which he had pledged to find an alternative state land to relocate the families, Sanusi said it was one of the options considered by the state government.
"It was just one of the options but now we have come up with a better option whereby the affected families can move into their new homes immediately.
"If we were to offer them land replacement, the process will take longer while the families have only granted been granted a two-week extension to vacate their home," he said.
Sanusi said he was made to understand the Pulau Tiga villagers were victims of a land scam syndicate.
"There are many syndicates duping the people there but I am not really well-versed on the actual history with regard to the affected families.
"Prior to this, the government had taken action but it turned out other parties had 'sold' the land illegally, so we view this matter seriously," he said.
Asked on the villagers' claim that the land had originally belonged to the state, Sanusi said all lands were indeed the state's before they were alienated.
"This is the issue with our people. They occupied the land for over 20, 30 years but never applied for the land title although it is anyone's right to apply for government land.
"When an application is submitted, the government will process and when the issue is taken to the court, the court will decide based on facts and figures, not hearsay," he said.
On Dec 19, the Alor Setar High Court issued a notice for the villagers to vacate the 44.2ha land which they had lived on for more than four decades.
The land is owned by a 'Tan Sri' who had applied for the land some 20 years ago.