KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 - Residents of Flat Seri Perlis 2 located in Jalan Datuk Keramat here urged the new government to fulfill the rent-to-own lease agreement promised by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad during his tenure in the 1980s.
"Recently we heard that Flat Seri Perlis 2 will be demolished for development and we are not sure about the government’s intention.
"We have been renting the flats here for over 40 years but we are still not given a chance to buy the units.
"Although a 10 years rent-to-own lease was offered by Dr Mahathir before in the 1980s but it was not mentioned by his successors,” said Seri Perlis 2 Public Housing Residents Association Sponsor Committee Member Norasyimah Daud at a press conference today.
Alongside her was former Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who urged the government to reconsider its plan to demolish the Seri Perlis Flats because it would leave the residents homeless.
"If you give them a chance to buy the units at a reasonable price, they will be satisfied after 40 years of renting the place.
"Since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself had said that they do not have enough funds to demolish and rebuild the place, why don’t they sell it to the residents?” he added.
According to Norasyimah, a total of five housing blocks with 302 units and 20 shop lots in Flat Seri Perlis will be affected should the government decide to abolish and redevelop it.
