GEORGE TOWN: A VCD showing Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim telling Kampung Buah Pala villagers that the chief minister would personally look into their plight has surfaced.
The VCD, which was made available to The Star, shows him making the pledge to the villagers before the March 8 general election last year.
Anwar, who was recorded having a conversation with residents association chairman M. Sugumaran and other villagers at Kampung Buah Pala, told the crowd that whoever became chief minister would have to find a solution within two weeks of Pakatan Rakyat taking over the state government.
When contacted, Sugumaran confirmed that the recording was made several weeks before the general election.
He said it was unbecoming of Pakatan Rakyat leaders, including Anwar, to give them false hope over the whole matter.
“Obviously, they did not do enough to help us. They could have been frank with us right from the beginning.
“If they knew the village could not be preserved and had to make way for development, then they should have told us so,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd refuted claims by residents that a meeting was held to discuss the RM300,000 compensation sought by them.
“There is no meeting today. It is another one of their baseless clai-ms and we are not entertaining their RM300,000 request,” said company executive director Tho-mas Chan.
Sugumaran said the villagers would remain in Kampung Buah Pala if their request for the RM300,000 compensation was rejected because they had no place to go.
“If they come and demolish our homes, we will rebuild the houses again,” he said.
A check by The Star at the village yesterday saw another family vacating their house.
M. Santha, 47, said she was selling the building materials they had managed to salvage from their home such as the zinc roof and wood to a friend.
“For the time being, I’m renting a house in Brown Garden, Glugor,” she said. - The Star
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