The investigation of the implications of squatter relocations in high-risk neighbourhoods in Malaysia

Abstract

In the 1980s and 90s, Kuala Lumpur underwent rapid urbanisation and industrialisation which resulted in the major demolition of perkampungan setinggan (squatter settlements) to make way for new ‘mega’ developments. As a result former squatter dwellers were relocated into low cost high-rise flats, with little consideration of the consequences. Unsurprisingly soon, their habits and customs established in the ‘kampung’ appeared to be incompatible with their new location. The tragic death in 1997 of a technical assistant killed by a brick thrown from a low-cost flat called for an awareness campaign to educate flat-dwellers on appropriate means of garbage disposal (Malay Mail 1997, as quoted in Bunnell, 2002: 1685), however, the logic of relocating squatters to high-rise apartments remained unchallenged. In 2001, the Selangor state government launched the Zero Squatters 2005 program in which the majority of former squatter dwellers were relocated into low-cost high-rise flats. This raises the question of why after the tragic incident in 1997 the Selangor government still chose to pursue a policy of high-rise flats as a solution to the housing issue? Therefore, the focus of this research was to study the implication of squatter relocation into this type of residential and how does governmentality and control through low cost housing policies impact the lives of those being controlled? Desa Mentari has been identified as a suitable case study for this research while its community were the main unit of analysis. Its selection was based on its characteristic, which is a neighbourhood for relocated former squatter dwellers that consisted of low-cost high-rise residential. Professionals were the sub-unit of analysis, mainly for their professional perspectives and knowledge of the issues surrounding the community of this neighbourhood. The data was then analysed against the five domains of the Infrastructure of Everyday Life which are home and neighbourhood, sources of support, having a say, enjoyment, and making ends meet. Based on the analysis, the thesis found that the main implication due to the relocation is the breakdown of the community structure, racial conflicts, the rise of social ills and the deficient living environment. The thesis also found that there were different levels of treatment between this lower income group and the affluent, and also between the different ethnic groups within the community. The work ultimately argues that planing and housing policy should be informed by the everyday live activities and needs of specific groups within society. It suggests that, because the everyday life framework consists of four domains, embedded within a fifth – the neighbourhood – it lends itself well as a tool for analysis of those needs and translation of that analysis into practical policy.