The Worth of Three Generations: RM500

For Salehuddin b Abdul Manaf, 60 and his daughter Norhaslin, receiving RM500.00 as compensation for the land and home that their family have occupied for over 3 generations, was devastating.

The cheque, dated April 25, 2014 was subsequently returned to the issuer.

“I don’t even know the person who received the cheque on our behalf,” says Norhaslin who was made administrator to the property on the passing of her mother.

“We have occupied this land since the Forties and we had applied for and were given the right to occupy under a ‘temporary occupation license’, which we had diligently been renewing until 1998 when the land office concerned informed us that the license could no longer be renewed,” said Salehuddin because the land was to be transferred to a state government company for development.

“Under Schedule 5B, Section 434 of the National Land Code, we are entitled to compensation because we discovered through the Public Complaints Bureau that the property was transferred to a government linked company in 1997 while they still had a valid license to the property,” said Norhaslin.

Norhaslin Salehuddin (L). Salehuddin Abdul Manaf (R)

While the earlier transfer was to a GLC, the company that issued the RM500 compensation is totally different.
"But now, we don't know who the developers are," said Salehuddin.

“The RM500.00 is an unreasonable amount for compensation. It defies logic,” she continued.

On Oct 21, 2014 Norhaslin wrote to the land office expressing her objection to the compensation, saying that it was unreasonable. And on November 10, 2014 the Menteri Besar’s office wrote to the land office requesting for clarification. And this is where it stands currently.

It has been 17 years of frustration, going in and out of the land office pursuing what they feel is their right as citizens of Johor. But the state government seemingly wants to sweep them aside as ‘piece of nuisance’, favouring developers over the ‘small person’.

Clearly, there are property developments going on around the area approaching their former home; some are already completed – apartments and a hotel with other areas already boarded with hoarding and billboards advertising property developments that will soon alter the landscape of this once riverine village.

For now Salehuddin and his daughter will have to wait for the response by the land administer to the querry from the Menteri Besar’s office.

The property is located at Kampung Bakar Batu, Mukim Plentong, Johor Bahru.

July 5th, 2014: Lawyer and human rights activist, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri makes an impassioned speech for soup kitchens to stand up for the needy of the city against the KL municipality and Federal Territories ministry.


These two authorities seemed intent on criminalising not only the homeless and the beggars but also those who aid them. However, after a massive public outcry, the FT Ministry has delayed implementing their 'no beggars, no homeless' exclusion zone within 2 kilometres of the city centre.

Freedom Film Fest 2014: Zunar makes a movie!

Who knows Zulkiflee Anwar Haque? Family and friends most probably. But everyone worth his or her political salt or who is remotely political, apolitical or rabidly partisan and everyone in between must know Zunar, the irrepressible political cartoonist. The thorn in the side of Barisan leaders.





He has teamed up with business graduate turned social activist Michelle Hoo to do a film on his determination to be heard through his cartoons.

Mic is a business graduate of St Andrews University and was on her way to a doctorate when fate made a turn and she found herself back in Malaysia. But instead of pursuing a career in the corporate world, she dove head on into activism, composing a song for Bersih:




She has also produced voter education and many others. When asked why she wanted to do the video with Zunar she says she admires his determine to reveal the wrongs in the society.

They are one of three recipients of this year’s Freedom Film Fest Malaysia pitch.

Zunar is an Opposition cartoonist who makes a mockery of Barisan policies and their politicians. Firmly on his 'gun' sight are the so-called 'First Couple, Najib and Rosmah.

He is perhaps the only local cartoonist who has been arrested for his cartoons because he says, "Even my pen has a stand ..." and that is his underlying philosophy.

 

Home ministry officials and police raided his office to confiscate a book that was banned.

They take the book that was banned and arrested him.

Pakatan Welcomes Special Seating

Prime Minister Najib Razak has called for a special seating of Parliament this Wednesday July 22 to discuss the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in a disputed area of the Ukraine.

The aircraft was allegedly shot by a surface to air missile.

The Ukraine government and the separatist rebels are pointing fingers at each other, as to who fired the missile that brought down a passenger airliner on Thursday July 17 killing 298 passengers and crew.

Universiti Malaya's Best Kept Secret

Universiti Malaya has a secret and it's in the form of their Centre for Creative Content and Digital Innovation, Universiti Malaya or 3CDI for short. So what do they do? Listen to its Project Director (R&D), Khairulhazrin Hashim to tell you what the centre is all about.
Credits:
Images from 3CDI
Pua Kumbu video from Dream Weavers of Rumah Garie Longhouse

Tian Chua to Ku Nan: Come, let's sleep on the road!

July 5, 2014 Kuala Lumpur: In the wake of the plan by the Federal Territories Ministry to impose a 'no-soup-kitchen' within a 2 km radius of the city centre and to impose fines on both beggers and givers, the Dapur Jalanan soup kitchen with operates on Jalan Panggong here in Kuala Lumpur got together with over a 100 supporters to provide food to the homeless in the area.

At the location to lend support were Nik Nazmi the Pakatan Seri Setia Assemblyperson, Tian Chua, Pakatan MP for Batu, Maria Chin Abdullah, Bersih Chairperson and several other activists.

Nik Nazmi: Ministers are out of touch

July 5, 2014 Kuala Lumpur: Soup kitchen, Dapur Jalanan organised by youth group Kelab Bangsar Utama came out in full force with over a hundred volunteers and supporters in a show of solidarity with charity movements that feed the homeless and the destitute of Kuala Lumpur.

We met with Selangor State Assemblyperson, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad who was there to show his solidarity for the NGO, the homeless and destitute of the city. What does he feel about the plan by the Federal Territories ministry to have a 2 kilometre 'no soup kitchen and beggars' radius from the city centre?