Permas happy with Selangor's 'task force' plans

Urban settlers groups are set to form a special task force with the Selangor state government to address urban poor housing and land issues.

Selangor and Federal Territory Community Association (Permas) president Tan Jo Hann said in a statement today that the task force idea was agreed after a two hour dialogue with state squatters, housing and building development chairperson Iskandar Abdul Samad.

According to Tan, the task force will play a consultative, think tank and advisory role on land and housing issues especially on urban poor communities.

“Iskandar felt that civil society organisations such as Permas and Network of Oppressed Peoples (Jerit) could act as bridges between the state authorities and the communities.

They can also contribute valuable input to facilitate amicable solutions to the different cases as grassroots communities are often more open to the involvement of NGOs who work closely with them and would know how to approach them appropriately,” he related.

Memorandum to state exco

A memorandum was also submitted to Iskandar during the dialogue. It included the following action plan suggested to the state:

• Formation of special task force and working group comprising of grassroots organisations, civil society organisations, professionals and other relevant bodies to investigate all pending evictions, relocations and housing issues of the urban poor.

The task force will make recommendations for plans of action for all these cases. In the process of the investigations, all eviction orders and relocations should be cancelled.

• Access to technical assistance and information from the state government, district and municipal councils and all their agencies and departments to support, provide information and also to participate in the implementation of the plan of actions together with the task force.

• Sharing all information and development of housing and land cases of the urban poor with the general public through specially designated websites and other available forms of mass media.

• Training and orientation for all state government officers, district and municipal councils and supporting staff and especially enforcement officers in dealing with housing and land issues for the urban poor. This can be done by appropriately identified civil society organisations and professional groups.

Tan noted that the first meeting for this task force proposed is set for June 9 and it was agreed upon that the team will comprise of NGOs, house buyers association, consumer groups as well as community and state representatives.

“Permas will initiate a process of identifying the necessary components of this task force from the side of the civil society organisations,” he added.

He stated that the initiative to form a task force over the urban poor issues was already discussed and endorsed by the collective of civil society organisations with the Selangor menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim on April 15.

Also present at the meeting with Iskandar were representatives from Jerit and community representatives from Rumah Panjang Rawang, Taman Kuala Garing, Sungai Sedu housing settlement, Ampang Mewah low cost flats, Kajang hawkers, Puchong Kinrara, Papan, Jinjang Utara longhouse and Taman Wahyu flats.