IPOH, March 16 — Sixteen families from Kampung Kilang in Beruas are seeking the intervention of the Perak government after a new landowner asked them to vacate their homes erected on land occupied for more than five decades.

Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) national central committee member R. Karthiges, who represents the affected families, said that they want the state government to provide each family with an alternative piece of land.

"These families are seeking help from the state government after losing the battle in court over the land issue.

"All they want is at least a piece of land for each family, as they have nowhere to go,” he told reporters when met in front of the State Secretariat Building here.

Karthiges said that the 1.052ha land, upon which sit 16 wooden houses, was previously owned by the state government.

"The land was either sold or given to an individual. The owner of the land requested the occupants to pay RM70 annually and the residents were paying the rent.

"However, in 2016, the individual sold the land to another individual. When the new landowner came, he asked the residents to pay RM250 per month, which they could not afford, as most are low-income earners.

"The matter was brought to court and the residents were told to vacate the land,” he explained.

R. Valarmathi, 40, a resident from Kampung Kilang, said the case was postponed three times due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We tried to find out the status of the land from the lawyer, but the landowner kept mum. However, in February 2023, the landowner together with police personnel brought the stay order from the court and told us to vacate in a week.

"They placed the notice on February 20 and asked us to move out by February 27. How did they expect us to vacate in a week?” she said.

Valarmathi, a housewife and a mother of three, said that the residents then requested the eviction date to be extended for three months via a new lawyer, but were only given 90 days.

"Now we need to leave our homes by April 15. We don’t know where to go. We don’t have any other houses and there are also no houses for rent in Beruas,” she added.

She also pointed out that the majority of residents are senior citizens aged between 50 and 80.

Another resident, Chan Thai, 75, said that she felt sad and shocked after receiving the eviction notice.

"I have stayed there for 50 years. I moved there when I married my husband.

"I have eight children and all of them are working in different states, such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and even a few in Singapore. We are too old to move to a different place.

"We hope the government will find land for us somewhere near Beruas,” she said.

Earlier, Karthiges, together with several residents, submitted a memorandum to the Menteri Besar’s Office requesting that the state government intervene in the matter and provide them with alternative land.