KUANTAN: Three years after soil movements wreaked havoc on a hillside neighbourhood at Taman Gambang Damai near here, the residents are still waiting for answers on the fate of their semi-detached housing units.
Two units collapsed into a pile of rubble, four units suffered severe cracks while the remaining 20 units have been categorised as red zone (in landslide sensitive) area following the incident on Jan 5, 2021.
Although all the residents had vacated their homes and were renting elsewhere, they still had to service their bank loans for the unoccupied units and settle their assessment fees.
Gambang Damai Residents' Association head Norazen Md Dadi said the residents were still in the dark about the status of their homes and the solution to the problem.
"When the incident occurred in early 2021, various agencies came here to inspect the site and the residents were advised to move out due to safety reasons but there was nothing official. How do you expect us to continue staying here knowing two units had collapsed to the ground so we all moved out.
"We have been informed that the developer has agreed to offer six units as replacement elsewhere for the two collapsed and four badly damaged houses but what about the other house owners. Only one stretch consisting of more than 20 houses were affected and till today we are still keeping our fingers crossed for a solution.
"We are hoping for a meeting with the Pahang government, Kuantan City Council (MBK), developers or just anyone who can help us with the matter. We have not received any feedback if there are plans to repair the units.... the owners have to pay the bank loans and most of us are now renting elsewhere," he told reporters when met.
Meanwhile, Norazen said the developer had agreed to provide six housing units at the 1Malaysia People's Housing Scheme (PR1MA) project in Seri Damai near here as compensation for the damaged units but the price was much lower compared to the damaged semi-detached units.
"Something is better than nothing… the six house owners whose units collapsed and suffered severe damages will be provided new homes and the units will be ready later this year.
"We hope the concerned parties will come forward to meet and explain to us about the status of our homes. We want a proper written statement on the safety aspects… the owners are still open for negotiations but if nothing happens then we might consider legal action including going to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission," he said.
In 2021, two semi-detached houses were 100 per cent destroyed following soil movements due to heavy rain about 3.30am. All the residents living along the stretch were advised to vacate their homes.
Meanwhile, Md Nasri Yusoff said all the owners were facing a huge financial burden as they were paying the house loans between RM1,300 and RM2,000 a month.
"We have the bank loans and rent (for current units) to pay. After the incident, the MBK offered a one year moratorium and we did not pay any assessment but now the owners receive their bills despite not occupying the units… some even continue to receive their water and electricity bills.
"It is almost three years and no one is able to give us a proper answer on what is going to happen. Everything seems uncertain… I am not sure if we will one day return to our dream homes here," he said, adding the housing units were all now left abandoned, covered with overgrown plants and some units had been forced open by intruders.
The 44-year-old said a lot of questions arose after the incident including the safety aspects and whether the developer adhered to the original plan and safety specifications for hillslope residential projects.
We moved here in 2016 and after five years, all of us were forced to vacate the homes due to earth movements. Something is not right but sadly no one has claimed responsibility to assist the house owners," he said.
Meanwhile, Roslina Ahmad Said, 39, whose four-bedroom house was among the two units that collapsed in the incident two years ago, said she was forced to rent nearby.
"I only stayed here for five years before the incident in 2021 that saw all the neighbours who used to stay along the same row go their own ways. We used to drop by occasionally to check on the units but many are now in a mess," she said.
Meanwhile another owner Nurul Baiyah Ali, 37, said despite the incident she continued occupying her house before moving out in March.
"Due to our commitments, we could not afford to move elsewhere or rent another unit so we decided to stay here until early this year. During our stay, each time it rained, my husband and I would go outside to inspect the water flow in case there were soil movements," she said.
It is learnt that the units were priced above RM260,000 depending on the land size when the owners purchased them in 2014 before moving into their new homes in 2016.
Meanwhile, Paya Besar member of parliament Datuk Mohd Shahar Abdullah said he had raised the housing issue to the Pahang government and informed the newly-appointed Pahang Local Government and Housing Committee chairman Datuk Seri Johari Harun.
New Straits Times has reached out to Lepar assemblyman Yazid Mohd Yunus and Johari for comments on the issue.