SQUATTERS living along riverbanks in Johor will be evacuated, says state housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Mohd Shukor.
Most of the squatter settlements along riverbanks, he said, were occupied by foreigners including those without valid travel documents.
“The 50m buffer zones along the riverbanks should be free from any structures or economic activities,” he said, adding that there were some 10,000 squatter homes statewide located on federal, state and private developers’ land.
He said there was a need to demolish squatter houses along the riverbanks, otherwise they would multiply.
Mohd Jafni said the authorities had not demolished squatter houses after squatters were told to leave, resulting in others moving in to occupy the abandoned homes.
He said the authorities should not allow this practice to continue as it would be difficult to clear the riverbanks of squatter colonies.
“The Johor Baru district has the highest number of squatters in the state,” said Mohd Jafni after the launch of the Johor Housing Development Corporation (PKPJ) transformation services by Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The Johor government, he said, would discuss with the Federal Government on ways to relocate squatters occupying federal land.
Mohd Jafni said most of the squatters on federal land had been occupying the land for between 50 and 60 years. The settlements also have roads and utilities.
Instead of evacuating them, he said the state could consider issuing them land titles for the land they occupied and give the Federal Government land in exchange.
Another option is for the state to relocate the squatters and provide them with houses for rent if the Federal Government has development plans for the land occupied by the squatters.
