Malay Village says ‘no’ to UDA’s corporate concept

Residents want their village to be redeveloped under the living heritage concept in line with George Town’s international status as a world heritage city.

GEORGE TOWN: Tanjung Tokong Malay Village residents are against the Urban Development Authority’s (UDA) plans to redevelop their village under a corporate concept.

The villagers are challenging UDA’s notice of eviction and applying to transfer all cases pertaining to the village from the Magistrate’s Court to the Penang High Court. Today was the mention for the villagers’ application at the Magistrate’s Court for transfer of their case to the High Court.

On December 26, 2014, the villagers obtained a stay of execution against the notice of eviction issued to them. The villagers also filed an appeal at the High Court to nullify the summary judgment obtained by UDA from the Magistrate’s Court last year.

In 2008, UDA, in its court application to obtain a notice of eviction, claimed the existing villagers were squatters.

Village association chairman Salleh Yahaya, speaking on behalf of the Tanjung Tokong Malay Village, said the residents wanted their village to be redeveloped on a proposed four-acre piece of land under the living heritage concept in line with George Town’s international status as a world heritage city.

He argued that the UDA proposed corporate concept would turn the village into a business enclave, rather than a traditional village to preserve and conserve the island Malay’s 250-year-old heritage and history.

Yahaya revealed that UDA’s corporate redevelopment concept was unveiled by its chairman Johari Abdul Ghani when the association representatives met him on November 20, 2014.

“He told us that the heritage village will be redeveloped for corporate objectives, which means business,” he said. “We want UDA to drop the idea and rebuild the village under the living heritage concept involving the residents.

“We made it clear to him.”