SHAH ALAM: Kampung Baru residents have been urged not to sell their land to other parties, but to the government instead to develop the land.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government agency would assist residents to develop Kampung Baru without neglecting the original features of the location.
“Kampung Baru was previously under the Malay agricultural reserve. They (residents) cannot do agriculture in that area because it is only suitable to do business.
“However, they (residents) do not have sufficient money to develop the area,” he said after delivering his mandate at Kongres Maruah Melayu (Malay Dignity Congress) here yesterday.
He said deteriorating houses in Kampung Baru were a poor representation of the Malays’ achievements and potential.
“There are old houses with rusty zinc roofs. This does not reflect the Malays’ position or the possibility that they could be just as successful as anyone else.”
Dr Mahathir described Kampung Baru as a “blemish” in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur with skyscrapers occupying the area.
Under the previous Barisan Nasional administration, the government had unveiled a new master plan for the redevelopment of Kampung Baru in 2014.
However, the implementation was slower than expected, prompting the Pakatan Harapan administration to revamp the master plan last year.
The new master plan involved 121.4ha of land in Kampung Baru, including 32.37ha beyond the administration of the Malay Agricultural Land Authority.
Asked whether the government was willing to review the offer price of the land in Kampung Baru, he said: “It is up to the Kampung Baru people to decide.”
The New Straits Times had previously reported that the government had offered to buy out Kampung Baru landowners at a rate of RM850 per sq ft. The effort was to kickstart the redevelopment of the oldest Malay enclave in the heart of the federal capital.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Abdul Samad made the offer to landowners during a town hall session in Kampung Baru recently.
He said that the rate was the best and highest price offered based on an assessment undertaken by the Valuation and Property Services Department.
Khalid said the department had valued the land at between RM650 per sq ft and RM850 per sq ft, and that landowners who own up to 8,000sq ft of land could receive up to RM6 million.