Land title woes in Perak drag on

Who is to solve the fifty-year land title problem affecting 50 squatter families living on state land in Kampung Banggali in the heart of Sungai Siput?

Is it Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir or Lintang assemblyperson Ahmad Pakeh Adam or the Kuala Kangsar district officer Mohd Gazali Jalal? That is the question asked by these squatters in their quest for a solution to their land title woes.

Land matters are very hot current issues in Perak, but these people claim they have been given the cold shoulder by the authorities in their struggle for justice.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) under the leadership of Sungai Siput MP D Jeyakumar (left) has been fighting an uphill battle with the state authorities on the rights of such urban pioneers (squatters) to proper housing.

According to Jeyakumar's personal assistant S Nagenteran the squatters had approached Zambry personally last Tuesday at the state secretariat and handed him a memorandum asking him to solve their 50 year-old problem.

Villagers given the runaround

"Zambry had instructed the urban pioneers to seek the help of Ahmad to help them in the land deadlock, " Nagenteran told Malaysiakini.

However, when the squatters approached Ahmad, he redirected them to the district officer.

Now the squatters are confused and worried as to their next course of action.

However, Nagenteran is not giving up hope. Next week, he is writing an official letter to Ahmad asking him to solve the housing problems as directed by Zambry (right).

Meanwhile, the squatters have engaged a private surveyor to make a survey of their area.

They are also preparing the groundwork of their land plight with the assistance of PSM in case the state authorities should be open to finding a solution to their woes.