KUALA LUMPUR: Kampung Sungai Baru's long-awaited redevelopment project, delayed for eight years, is set to commence by year-end following approval of the development order (DO) by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa said that the project, stalled under previous administrations, required decisive political will and objective decision-making.
"The redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru has faced prolonged delays, inherited from past administrations with differing political stances," she said during the minister's question time.
Responding to Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau), who queried about the project's status and actions against the developer, Dr Zaliha addressed ongoing disagreements between stakeholders.
"There are two factions involved: One majority group, which agreed to the developer's joint venture (JV) agreement, and a minority group dissatisfied with compensation after land acquisition under the Land Acquisition Act 1960," she explained.
The ratio between the majority and the minority was 66.77 per cent to 33.23 per cent, she said.
Following this, Dr Zaliha added that she had the opportunity to meet both parties and felt that the government must act fairly towards the majority who had agreed to and complied with the redevelopment project from the start, after careful consideration.
"Among the considerations was that the land acquisition process was done in an orderly manner, and the land valuation done by the Valuation and Property Services Department was fair and in line with the First Schedule of the Land Acquisition Act.
"At the same time, additional compensation of 10 to 15 per cent was also provided by the department.
"The minority has also been given temporary accommodation and the same opportunity as the majority, which includes larger, more comfortable homes with guaranteed future value increases through the JV agreement with the developer.
"However, some of them still refuse to vacate the premises, which has disrupted the ongoing site clearance work, the construction of fences, and the phased demolition of buildings being carried out by the developer."
In response to Shahidan's query on compensation, Dr Zaliha detailed the valuation process, ranging from RM198,000 to RM350,000 for flats and RM800,000 to RM2.9 million for terrace houses, based on property assessments and additional factors.
Last year, the residents of Kampung Sungai Baru submitted a memorandum requesting the government to cancel the postponement of the development project in the area as announced by the prime minister.
The land acquisition involved 67 terrace houses and 14 apartment blocks, with disputes primarily centered on compensation rates and procedural fairness.