11 Illegal Houses Demolished In Kebun Teh Built On Cemetery Reserve Land - Larkin Assemblyman

JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- The demolition of 11 squatter houses in Kebun Teh here on Oct 15 was carried out due to the settlement being on cemetery reserve land and a malaria-prone area, says Larkin assemblyman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah.

He said information from the Immigration Department revealed that most of the houses were occupied by undocumented migrants, with more than 100 individuals arrested.

“We found that these undocumented migrants extended their homes until it became a settlement that was unexpectedly large,” he told a press conference at the squatter site today.

Johor State Health and Environment Committee chairman Ling Tian Soon was also present.

Mohd Hairi, who is also Johor Youth, Sports, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Committee chairman, said another 36 houses, including those occupied by locals, would be demolished, and the occupants had been given 30 days to vacate their premises.

He said the decision was made after a meeting with residents’ association representatives, who had informed him that the previous two-week notice period was insufficient.

At the same time, Mohd Hairi said the state government was working towards making Johor a squatter-free state by relocating residents to new settlements.

“This is also part of our restructuring effort to ensure residents live in better areas,” he said.

He added that demolition action would also be taken in the Larkin area, with 1,422 squatter houses identified, including those in Kampung Melayu Majidee, Taman Sinaran Kempas, Kebun Teh and Kampung Sri Paya.

-- BERNAMA