What Is Happening In Klang’s Kampung Papan? Here’s What We Know
Demolition of homes and eviction of residents led to public unrest and the detention of three individuals.
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There’s been a lot of talk about what’s happening in Kampung Papan, Pandamaran in Klang in what appears to be a battle between developers, villagers and activists.
It is learned that houses in the village are going to be demolished to make way for redevelopment.
Some 20 houses have been emptied out beginning 10 November.
Yesterday (November 12), a protest was held to oppose the demolition of homes that had not yet been fully vacated and were still occupied by families in the village.
To ensure safety and control the situation, a team of police officers along with the Light Strike Force (LSF) was deployed to the location.
However, tensions escalated when several individuals, alleged to be residents, acted aggressively and attempted to break through police lines, according to Sinar Harian.
Following this, Deputy Chairperson of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) S. Arulchelvan, residents’ representative M. Logeswaran, and activist M. Mythreyar were arrested under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing public officers from carrying out their duties.
According to Malaysia Kini, they are currently being held at the South Klang District Police Headquarters (IPD Klang Selatan).
more videos from Kampung Papan, where developer Melati Ehsan is evicting residents and demolishing homes.
— Nathaniel Tan (@NatAsasi) November 12, 2025
What is the big difference between this and Zionists evicting Palestinians? https://t.co/q0PEMwI7Qw pic.twitter.com/RT6RAWKRs2
Arul describes the arrests as an abuse of power
Speaking to Free Malaysia Today, Arul described the arrests as unjustified and a form of abuse of power.
He said that the activist group was merely enforcing the Selangor government’s directive that homes still occupied by residents should not be demolished.
He also claimed that one activist was arrested simply for asking the police to delay the demolition work for another two days.
“To me, it’s a clear case. I believe they detained us so the demolition could proceed. I don’t see any other reason for the arrests,” he told FMT.
Kampung Papan land given to TPPT before being sold to a private developer
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago explained in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Selangor government had originally allocated the Kampung Papan land to Tabung Projek Perumahan Terbengkalai (TPPT) under Bank Negara Malaysia to resolve squatter settlement issues.
He stated that the land was later sold to a private developer, with a written agreement that each long-term resident would receive a two-storey house valued at RM99,000.
He also urged the public to gather at the South Klang District Police Headquarters in solidarity and called for the immediate release of those detained.
Human rights defenders @partisosialis @arul_psm & two more were arrested for negotiating with police to defend a family’s home from demolition in Jalan Papan, an urban settlers’ community. They’re being taken to IPD Klang Selatan under Section 186 for “obstruction.”
— Charles Santiago (@mpklang) November 12, 2025
(1/4) pic.twitter.com/ewioW3bhrC
Residents ordered to vacate homes since 27 October
According to an FMT report dated 8 November, PSM and Santiago had urged the Selangor government to halt the demolitions at Kampung Papan, fearing that around 100 families could lose their homes.
Earlier, the state government had stated that only vacant houses and business premises in the village would be demolished.
However, residents received a notice on 27 October ordering them to vacate their homes.
Since then, residents have appealed for Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to intervene and stop the demolition work.
Settlers established Kampung Papan in 1939 but are now labeled as illegal squatters
According to an article by Arul on the Sosialis website, Kampung Papan (or Kampung Jalan Papan) was originally established by settlers who began living there in 1939, before Malaysia’s independence.
From 1968 to 1989, they were issued Temporary Occupation Licences (TOL).
In 1992, the Selangor government began land surveying and planning together with the settlers, who were required to pay RM70 for the process. They were also assured that this was a step towards obtaining legal ownership of the land.
The entire 95-acre plot was then transferred to TPPT in 1995 for the purpose of building homes for the settlers.
In 2007, TPPT brought in developer Melati Ehsan Consolidated Sdn. Bhd. and granted it power of attorney (POA), with the same goal of development.
However, since 2020, the residents have been labeled as illegal squatters by both the developer and the courts.
In 2024, Melati Ehsan expressed its intention to return 11 acres of land to the Selangor government so that the state could build homes for the same settlers.
Arul further explained that during the Selangor Economic Action Council (MTES) meeting on February 28, 2018, it was concluded that 181 original settlers would be offered homes as follows:
- 123 original settlers from Kampung Jalan Papan would receive 20′ × 70′ terrace houses priced at RM99,000.
- 58 individuals were offered Rumah Selangorku Type B units (800 sq. ft.) also priced at RM99,000.
- Around 30 families with existing structures on their plots were offered medium-cost houses at market price or Rumah Selangorku Type B units.
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