KUALA LUMPUR (April 3, 2012): Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has allowed 34 families of PKNS flats at Kampung Kerinchi here another week to move out.

The families had defied an eviction order to vacate the flats and following this a commotion broke out at the site when the demolition team arrived this morning.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar who was present at the site negotiated on behalf of the residents for the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office (PTGWP) to allocate time for them to move out.

“The residents agreed to move but wanted the authority to postpone the eviction till July 1,” she said at a press conference with the residents today.

PTPGWP Assistant Land Officer, Mohd Salleh Sadri however only agreed go give them a week to move out as DBKL has found suitable apartments unit for the families to move to.

He also agreed to the conditions raised by the residents who wanted their lawyers to inspect the house before moving in.

“There are units in PPR Chempaka in Kerinchi and PPR Muhibbah in Kinrara, Puchong. The lawyers can view them to make sure these are all right,” he said to the residents.

A resident, Mohd Idrus Tokiran, 48, questioned the one week’s notice which he said was not enough to vacate their house.

He said there are residents whose name are not listed in the DBKL registry for the PPR even though the developer and authorities had convinced residents there were units available for them.

“This is why we are afraid to move out. There is the possibility that they are trying to deceive us” he said.

Another resident Ismail Man, 49 said he would lose his business if he left the flats.

Ismail, who ran a shop for 27 years, rented it from the last developer PKNS.

He said the new developer, Suez Domain Sdn Bhd told him there are no shop lots at the new housing project.

“It is not that I don’t want to leave, but I'm waiting for information on the status of my shop.

"Former squatters got a new shop at PPR, but we didn’t,” he said.

Chaos erupted at the Kerinchi PKNS flats as the demolition team arrived at 9.30am and started the demolition exercise at 10am.

In the midst of the commotion were few student activists from Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM).

A fight broke out when several pro-demolishers traded insults and assaulted and activists, Adam Adli Abdul Halim, Ekhsan Bukharee and Safwan Anang.

Adam was punched in the ensuing chaos while Ekhsan was escorted out by police who then brought him to the Pantai Police Station.

The police had to step in and separate groups of residents and outsiders who were either for or against the demolition of the 40 year old flats.

Both Adam and Ekhsan then lodged police reports about the assault.

Residents who were against the demolition had gathered at the site since 8am along with NGO- Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan (Permas) led by its president Tan Jo Han.

DBKL demolition team was led by Federal Territory and Urban Wellbeing Ministry Deputy Secretary Datuk Adnan Md Ikhsan.

The low-cost flats at Kampung Kerinchi had been earmarked for redevelopment under the urban renewal scheme.

The majority of the flat owners who had agreed to move have been relocated to PPR Kerinchi, and their rent for the next three years will be paid for by the developer to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

They had signed an agreement with Suez Domain, and will be offered 860 sq ft medium-cost apartment units worth between RM300,000 to RM400,000 at the same site once construction is completed.

The developer offered to buy back the apartment units at RM125, 000 each if the flat owners do not want to move in.

The Kampung Kerinchi low-cost flats were built by PKNS in the 1970s. Most of the flat owners are senior citizens.