The meeting between the affected tenants of the repeal of the Rent Control Act with Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting yesterday has failed to produce any results.

Save Ourselves (SOS) leader Ong Boon Keong told journalists today that while the ministry was willing to do something to help the tenants, they felt that it was "unable to do anything".

"We were hoping that the repeal of the Rent Control Act 1966 can be delayed for another three years so the tenants have the time to make alternative arrangements," said Ong.

Meanwhile, Chow Kon Yeow, the MP for Tanjung said that SOS should take their plight to the higher authority by presenting their case to the National Council for Local Government which is due to meet next week.

"The case should now be brought to the attention of the deputy prime minister or even the prime minister himself since no concrete outcome was obtained from the ministry," Chow told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

According to Chow, it was also untrue that an approved legislation cannot be undone. He said that since the Parliament can make laws, it can also unmake laws.

During the press conference, a joint statement was made by 23 NGOs and political parties urging the Federal and Penang governments to put the interest of the people first. According to the statement, the government seems to be more interested in gaining political mileage.

They claimed that the political tussle between MCA and Gerakan had burdened the people. It was described as "the battle between two elephants where the deer died in the middle."

Earlier, three SOS committee members who were detained for four days for alleged "rioting" in Penang recently filed their human rights violation case to the Human Rights Commission in Wisma Putra. ("[#1]Rent control activists to be remanded another five days[/#]", March 20).

They complained that they were not allowed to have immediate access to their lawyers and overcrowding in the lock-ups.