About 80 villagers protested against the Urban Development Authority (UDA) in Penang today for calling them “squatters living on illegal land”.

The protestors from Tanjung Tokong, Penang, held up banners and stomped on the photo of UDA Holdings chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed for making the statement in newspapers on Monday.

They also called Nur Jazlan, who is Pulai MP, various names such as “irresponsible”,” immoral” and “fool”, and accused him of being “ignorant” of their village’s history.

NONEThe Tanjung Tokong Village action committee chairperson Mohamad Musannif Zainoal Abidin (left) issued a three-day ultimatum for a public apology and a retraction of the statement.

He had also lodged a police report in Tanjong Tokong yesterday on Nurjazlan’s statement.

In the report, he alleged that Nurjazlan has “slandered and condemned (hina)” the villagers who have lived here for 200 years.

“If he doesn’t respond, we will hand in a memorandum to UDA Holdings and the prime minister,” said Mohamad Musannif .

“Are you willing to be labelled squatters? Our families lived here for generations, not UDA,” he asked about 100 observers from the kampong nearby who stood in the sweltering heat to watch the rally.

Mohamad Musannif said that UDA should be thankful to the people of Tanjong Tokong and not the other way around, as they now have the opportunity to redevelop the land.

However, the firm has in place plans for commercial projects only, which do not benefit the community.

He urged Nurjazlan and his ilk to learn about the history of the Tanjong Tokong community and stop “acting like a fool”.

“There is a limit to people’s patience; we accepted their offer, unlike Kampung Buah Pala, and we are in the midst of the negotiations but they (UDA) have betrayed us (by allowing Nurjazlan to speak against us),” he said.

Meanwhile Tanjung Bungah GPMS chairperson Jazmin Abdul Karim said the villagers were extremely upset over Nur Jazlan’s press comment.

“We have lived here for generations...why call us squatters?” he said.

“We appeal for Najib Abdul Razak to look into the matter... and help us... .we hope he listens to us.”

Last Malay village seeing an end

Tanjung Tokong village is currently facing a massive development project and negotiations between UDA and the villagers for a better compensation package have been ongoing, during which no party was supposed to make a public statement.

NONEThe protestors are upset that Nur Jazlan breached this with his press statement saying that UDA has been trying to accommodate all the villagers’ demands even though they may be unreasonable (tak masuk akal).

The UDA chairperson added in his statement that the villagers were living illegally on land owned by UDA and justified the agency’s actions saying that if they did not develop the land they would have failed to help the bumiputera especially in Penang.

Nur Jazlan had told the press this in response to requests for him to comment on the villagers’ demand for a RM300 million fund to develop the land.

UDA Holdings has allocated RM80 million to relocate and redevelop Kampung Tanjung Tokong latest by the year’s end.

The area is considered  the ‘last Malay village’ where the community, mostly fisher folk, have lived for several generations.