LETTERS: TAN Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, who passed away on July 25 aged 73, will be fondly remembered for the development of Sungai Buloh.
The area was once in the backwaters despite being close to the federal capital of Kuala Lumpur and other national landmarks such as the Subang Airport, the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) and the Sungai Buloh Leprosarium and Hospital.
Development of Sungai Buloh picked up pace when the Malaysian Sheet Glass, a Japanese-Malaysian joint venture started operations and employed about 1,000 workers.
This was followed by the building of the large military camp straddling both sides of the main road and was opened in 1978.
Things began to move faster when Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh, a privatised entity between the Selangor government and the late Mustapha Kamal, was launched.
The terrace houses costing about RM65,000, apartments, low-cost houses and shoplots were quickly snapped up despite people not having much money those days as an economic recession was ongoing but there was a big pent-up demand from locals for a roof over their heads.
Sungai Buloh at that time was nothing more than two short rows of makeshift stalls and wooden shops — a cowboy town-like setting — along the old road junction.
There was only a post office and no banks, supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants or fast food eateries. Sungai Buloh had the makings of a transport hub with a railway station, and in 1992 was linked to the North-South Expressway.
The crowning achievement was when Sungai Buloh was chosen as the starting points for MRT1 and 2 by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Mustapha Kamal made sure that his first project, Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh, would be a major success and launch pad for bigger real estate ventures. He was hardworking, determined, efficient and insisted on tidiness and good maintenance and made good use of his administrative experience, government connections and Bumiputera privileges.
I remember seeing him stopping his car and alerting the general workers to litter strewn along road of the then newly developed Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh.
With such exceptional attributes and concern he was destined to become a leader among the property developers. Mustapha Kamal went on to develop the iconic Cyberjaya, the commercial hub Damansara Perdana, Bukit Merah Laketown in Perak. Another big project of his in Sungai Buloh was Damansara Damai, carved out of the Sungai Buloh forest reserve.
This is a high residential density area for the B40 and M40 a befitting tribute to him being called the Icon or pioneer of affordable housing. Malaysia's top political and corporate leaders have paid glowing tributes, on his demise, for his contributions to the property sector. He was one of the most successful Bumiputera entrepreneurs.
Today, one finds numerous housing estates such as Sierramas, Bandar Sri Damansara, Damansara Damai, Kota Damansara, Bukit Rahman Putra and the soon to be launched Kwasa Damansara in Sungai Buloh. All these have led to fast-paced industrial, commercial and residential development of Sungai Buloh as Selangor's premier satellite township.
The credit for this transformation will go to Mustapha Kamal who envisioned the great potential that Sungai Buloh had. It is with sadness that the people of Sungai Buloh remember the contributions of Mustapha Kamal who passed away at the relatively young age of 73.
At this juncture, I have a request to convey to his daughter, Puan Hjh Felina, the executive chairman of MK Land Holdings. There is a sizeable number of house buyers in Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh who have not obtained their property titles yet despite having settled their housing loans long ago.
There are some technical problems involved and only with the cooperation and coordination of the Emkay Group, the Petaling District office and the Selangor Land and Mines Department can this knotty issue be resolved.
The house owners have tried their level best but to no avail. Only the involvement of the original housing developer, Emkay Group, can settle this issue. It is hoped that Felina will come to the aid of the housebuyers.
It will be a momentous gesture to the memory of the late Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal as the Bandar Baru Sungai Buloh housebuyers were the first to support him and set him on his journey to be a highly successful property developer and become the laudable Icon of affordable housing for Malaysians.
V. Thomas
Sungai Buloh, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times