Show of Frustration

The senior police officer listening to our plea

The MP for Cheras talking to some land purchasers

The big poster showing the signing ceremony and the
abandoned project

Inside Yeng Chong's office, Mr John showing the police report to
reporters while the MP, Mr Tan talks to the Press

No big bosses were in the office and so the crowd waited,
many still displaying the posters

The crowd left but they left the posters behind, some are pasted on
the wall, together with the memorandum

A group of land purchasers who felt they have been cheated gathered at the Yeng Chong Realty Sdn Bhd office in Taman Ampang Hilir at about 10am this morning to vent their frustration and to tell the mass media their situation. They carry placards saying phrases like "Where Is Our Money", "We're Fed Up", "Refund Our Money", "We Feel Cheated" in three languages. There was also a huge poster showing the signing ceremony of the joint-venture agreement between Yeng Chong and MBSB and the abandoned land which is still a palm oil plantation.

The MP for Cheras Mr Tan Kok Wai was good enough to turn up for the rally to show his sympathy and he told the people he would raise the matter in Parliament. He said there should be legislation to protect land purchasers. At the moment the land buyers can only seek redress in the civil court because the land transaction does not come under the Housing Act.

Before showing up at the gathering, the president of the BGVAC Mr Christopher John and a few committee members had lodged a police report at the Police Headquarters in Jalan Hang Tuah. Mr Tan was also there to show his support. "We want our money back and our patience is running out," Mr John said. "We have waited for more than 11 years and enough is enough."

There were a few senior police officers and police personnel at the place to stop us from gathering there as our permit for a gathering was denied.



However, when we pleaded with them and explained to them the reason for our need to show our protest, the officer relented and allowed us to show the placards and posters. We were also allowed to march into Yeng Chong's office to deliver a memorandum demanding the return of our money and to inform them that a police report has been made.

No manager or director was at the office. Only a few clerks were there and they said they had no authority to accept the memorandum. Mr Tan Kok Wai, who accompanied the group up to the office, said the directors should have the "guts to meet the people". He said they should have the moral responsibility to return the money if they are not giving them the land. The people have suffered long enough and some have put in their life savings into the land. Their refusal to meet the land buyers showed they are not committed to help the people, Mr Tan said. Ten years is long enough for anyone to wait, he added.