Urban Development Authority (UDA) Holdings Bhd is ready to start the redevelopment project of Kampung Tanjung Tokong this December.
Its management director Ahmad Abu Bakar said in a statement that the delay on starting the project’s Parcel 4A was due to several factors.
“UDA is still waiting for the green light from the Penang Municipal Council and we have to abide by several procedures before the pro-ject can start.
“We also faced a delay because 11 families refused to move out and had declined our offer, although eviction notices had been sent out last year,” he said in the statement issued on Thursday.
He said 283 of the 294 families affected under Parcel 4A had moved out, with a majority of them staying at transit homes provided by UDA.
The statement was issued in the wake of calls by a group of residents who were unhappy that the project had yet to start, although they had relocated to the transit homes years ago in 2004.
On calls made to preserve kampung Tanjung Tokong as a Malay heritage village, Ahmad said UDA had promised the residents that a 0.4ha plot would be allocated for the purpose.
However, the matter is still in the early stages, pending discussions among UDA, the council and the state government.
“This village will be handed over to the villagers through a corporation or a villagers’ association (after the completion of the project),” he said.
So far, since the redevelopment of the village started in 1974, a total of 936 units have been built for the families who had relocated under the first three phases.
Ahmad said UDA would build 1,200 more units for the villagers under Parcel 4A.
He added UDA’s compensation include a free unit, between RM2,000 to RM3,000 in payoff, RM1,000 allowance for moving house, RM500/RM300 rental subsidy for those staying elsewhere or a free transit house until the project is completed. - By The Star
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