The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) should hold a public inquiry into the forced evictions of urban settlers villages nationwide, a citizens coalition urged today.

The watchdog should also probe whether there was abuse of power by the authorities and local councils when carrying out the evictions, said the Oppressed People's Network known by its Malay acronym Jerit.

Besides that, the public inquiry should also investigate why was the Emergency Ordinance was used to evict these urban settlers when the country's emergency period is over, it added in its memorandum.

The memorandum was handed over to commissioner Zaitoon Othman today at the Suhakam's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Present were about 70 urban settlers from Perak, Selangor and Johor today.

According to its memorandum, Jerit said it has received numerous complaints of the 'violent' forced evictions at dozens of villages, especially in Selangor.

'Zero squatter' policy

Relating their plight, one of the urban settlers, Syed Ali Syed Harun al-Idrus from Ulu Klang told the Suhakam that urban settlers were introduced to cities including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Klang and Johor Baru to develop government lands in the 1970s.

However, he said, in the 1980s, they suddenly found themselves and their families being branded as squatters or illegal residents.

"Why are those from the rural areas, who were invited by the government no less to develop (the urban areas) are now being branded as squatters and illegal?" asked Syed Ali.

He also lamented that some urban settlers, who were evicted under the Selangor 'zero squatter' policy launched last year, were forced to leave their homes before alternative housing was ready.

For instance, urban settlers from Kg Saujana which were evicted last September will only have their alternative housing ready in this month whereas those from Kg Sungai Nipah, who were forced to leave their homes seven years ago, only got their alternative housing in May this year, he noted.

"To achieve its zero squatter target and Selangor's status as a developed state, the state government has acted cruelly against these urban settlers," said Syed Ali.

Jerit said a survey it conducted indicated the condition of the alternative housing provided by the authorities are not ideal as most of these places are too small and lack in hygienic aspects.

The NGO also claimed it received information that the Selangor state government has set June 2006 as deadline to clear all remaining urban settler villages in the state.

Suhakam's Zaitoon said she would bring the up the issue at Suhakam's monthly meeting.