Residents of Section 17A, known as Kampung Baru Damansara previously, are distressed that they may be compelled to move since they learnt of plans to turn their new village into a new low-rise apartment-cum-commercial haven.
The writings are now on the wall as the ambitious PJ1 local plan draft that proposes to revamp or expand almost all sections of the burgeoning township starts to unfold more surprises.
The ramshackle village of about 150 houses deafening silence is compounded by a reluctance of the wakil rakyat (elected representatives) to meet with them. The villagers say that they interpret this avoidance and the unexplained delay in the lease renewal as something seriously amiss.
Same fate
A Chinese primary school in the neighbourhood was forcibly shut down and moved to neighbouring Tropicana last year despite vehement protests by pupils, parents and educationists. The villagers now suspect that they may suffer the same fate as the school.
In fact, some of us are beginning to feel that the state government had gone ahead to relocate SJK(C) Damansara, originally situated in Section 17, to Tropicana because plans were already underway to redevelop the area and the adjacent village, Wong said.
He said factors like the draft plan, the wakil rakyats reluctance to meet with them and the delay in releasing the approved leases were an indication of things to come.
Some of us had earlier suspected that the state was trying to force us out of our village by moving the school first, and it seems that now our fears are being justified.
Until today, the authorities have been unable to provide a clear explanation as to the fate of the 70-year-old school and its abandoned site, said Wong, who was actively involved in the Save Our School (SOS) campaign to stop the relocation of school.
Wong said the villagers had held leases since before Merdeka but the state is claiming that the people only hold a temporary occupancy licence (TOL).
Repercussions
The next step is for us villagers to go on a house-to-house visit and explain the draft plan and the possible repercussions to everyone so that they will take an active role in fighting for their property and reject the draft plan.
We are also trying to get everyone in the village to go for the meeting with the MPPJ on May 5.
For the record, Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo told us last year that we can renew our leases within one year, which is supposed to be by the end of this year, but the tune has obviously changed, he said.
The Kg Baru Damansara villagers did attempt to clarify matters by calling for a meeting with their Kg Baru Damansara village committee head, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Chew Mei Fun and Damansara Utama state assemblyperson Lim Choon Kin last night.
Instead, they were snubbed and told to wait until the May 5 meeting with the MPPJ to clear any doubts on the draft plan proposals for their area.
However, the 200 people who turned up at the meeting organised by the Kg Baru Damansara Chinese Cemetery Management Committee managed to get an idea of what was happening from DAP publicity chief Ronnie Liu, who also chairs the MPPJ Shadow Council.
The adjacent Section 19 which has a population of squatters will also undergo a similar total redevelopment.