Kuala lumpur: 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.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Zaliha mentioned that 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. She announced the upcoming ministerial briefing during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat, in response to a query from Datuk Azman Nasrudin (PN-Padang Serai) about the status of Kampung Sungai Baru, categorised as a Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS).
Dr Zaliha stated that 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. She emphasised her main concern is ensuring that residents who have agreed to the redevelopment receive the homes they have been waiting for over nine years. The government is committed to making the redevelopment of these historic villages a catalyst for Kuala Lumpur’s growth while preserving their Malay heritage.
On September 11, the media reported a tense situation in Kampung Sungai Baru after several residents facing eviction refused to leave their homes. The land acquisition process in Kampung Sungai Baru involves 67 terrace houses and 14 apartment blocks known as Pangsapuri Sungai Baru, which began in 2016.
In response to a question from Azman on the challenges of developing Malay reserve land in Kuala Lumpur, Dr Zaliha highlighted several constraints, including overlapping ownership, limited market value, and the need to preserve cultural heritage. She noted that some Malay reserve lands are ancestral properties passed down through generations, with certain plots owned by dozens or even hundreds of individuals.
Dr Zaliha added that restrictions preventing the transfer of ownership to non-Malays reduce investor interest, even though many Malay reserve lands are in strategic locations such as Sungai Penchala. The Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur currently has 1,004 hectares of Malay reserve land, 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.
Additionally, in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan (BN-Kuala Pilah) about the proposal to set up an Urban Resource Development Board, Dr Zaliha said the government is open to studying the idea, drawing inspiration from similar models in Singapore and Hong Kong. She stressed the need for better coordination to protect the rights and welfare of urban Malay and Bumiputera communities.