The residents of Kampung Sungai Dua were recently served multiple eviction notices, with the most recent one instructing them to vacate their homes by March 14, to make way for the construction of a new state police headquarters.

In a statement, the CMO said the relevant authorities will meet on Monday to discuss the eviction notices, adding that the state government will not hesitate to halt any eviction if a resolution to relocate residents and their places of worship cannot be found.

“The state government reiterates that under the current planning guidelines, any developer of public or private projects must resolve the resettlement issue first before work is allowed to commence.

“The federal Lands and Mines Department has to comply with this requirement before eviction can take place. At this juncture, they must prove to us that they have resolved the relocation issue.”

The CMO said the meeting will involve the department and state land authorities.

The villagers facing eviction are largely the descendants of families who have lived in the area for close to a century, but without formal land titles.

For many, the threat of eviction has hung over them since 2007, when plans for a new police headquarters in the area first took shape.

According to Batu Uban assemblyman Kumaresan Aramugam, some residents received an ex gratia payment of RM27,200 to move out at that time, but others had wanted replacement homes as part of a full compensation package.

“While most of the residents here understand they are squatting on government land, all they want is fair compensation and a roof over their heads. They are willing to move out,” he said.