.jpg "Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow speaks to the press during a press conference at Komtar on January 6, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Sayuti Zainudinnn")
GEORGE TOWN, Feb 22 — The eviction of residents in Kampung Sungai Dua to make way for a new Penang police headquarters has been deferred for the time being, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.
He said the state police department will appeal to the Home Ministry to reinstate ex-gratia payments, that was originally offered in 2007, to affected residents at the site.
“Actions against occupied premises will be deferred until the result of the appeal is obtained,” he said in a statement today.
He said it was also decided in a meeting earlier today that the Federal Land and Mines Department will only be allowed to demolish structures that are empty and not occupied, from March 15 onwards.
“The Home Ministry has been given the necessary allocations under the 12th Malaysia Plan to build a new police headquarters in Penang and the project is expected to commence in a few months,” he said.
Earlier today, Chow chaired a meeting to deliberate on the eviction notices served to the residents and places of worship in Kampung Sungai Dua.
The meeting was attended by state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo, Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, Batu Uban assemblyman A.Kumaresan, Penang deputy police chief Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid, Chow’s political secretary Teh Lai Heng, and officers from the Land and Mines Department, state and district land authorities, state town and country planning department and state housing board.
Penang, together with Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Johor, have been placed under a movement control order to arrest the spread of Covid-19. The order is supposed to expire on March 4.
