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A TOTAL of 26 squatter houses in the Bahang-area of Penampang were torn down during a demolition operation earlier this month, with the Municipal Council gearing up to crack down on more of these colonies this year. 

A spokeswoman for the agency said between seven to eight of its Enforcement staff joined forces with an excavator operator to dismantle four houses from some land near some apartments there on Friday.

“The remaining structures were taken down by the owner of the land on which they had been set up,” she said.

She said the demolition effort got underway from 9.30am and was completed by 4.30pm.

Besides the Council’s personnel, she said representatives from the Police, Immigration, National Registration and Water Departments, as well as Sabah Electricity (SE) and the Malaysia Red Crescent Society, also participated in the operation.

She said two individuals linked to the landowner-cum-developer were also present.

“On Thursday, Water Department and SE personnel disconnected the illegal connections which had been made to their respective installations.”

“During the two hour-plus, effort five Water Department officers noticed that plastic pipes had been fashioned to the nearest distribution mains. 

“Some sections of these pipes had been buried in the drain reserve nearby.”

She said demolition notices were served to the parties concerned more than a month prior to the two-day operation.

“Our Enforcement officers carried out a census-check on May 11, before the notices were issued. 

“They confirmed that there were persons living illegally on the land during this inspection.”

She said several members of the Auxiliary Police (AP) were present during this preliminary check.

“Some of these AP spotted water pumps discreetly placed beneath many of the homes which had been set up on the property.”

The spokeswoman called on those with vacant land to be mindful about the presence of squatters on their property and to deal with such unwanted occupants accordingly.

She said the onus was on landowners to have the encroachers evicted.

The Council had drawn up a list of squatter areas around the municipality, according to her.

“Some landowners have been notified to clear out the squatters from their property. 

“We intend to issue more of these notices to those who haven’t already received them in the months ahead.”

The spokeswoman said the recipients would be given a grace-period to comply with the agency’s instructions.

“We will come down hard on any who fail to do so. The Council takes a stern view to the presence of squatters around the district.”

She said property-owners who allowed colonies to spring up on their land, because they couldn’t be bothered chasing out these trespassers, risked being compounded up to RM5,000.

Such action could be taken under the Uniform Building By-laws 2022, according to her.

She said legal proceedings could be initiated against repeat offenders.

“If the matter is taken to court and they are found guilty, a fine for as much as RM100, 000 could be imposed on them.

“Alternatively, these individuals may also have to serve a jail-term of up to one year.

“In the worst-case scenario, both penalties could be enacted against the errant landowners by the magistrate.”