KOTA KINABALU, Sept 30 – After several months of extensions, residents of the Tanjung Aru low-cost flats have been given a final six-month extension to move out of the buildings constructed in the 1970s, which have been declared unsafe.

Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya stated that he would write to the Sabah Housing and Town Development Board (LPPB) to extend the eviction until March next year, aligning with the school calendar.

However, he emphasised that this leniency comes with the condition that tenants willingly move during the extension period, with those who qualify offered alternative low-cost housing.

"I have advised them that those who have been offered new units should make efforts to move out and into the new units allocated to them,” he said.

"In consensus, the tenants are agreeable to move out, provided they are offered a new unit to rent and reside in (for those who qualify),” he added in a WhatsApp message to reporters.

The Putatan MP met with some of the remaining residents yesterday at the surau, where they requested an extension and pleaded for a more efficient and transparent process for alternative low-cost housing.

"They also requested LPPB to undertake maintenance works for cleanliness and safety in the apartments, such as grass cutting, while they are still residing there temporarily,” he said.

The evictions have cast a shadow over 11 blocks of flats housing around 300 families in the Tanjung Aru area, just a few kilometres from the popular beach. The area is earmarked for redevelopment by the LPPB.

The location is set in an idyllic neighbourhood, surrounded by schools, a church, a mosque, the state library, a public park, and urban facilities just a short distance away. The rent is RM170 per month, a stark contrast to the premium location of the world-famous Tanjung Aru sunset.

Since the notice was first served to all tenants in May 2021 to vacate the premises due to "unsafe conditions,” residents have been alarmed and suspicious, as no safety assessments or consultations had taken place prior to the eviction notice being issued.

In 2022, an independent consultant was hired to assess the condition of the buildings, concluding that the structure was unsafe, prompting LPPB to proceed with eviction plans.

The tenants, many of whom have lived there for decades with their children attending nearby schools, have fought against the evictions, setting up appeals and petitions.

In June this year, LPPB extended the eviction deadline from August 31 to September 30, due to approximately 90 tenants who have yet to move out.

"I’ll try to stay as long as they’ll let me. I’m still hoping they’ll offer me a place in Kionsom,” said a 74-year-old retiree, who wished to be known only as Wong. She has lived there for over 40 years and stated that her backup plan was to move into her son’s house.

Others, like 86-year-old Tuwee Gindung, have lived there for about 50 years and have no backup plan other than to wait for allocated housing.

She resides in a ground-floor unit with two grown children, a daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren. Her son, the main breadwinner, lost his job as a chef at a Japanese restaurant, and her other child is physically disabled.

Their rent and livelihood are sustained by her other daughter, who moved out when she got married and lives with her own family.

"He has tried to find jobs, but he is now middle-aged, so offers are hard to come by,” she said.

The family was previously offered housing in the Puri Warisan project but declined due to the distance to hospitals and health facilities.

"We have applied to the Kionsom PPR, which is more convenient,” she said.

However, for grab driver Jeffrey Babal, no offers have come in despite his application, leaving him confused.

With four children to care for, three of whom attend nearby schools, he dreads moving somewhere more costly and potentially unsafe.

"We have heard of break-ins and unhygienic conditions in some other projects. We will be very worried if we have to move somewhere dangerous for our children,” he said.

Housing and Local Government Minister Dr. Joachim Gunsalam was previously reported stating that the original agreement was for a 10-year period for the low-cost flats. Tenants were allowed to stay on a temporary basis while they started out and were required to begin looking for alternative housing to accommodate more people.

It was also learned that LPPB had offered alternative units to eligible tenants at Puri Warisan, Bukit Setia, and Jaya Diri. While some were ready and willing to move, others declined the offers in hopes of securing newer housing in Kibabaig and Kionsom.