Selangor action plan on Kg Baru’s future

Byc Adrian David

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor government will initiate a task force to study and recommend suggestions to City Hall to develop Kampung Baru into a modern township.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said this was to ensure that Kampung Baru was developed in accordance with the wishes of its 50,000-odd residents.

“The idea is to provide its dwellers with quality living so that Kampung Baru is not seen as a slum amid a modern city overlooking the world-famous Petronas Twin Towers at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

“At the same time, we want its dwellers to be properly compensated so as to be able to live comfortably within the golden triangle,” he said.

The task force, he added, would be spearheaded by Titiwangsa member of parliament Dr Lo’ Lo Mohamad Ghazali who was expected to prepare a detailed report in two weeks, before the Aug 31 deadline for public objections to the Kuala Lumpur Draft Plan 2020, which has irked residents.

“If need be, we will request City Hall to extend the deadline so that Kampung Baru is developed without encroaching on the rights of the Malays.

“Let’s make it a joint effort, irrespective of which political party we represent, be it Umno, Pas or Parti Keadilan Rakyat,” he said at a dialogue session with the Kampung Baru land owners at the Sultan Sulaiman Club on Sunday.

The dialogue was themed “The Future of Kampung Baru: With Selangor or City Hall?”

Khalid said Selangor would provide a grant of RM50,000 for the study to be carried out with the assistance of town planners, survey and legal officers from the state economic development corporation and Kampung Baru-bred experts and professionals.

“We are roping in the ‘local boys’ as we believe they will do the job wholeheartedly rather than have ‘outsiders’ who will be out to reap just profits,” he said.

Among the suggestions raised was to develop the area into an economic corridor via the incorporation of a Kampung Baru Development Corporation with the property owners as stakeholders to protect their rights.

Khalid advised land owners to allow their property to be developed in an amalgamated rather than fragmented manner.

“This way, Kampung Baru as a whole area, will have better property value. If you break it down into plots, you will devalue your property,” he said, adding that the 378.93-acre (151.57ha) Kampung Baru had an estimated market value of RM5 billion and would be worth 10 times more once developed.

Kampung Baru consists of 90.36 hectares of Malay Agricultural Settlement with 874 lots, and the remaining 61.22ha with 918 lots.

The Malay Agricultural Settlement has seven villages — Kampung Periok, Kampung Hujng Pasir, Kampung Masjid, Kampung Paya, Kampung Atas ‘A’, Kampung Atas ‘B’ and Kampung Pindah.