Kampung Berembang’s first Tiananmen, Gotong-Royong Planned for Sunday
Some late-night, exhausted observations -
Kampung Berembang updates: a statement by JERIT on bangkit.net tells us that the combined forces of (electricity cutting) TNB, the cops and four MPAJ trucks couldn’t remove the Kampung Berembang residents from the last of 60 odd structures – a lone surau.
(“”silver linings”"? Looks like it’s not only Taoist and Hindu places of worship that are being targeted for demolitions. Is this the only Muhibbahness the government understands? Also, the latest video by Malaysiakini shows a furious villager providing incisive political analysis)
It seems these violent attempts to crush Kampung Berembang into submission have only strengthened the resolve of the villagers to resist such brutal injustices. Sokong!! JERIT also tells us of various civil society groups that have rallied to the support of Kg. Berembang, who have no doubt played a part in the thus far successful resistance – thank you all.
More importantly there is a gotong-royong planned for Sunday, 26th Nov to help start rebuidling Kampung Berembang – the ultimate act of defiance.
Once again, it’s not like we want to encourage lawlessness, but these are human beings who need shelter from the rain and a place to sleep at night. If that’s too much to ask, then throw us all in jail.
So come on down, show some love.
PUBLIC APPEAL: Acmar International (the super-rich developers behind the Kg Berembang demolitions), why don’t you come to show your support as well? Can you spare the time? A few cents to help ease the suffering perhaps?
The Malaysiakini article mentions that they were living there for 30 years. My law class was a really long time ago, but I recall that there are several cases in British common law according special status to private land that has been publicly available/used for extended periods of time, usually more than a decade.
For example, if there’s an open pathway through your property that people have been using for 20 years to get to the other side and you haven’t done anything to prevent people from using it, you’re obligated to keep a pathway open — you can’t just decide to block it one day.
Most interesting! We really should have some lawyers have a peek at this and see what they think!
Will try to fwd the info along, thanks for the tip-off Mr. K! :)
it is a pity that you and many others show great sympathy to those folks in that area claiming their right to shelter to the extent that there is a move to carry out some acts which can be interpreted as illegal acts.
hmmm there are so many hardcore poor people out there without proper shelter, pls do something for them too but do something legal.
there are so many poor people out there, law abiding people, who dont accept charity, hardworking and do not make trouble.
that’s a fair comment, sir/madam. i especially appreciate the reminder about other law-abiding hardworking people.
perhaps this is the way some of us look at it. in doing the demolitions at the exact point in time that they did, the authorities visited upon these villagers an unreasonable amount of suffering. Was it really necessary to destroy every single home with all belongings within leaving them without shelter in the rainy season?
All of us would love to see a legal, just and amicable solution to the situation. But the developers and the authorities seem to have turned their back on such options, refusing to make proper allocations for alternative homes.
Thus I think it is fair to help construct at least temporary shelters for the villagers in the meantime.
As Mr. K pointed out however, the il/legality of this situation has yet to be confirmed, so we should perhaps keep an open mind.
Thanks for your input!
Dear friends,
The Malaysian legal system unlike the english system does not recognise AP (advese possession – not to be misconstrued as Approved Permits)
Meaning you cannot claim possession of land by just parking yourself for a certain number of years although the owner did not give a damn about your existence unless of course you pay money and buy the land.
In the Kg B issue I do not know as to who actually owns the land.
In any case you cannot just bulldoze houses-lah or burn them down.
This is not Palestine-lah my friend.
The owner of the land is also partly to be blamed – why allow squatters on your land – you should have ensured that it is adequately secured – fencing – warningetc.
If new owners then when you bought the place surely you saw the squatters already – unless they suddenly appeared overnight like mushromms after rain.
But then howcome TNB and JBA is supplying water????
MPAJ – Must be polite to them also – they are also human beings.
You fellows practically killed innocent lifes in Highland Towers and more lifes lost in the Ulu Kelang landslide near ZOO negara – enoughlah. give it a break – hell is already overcorwded. last time killing done with teh help of ‘act of GOD’ now you guys are physically carrying out the execution.
Anyways if there is anything that can be done to help the folks at Kg Beremban – pls post details here.
I’ll be there on Sunday for the gotong-royong.
Anyone knows the phone numbers of MPAJ boss and toyol – please call them also.
[...] Had a cool comment from reader Deva, who will be at the gotong-royong that I wanted to highlight: You fellows (MPAJ) practically killed innocent lifes in Highland Towers and more lifes lost in the Ulu Kelang landslide near ZOO negara – enoughlah. give it a break – hell is already overcorwded. last time killing done with teh help of ‘act of GOD’ now you guys are physically carrying out the execution. [...]
In deed Kampung Berembang is a role-model to other village. I used to live there until government demolished it. Indian, Chinese, Malay stayed there in harmony and sure that we can tolerate with the neighbourhood too. I really hope that the federal government will look it seriously as WE are MALAYSIAN wih\th multiracial races.