Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) claimed today that it would wipe out some 8,000 remaining squatter houses by year end under their zero squatter programme initiated in 1996.

DBKL directory-general Salleh Yusup said the number had already dropped drastically from some 50,000 squatter houses recorded in the 1990s.

He identified Kepong, Lembah Pantai, Bandar Tun Razak and Bukit Bintang as areas which still had squatters.

Salleh claimed that former squatters relocated to housing units under the Public Housing project were happy with their new environment.

Ongoing suits

Of late, local councils around the Klang Valley have been stepping up efforts to evict squatters - most recently in Kampung Rimba Jaya in Shah Alam and Kampung Berembang, Ampang Jaya.

In both instances, authorities used force to evict the squatters, who claim that there were irregularities involved in how they were compensated.

Residents of both settlements have ongoing suits against the government over their eviction.

Housing rights activist have denounced the used of emergency era laws to evict squatters of late.