KUALA LUMPUR: Irresponsibility on the part of employers to provide accommodation is believed to be the reason why more than fifty foreign and even local workers have been living in a dilapidated building which was once a school along Jalan Desa Utama in Taman Desa here.
Even though the building is dirty and scary, the current inhabitants do not have much of a choice, so they continue to live in the 'hostel' as they work to earn a living at a nearby construction area.
The building has a zinc fencing to ensure that people do not enter or encroach into the area, but there are a few zinc pieces missing.
It is understood that the building, which used to be Sekolah Kebangsaan Danau Perdana, has been vacant since 2005 because of problems with the structure. The school building was vacated for the safety of the students and teachers after cracks were found on the walls.
Most of the current occupants are Indonesians, Bangladeshis and some locals.
One of the occupants who only wished to be known as Hadi, who is in his 30's, said that he was from Indonesia and has only been living in the building for the past two months.
"A few colleagues and myself just started to live here. There are more than 50 other occupants living here and it has become more of a workers' quarters now.
"Only one four storey block is occupied by us. The other buildings are empty. So the few of us here take up one room where we rest, sleep and use to cook our food," said Hadi.
Hadi said even though the building and compound was dilapidated, abandoned and dirty, they did not mind living there because there was electricity and water supply. Despite the conditions they paid rent to an 'owner' but they did not know who he was.
A friend of Hadi's who only wished to be known as Wansyah, in his 20's, said that initially he felt very uncomfortable to live in such a building because it was scary and spooky at night.
"We do not have much of a choice really. We are forced to live in such a place because our employers do not bother to provide us with a place to stay, a roof over our heads.
"After a full day's work at a construction site which is physically demanding, all we want to do is to come back to this place to rest, sleep and recuperate. As foreign workers, this is the situation that we have to face in trying to make ends meet and earn a living," said Wansyah.
Another inhabitant who wished to be known only as Zaki, said that the former school building also attracts paranormal activity enthusiasts and hunters who produce videos and content on social media and YouTube.
"It can be said that almost every week there are people who come to make videos about the paranormal. Most of them want to capture something spooky and out of the norm here," said Zaki.
Meanwhile, a nearby stallholder who only wished to be known as Alif said he knows that there were construction workers living at the abandoned building.
"So far there has not been any problems. The former school building has been left abandoned for years," said Zaki.