`


THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH
read:
MALAYSIA Tanah Tumpah Darahku

LOVE MALAYSIA!!!


 


Sunday, January 11, 2015

No turning back for Kampung Baru facelift, but some still resist

Kampung Baru is strategically located and is just kilometres away from the Petronas Twin Towers. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, January 11, 2015.Kampung Baru is strategically located and is just kilometres away from the Petronas Twin Towers. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, January 11, 2015.
Ahead of the unveiling of the final master plan next week for the redevelopment of Kampung Baru, a century-old Malay settlement in the heart of capital city Kuala Lumpur, some villagers are still adamant to stay put and are against the modernisation of their village.
Kampung Baru has long been coveted by developers for its high-value land and strategic location in the Malaysian capital, spread incongruously over 153 hectares amidst gleaming skyscrapers and just kilometres away from the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
Various efforts over the past 30 years to modernise and redevelop the village have been met with resistance, mainly from landowners and villagers who will not move for any price.
"Why should I move? This is my family land which has been handed down to me by previous generations," said a Kampung Baru resident who only wanted to be known as Liza.
"If I were to move, where would I go? This is my home village, it is where I grew up," the 63-year-old told The Malaysian Insider.
Liza is a third-generation resident who grew up in Kampung Melayu Atas, which is located along Jalan Raja Muda Aziz, one of seven small villages that make up the greater Kampung Baru.
Living with her four children, Liza is adamant that she will not sign any agreement although she has been offered lucrative figures to sell her land.
"I will not sell this land, it is a promise to my forefathers that I would not sell the land," she said.
"This trust was given to me and I have to uphold it," she said as she questioned the reason for developing Kampung Baru.
"Why do they want to develop one of the last Malay villages in the heart of Kuala Lumpur? What are their true intentions?"
Kampung Baru was established 110 years ago and is administered by the Malay Agricultural Settlement Administration Board, which is responsible for the welfare and interests of landowners in the settlement.
In 2011, the government approved the Kampung Baru Development Body 2011, a piece of legislation to govern the redevelopment of the Malay community.
In September last year, the Kampung Baru Development Corporation (KBDC) said it had received positive response from 88% of landowners who had agreed to plans to develop the area.
In September, KBDC had also tabled a draft of the Kampung Baru development master plan to the villagers.
KBDC chairman Datuk Astaman Abdul Aziz was reported as saying that the master plan would be included in the Draft KL City Plan 2020, and with 88% of villagers agreeing to the plan, the redevelopment would begin soon.
Landowner Yusop Sukarnan says many things have not been properly explained to the villagers. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, January 11, 2015.Landowner Yusop Sukarnan says many things have not been properly explained to the villagers. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Seth Akmal, January 11, 2015.The complete and finalised master plan is to be launched by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on January 15.
It is also learnt that some 30 government-linked companies will be invited to the launch which will also include a dialogue about the plan.
However, 50-year-old Yusop Sukarnan, a landowner in Kampung Baru, said many things about the villagers' future was still unclear. He said KBDC had not explained the terms of compensation to landowners and the type of development to be carried out.
"We are unclear about these issues, how the compensation will be paid has also not been explained. The type of development to be carried out in Kampung Baru is also vague."
Yusop, who grew up in Kampung Baru, also pointed out that there were several issues which landowners were in the dark about.
"The issue of relocation, if we were to sell our land, where would we be relocated to? What about the future of Malays here, who will take care of us?"
Yusop's neighbour, Sutiah Ahmad, 86, who was among the earliest settlers in Kampung Baru, also expressed her reluctance to sell the land which she had been living on since she was a child.
"If I were to sell my house, where would I live? If they are giving us compensation, it should be an acceptable amount."
"I will not sign any agreement to move or to sell this piece of land," she said.
- TMI

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.