Sleep-in protest to mark rent-control deadline
Ajinder KaurPublished: Apr 19, 2001 1:22 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The SOS (Save Ourselves) group will hold a "Homeless Night" in Penang tomorrow to observe the eviction deadline of tenants victimised by the repeal of the Rent Control Act.
"We will hold the event in solidarity with all ex-rent control tenants who would be made homeless after March 31," SOS founder and secretary Ong Boon Keong told malaysiakini today.
Yesterday, the police issued warnings to rent-control victims not to attend the "illegal gathering".
"To comply with the law, the sleep-in will be held indoors," said Ong.
The event, to be held at rented premises in Noordin Street, will begin at 9pm and would stretch through the night till 9am the next day.
Among the highlights would be singing, dramas and sharing of experiences by the tenants involved and other members of the public interested to support the cause.
According to the data collected by SOS, the repeal of the Act will affect over 1,000 households or about 5,000 people who would have difficulty paying the high rentals, with new rates going up as high as 15 times.
These tenants were issued eviction notices on Jan 1 this year and given a grace period of three months to comply, which will expire on Friday.
Meanwhile, the first suit filed by a landlord after the repeal the Act came into effect this year will be heard by the Penang sessions court next Tuesday.
The plaintiff, Chan Heng Weng, had filed to seek a court order to evict the respondent Loo Siew Kee, from his rented premise at Kedah Street, Penang, in 14 days from the court's order date.
Further, the suit also seeks compensation from Jan 1 this year to the date of vacating the premises by the plaintiff plus costs.
Before the repeal of the Act, Loo, 81, and another tenant had been paying a monthly rental of RM102 for the pre-war premise, which was later increased to RM172. The landlord, however, raised the rental to RM1,500 on Jan 1 this year.
Loo had lived with her husband at the pre-war building for some 60 years now, and her husband died 30 years ago. She earns a meagre sum collecting used paper bags for sale.
Penang had 12,577 units of pre-war buildings. The repeal of the Rent Control Act this year affects 16,116 families and 60,273 people, and has drawn wide protest from the victims.
"We will hold the event in solidarity with all ex-rent control tenants who would be made homeless after March 31," SOS founder and secretary Ong Boon Keong told malaysiakini today.
Yesterday, the police issued warnings to rent-control victims not to attend the "illegal gathering".
"To comply with the law, the sleep-in will be held indoors," said Ong.
The event, to be held at rented premises in Noordin Street, will begin at 9pm and would stretch through the night till 9am the next day.
Among the highlights would be singing, dramas and sharing of experiences by the tenants involved and other members of the public interested to support the cause.
According to the data collected by SOS, the repeal of the Act will affect over 1,000 households or about 5,000 people who would have difficulty paying the high rentals, with new rates going up as high as 15 times.
These tenants were issued eviction notices on Jan 1 this year and given a grace period of three months to comply, which will expire on Friday.
Meanwhile, the first suit filed by a landlord after the repeal the Act came into effect this year will be heard by the Penang sessions court next Tuesday.
The plaintiff, Chan Heng Weng, had filed to seek a court order to evict the respondent Loo Siew Kee, from his rented premise at Kedah Street, Penang, in 14 days from the court's order date.
Further, the suit also seeks compensation from Jan 1 this year to the date of vacating the premises by the plaintiff plus costs.
Before the repeal of the Act, Loo, 81, and another tenant had been paying a monthly rental of RM102 for the pre-war premise, which was later increased to RM172. The landlord, however, raised the rental to RM1,500 on Jan 1 this year.
Loo had lived with her husband at the pre-war building for some 60 years now, and her husband died 30 years ago. She earns a meagre sum collecting used paper bags for sale.
Penang had 12,577 units of pre-war buildings. The repeal of the Rent Control Act this year affects 16,116 families and 60,273 people, and has drawn wide protest from the victims.
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