According to an aide to Air Putih state assemblyman Lim Guan Eng, the Penang government was willing to help but needed the families concerned to come to an agreement.

DAP Air Putih service centre manager Hong Kian Beng said that ideally, the three families that occupied the cluster-type kampung house that was destroyed in a fire on April 6 must come to an agreement on the rebuilding of the house.

Yesterday, vegetable seller Effandy Abdul Rahim, 32, made a plea for his house off Boundary Road to be rebuilt as he, his wife and their two-year-old daughter had been forced to live in a tiny storeroom next to their razed home.

They were offered a state government flat but refused to take up the offer, as they wanted to keep an eye on their property, which Effandy claims was handed down to him by his grandmother.

Hong said Lim had already handed out immediate cash assistance amounting to over RM10,000 to the three families.

He added that while the families were thankful for the assistance, Effandy’s family had repeatedly refused the offer to help get them alternative housing.

“We would like to help to rebuild the house, but the funds can’t be given as there is no agreement from the other two families. We have done all that we can and there is nothing we can do if he (Effandy) cannot resolve the internal land dispute.”

Effandy, when contacted, said there was no dispute and all family members were agreeable to have the home rebuilt. He said he was in the midst of getting signatures from all the family members, in order to pass it to the village chief.

He also thanked FMT’s readers for the generous donations he had received and those who had dropped by to hand out donations in kind.