| ©The Star (Used by permission)
Stories by Bavani M. and Yip Yoke Teng After 100 years is Kampung Baru ready for development? According to the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020, plans are in the pipeline to transform this village into a worldclass hub. Based on feedback, it is apparent that the people are willing but only if the price is right.
Despite the fact that their homes are located on Malay Agriculture Settlement, residents of Kampong Baru are prepared to make way for the planned massive development.
The only thing is they must be paid justly and not be treated as squatters.
“We are not that pleased when the DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) sent us notices recently asking us to vacate our properties using the Clearance of Squatters Act,” said Ramli Masdar, a resident and entrepreneur at the area’s Pasar Minggu.
“How can they do that? Please remember that Pasar Minggu, which was launched by our first Prime Minister, was at one point in history the model commercial area in Kuala Lumpur,” said Ramli, who is also the acting Umno chairman of Pasar Minggu.
He was with five other residents and entrepreneurs of Kampung Baru during the interview with StarMetro.
According to Ramli, some 40 families living near Pasar Minggu received notices from the DBKL about two weeks ago that they had been offered PPR units and therefore should vacate their houses by May 23.
They said Kampung Baru folks would make way for development as long as their requirements were met.
For entrepreneurs at Pasar Minggu, they want to be given the privileges to do business there no matter what development takes place.
For residents and landowners, whether or not it is in Malay Agriculture Settlements, they just want their land to be acquired at market price at least.
Old-timer Asrorie Saaban said the residents had had many talks with the DBKL but the efforts had been futile.
“That's because they have yet to tell us how they will compensate us. We welcome development. We have long been informed about this about 20 years ago but we are at the same time waiting for a fruitful meeting,” he added.
Pasar Minggu PNKS flats representative Mohd Baba Kutty said: “We do not mind development. The residents hail a new lease of life to this area as long as they are not marginalised.
“You can't have high prices for land across the river (KLCC areas) and yet pay us only half of those prices.”
Jalan Raja Muda Musa Umno deputy chairman Khairi Samuri said the community must always be the priority and all amenities must not be compromised in the face of development.
Kampung Baru Negotiation Committee member Datuk Matshah Safuan, who is also the chairman of the Kampung Baru Malay Children's Welfare Association, said the residents were assessing the proposed developments.
“At this point, we will study the proposed masterplan carefully.
“We will talk about land acquisition and compensation later.
“I believe after we get the masterplan right, everything else will fall in place,” he said. |
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