George Town, Oct. 16 Residents of Malaysia's Kampung Lorong Buah Pala village are being forced to celebrate a dark Deepawali, as they are still to get back their cattle's lost homes, despite repeated assurances from the state government.

The village's cattle and goat rearers complain that demolition workers are already tearing down their animal sheds, and they have not received any government help as yet.

K. Murugan and R. Subramaniam do not know how to find a new home for their 200 cattle and goats.

"We read in the newspapers that the state government has pledged to help, but we never got a chance to meet them. I was told some of my former neighbours had also tried to see Ramasamy in Komtar but they did not get past the security," The New Straits Times quoted Murugan, as saying.

Murugan's brother Sivanandam said that the state government had washed its hands off the village issue.

"My sheds are on state land but I know my cattle are not safe either, as the state can do whatever it pleases with its property. What I know is the state could have stopped all this from happening if it wanted to," he said.

Subramaniam is hoping to move his animals if he could afford a small piece of land. (ANI)