More Families Now Sleeping Under a Flyover After Gombak Houses Demolition
Source: Sinar Harian
Last week, houses in Kampung Sri Makmur, Gombak, were demolished, with residents given just RM1,000 compensation and a few days to move out. The Selangor MB had promised alternative housing but didn’t deliver, and not all residents received the RM1,000.
According to Sinar Harian, one family is now homeless, with the father sleeping under a flyover in a tent after losing the home inherited from his parents. Mohd Hamdan Ghazali, 40, who sells burgers to support his family, said his wife and two young children were taken in by his sister-in-law.
“My sister-in-law has many kids, so I only sent my wife, who is 5 months pregnant, and my kids there, while I live under the flyover. I’ve been trying to find a rental house but can’t afford the deposit. My income only covers milk and diapers for my children,” he explained.
“I started my business 6 months ago after my contract as an electrician wasn’t renewed. My wife used to work, but I asked her to stop to take care of the kids. After she stopped working, our house was demolished.”
He’s not the only one affected. Mohamad Ali Osman, a 41-year-old food deliveryman, hopes the housing issue will be resolved before his kids start school on June 4.
“As a father, I feel like a failure seeing my wife and kids homeless. I’m looking for a rental house around Sri Gombak since my kids go to school there, but rents are high. For a budget of RM700, it’s a bit far from here. I can’t arrange a deposit, but I need to get my kids out of this situation, so I’ll try to borrow money from friends,” he said.
Another resident, Nur Zaitul Faridah Sulaiman, 40, hopes the government will help those now homeless. “I’m in trouble. My husband has health issues and needs dialysis, one child has leukemia, another is differently-abled (OKU) with hearing problems, and I’m supporting my eldest son in university. My husband, despite being sick, works as a security guard.”
“I can’t afford rental deposits with my husband’s salary of around RM2,700 due to many commitments. I hope the government can provide a replacement house; we’ll deal with rent and monthly payments later,” she explained. She too has been spending her nights under the flyover since the demolition.
The most heartbreaking part is seeing the children affected by the demolition for land development. We genuinely hope the authorities can find a way to house these underprivileged families so they can rebuild their lives.
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