KUALA LUMPUR: Any development in Kampung Baru has to take into account its history and heritage as well as the views of its people.
Titiwangsa member of parliament Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said it is important that Kampung Baru is preserved as a Malay enclave in the heart of the city.
He said the fifth Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Alauddin Sulaiman Shah Raja Muda Musa, who ruled from 1898 to 1938, had decreed that Kampung Baru would remain a Malay enclave "for as long as there is a moon and stars in the sky."
"This year marks Kampung Baru's 125th year. During that period, Kampung Baru has undergone various changes.
As its member of parliament, I am obligated to ensure that the land bequeathed by the fifth Sultan of Selangor remains a Malay enclave.
"Today, Kuala Lumpur as a capital city draws numerous people, including from abroad, and Kampung Baru is a piece of living history," he told reporters at an event here to commemorate Kampung Baru's 125th year.
The event was organised by the Prime Ministers Department's Federal Territories Department, Kampung Baru Development Board and Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru.
Johari. who is also the plantations and commodities minister, said three items are key to preserving Kampung Baru.
The first, he said, was ensuring that it remained a Malay enclave.
"Secondly, while we encourage development in Kampung Baru, developers have to take into account its history. We don't want a repeat of Kampung Sungai Baru, where developers do not understand and treat it as if they were developing a squatter area," he said.
Johari was referring to the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru, which had been delayed for years. The land acquisition involved 67 terrace houses and 14 apartment blocks known as Pangsapuri Sungai Baru, with acquisition proceedings initiated in 2018.
"When I was the MP before the 13th General Election, we showed the way on how to develop Kampung Baru. We took into account the views of the residents before development began.
"Unfortunately, that wasn't the case in Kampung Sungai Baru, which left two factions of residents on opposing sides," he said.
Johari said the third item was the importance of preserving cleanliness in Kampung Baru as it is usually a focal point when flash floods hit the city.
He said residents and traders should be mindful of where they dispose waste, including cooking oil into the drainage, so that there is no back flow which creates floods.
Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa echoed Johari's views on the enclave's development and noted its historical significance.
She said all future developments in the area must not be at the expense of its identity but preserve it.
"Kampung Baru serves as a catalyst to the development of Kuala Lumpur and the Federal Territories as a whole. Development must take into account its historic and cultural significance while ensuring that progress benefits everyone," she said.
Kampung Baru, she said, is all the more important with Malaysia's chairmanship of Asean this year and Visit Malaysia Year 2026, which would see all eyes drawn to it.
She said the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru would be viewed in its entirety.
"We hope that there won't be any more obstacles to the redevelopment and hope that progress will be made by the first quarter of this year. We want to ensure that all residents are fairly accorded their rights," she said.
On flash floods, Zaliha said the ministry has drawn up flood mitigation plans for the Federal Territory which takes into account short and long-term measures.