KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa will deliver a special briefing this Thursday on the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru, including measures to ensure residents receive their rightful entitlements and that the Malay presence remains in the area.
She said the government is exploring a more creative and sustainable economic model to preserve the Malay community in urban areas, particularly in the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru and Kampung Baru.
"Insya-Allah, this Thursday I will be given time for a ministerial briefing dedicated to Kampung Sungai Baru. During that session, we will be able to provide more detailed explanations,” she said during question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
She was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN–Padang Serai), who asked about the latest status of Kampung Sungai Baru, which is categorised as a Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS).
Dr Zaliha said discussions are ongoing with developers and government-linked companies (GLCs), including UDA Holdings Berhad, to identify the most suitable form of collaboration for the project.
“My main concern is ensuring that residents who have agreed to the redevelopment receive the homes they have been waiting for over nine years,” she said, adding that the government remains committed to making the redevelopment of the two historic villages a catalyst for Kuala Lumpur’s growth while preserving their Malay heritage.
On Sept 11, the media reported a tense situation in Kampung Sungai Baru after several residents facing eviction refused to leave their homes.
The land acquisition in Kampung Sungai Baru involves 67 terrace houses and 14 apartment blocks known as Pangsapuri Sungai Baru. The process began in 2016.
In reply to a question from Azman on the challenges of developing Malay reserve land in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Zaliha said redevelopment efforts face several constraints, including overlapping ownership, limited market value, and the need to preserve cultural heritage.
“Some Malay reserve lands are ancestral properties passed down through generations. Certain plots are owned by dozens or even hundreds of individuals, with some involving up to 256 owners for a single lot measuring 8,700 square feet,” she said.
She added that restrictions preventing the transfer of ownership to non-Malays also reduce investor interest, even though many Malay reserve lands are in strategic locations such as Sungai Penchala.
Dr Zaliha said Malay reserve land in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur currently covers 1,004 hectares, including the Segambut and Selayang Malay Reserves in Mukim Batu, Sungai Penchala and Taman Desa in Mukim Kuala Lumpur, and the Gombak Malay Reserve in Mukim Setapak.
Meanwhile, replying to a supplementary question from Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN–Kuala Pilah) on the proposal to set up an Urban Resource Development Board, Dr Zaliha said the government is open to studying the idea, taking inspiration from similar models in Singapore and Hong Kong.
She said better coordination is needed to protect the rights and welfare of urban Malay and Bumiputera communities
-- BERNAMA
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