Sunday, December 9, 2012

MPKj gives old folks’ home until May 14 to vacate premises


The Star, Saturday December 8, 2012

By YIP YOKE TENG 

Serving the community: Caring Old Folks Home has been operating in Taman Muhibbah, Kajang, for the past nine years.
Serving the community: Caring Old Folks Home has been operating in Taman Muhibbah, Kajang, for the past nine years.
CARING Old Folks Home in Taman Muhibbah, Kajang, is still facing eviction but has now been given until May 14 to vacate its premises.
Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) president Datuk Hassan Nawawi Abdul Rahman, when contacted, said the decision made by the Objection Hearing Committee made on April 3 remained.
The old folks’ home that has been operating for nine years houses 28 residents. In May, MPKj notified its founder Wendy Yap that the home’s application to continue occupying the residential building for the purpose of a welfare home was rejected due to complaints from nearby residents.
After attending a hearing, forwhich none of the complainants turned up, Yap received another letter from MPKj in June stating that the application was approved but the permit was only valid until December, after which they must move to a new place.
Despite several appeals, support letters from elected representatives and consent from nine nearest neighbours to operate at the current location, MPKj was firm about its decision and sent them another reminder in November.
MPKj also sent its officers to the home on two occasions to remind them that December was the deadline.
“We have informed the caretakers as early as May and have given them a year to look for a new place,” Hassan said.
“The decision was made by the committee based on complaints from the neighbours. One of the neighbours said he had suffered for nine years, and he could not rent out his unit because of the noise,” he added.
He said the home was actually given one year, that is until May 14, to move.
Meanwhile, Yap said she had received calls from well-wishers giving support and urging her not to give up doing charity work.

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