Kg Baru: Change in mindset needed
Fauwaz Abdul AzizPublished: Sep 7, 2004 7:59 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The present and former parliamentarians, who oversaw Kampung Baru in the heart of the Kuala Lumpur city centre, agree on the need to change the mindset of Malays as this has hindered development in the area.
The present and former parliamentarians, who oversaw Kampung Baru in the heart of the Kuala Lumpur city centre, agree on the need to change the mindset of Malays as this has hindered development in the area.
However to affect the change, they said the Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS) Act governing Kampung Baru needs to be repealed or amended significantly to conform to present realities and eliminate 'anomalies'.
Among the anomalies, is the curious fact that 70 percent of the land there are owned by individuals whereas the MAS Act only provides for occupation but not ownership, by individuals.
Contacted today, member of Parliament for Titiwangsa Astaman Abdul Aziz said the government should take the initiative to develop Kampung Baru to ensure all parties benefit.
However, he added, it was both high hopes and racial sentimentality that were in the way of affecting any change in the century-old settlement.
"The government should play a strong role and take the initiative to ensure that the benefits are equitable, profitable and meaningful to landowners and residents as well as developers," he said.
"As for the residents, I ask them to 'tepuk dada, tanya selera': What is it that they really want?" asked the parliamentarian.
Lacking capital
Astaman also criticised the proposal submitted by Kampung Baru residents to Federal Territories Minister Mohd Isa Abdul Samad last week that only Bumiputra developers be engaged to develop the area..
He said such proposals would lead nowhere as Malays did not have the capital to see such a big project through.
"They have this sentimental notion of requiring that a Bumiputra develop Kampung Baru, whereas we Malays have no financial backbone to do so (alone).
"At the end of the day, do they want to unlock the value of the land? If there is no change in mindset, there is no way that can happen," he added.
Perpetuating restrictions provided for in the MAS Act (formalised in 1900) that restricted the ownership and rental of Kampung Baru property to non-Malays would furthermore add to a glut in land as Malays do not have the financial capital to absorb the developed property.
"Let's be realistic about it: if you confine the development to only Malays, you're confining it to a much smaller sector as the Malays are not financially strong (relative to) the whole market.
"If non-Malays cannot even occupy the land, don't talk about developing," said Astaman.
He said such anachronisms were among the legal issues that need to be "tidied up" and reviewed by lawyers and legal experts, the difficulties of which contributed to the delay in formulating a coherent set of proposals on Kampung Baru.
He added that anachronisms to the realities and demands of the time need to be eliminated if not addressed by Parliament.
The MP also pointed out that among one "prominent anomaly" was the fact that 70 percent of Kampung Baru land was owned by individuals.
"The enactment provided for the right of occupation, not the right of ownership. On what basis the titles were issued, I just do not know," he said.
'Political vision'
However, the former parliamentarian for Titiwangsa Dr Suleiman Mohamed said this was done by the late Harun Idris during his tenure as Selangor menteri besar.
"That was the contribution of Harun. He dared to take such political steps. Eventually, people got land once Harun started giving them out," he said when met at his residence in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
It is such "political vision and political will" that is needed today to reinvigorate Kampung Baru, he added. Suleiman had lived in Kampung Baru for 45 years before moving to Ampang.
Harun, who was mentri besar from 1964-1976, had brought in Malays to settle in Kampung Baru in order to off-set the domination of the Chinese majority population in Kuala Lumpur.
When Suleiman proposed equally radical steps as abolishing or amending the MAS Act back in 1982 to allow non-Malay occupation, he was accused of wanting to "sell off the Malays and their land".
"What I say is based on reality and sobriety. I do not want to sell the Malays or Kampung Baru. There are facts and figures. These are the realities of today," he added.
However to affect the change, they said the Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS) Act governing Kampung Baru needs to be repealed or amended significantly to conform to present realities and eliminate 'anomalies'.
Among the anomalies, is the curious fact that 70 percent of the land there are owned by individuals whereas the MAS Act only provides for occupation but not ownership, by individuals. Contacted today, member of Parliament for Titiwangsa Astaman Abdul Aziz said the government should take the initiative to develop Kampung Baru to ensure all parties benefit.
However, he added, it was both high hopes and racial sentimentality that were in the way of affecting any change in the century-old settlement.
"The government should play a strong role and take the initiative to ensure that the benefits are equitable, profitable and meaningful to landowners and residents as well as developers," he said.
"As for the residents, I ask them to 'tepuk dada, tanya selera': What is it that they really want?" asked the parliamentarian.
Lacking capital
Astaman also criticised the proposal submitted by Kampung Baru residents to Federal Territories Minister Mohd Isa Abdul Samad last week that only Bumiputra developers be engaged to develop the area.. He said such proposals would lead nowhere as Malays did not have the capital to see such a big project through.
"They have this sentimental notion of requiring that a Bumiputra develop Kampung Baru, whereas we Malays have no financial backbone to do so (alone).
"At the end of the day, do they want to unlock the value of the land? If there is no change in mindset, there is no way that can happen," he added.
Perpetuating restrictions provided for in the MAS Act (formalised in 1900) that restricted the ownership and rental of Kampung Baru property to non-Malays would furthermore add to a glut in land as Malays do not have the financial capital to absorb the developed property.
"Let's be realistic about it: if you confine the development to only Malays, you're confining it to a much smaller sector as the Malays are not financially strong (relative to) the whole market. "If non-Malays cannot even occupy the land, don't talk about developing," said Astaman.
He said such anachronisms were among the legal issues that need to be "tidied up" and reviewed by lawyers and legal experts, the difficulties of which contributed to the delay in formulating a coherent set of proposals on Kampung Baru.
He added that anachronisms to the realities and demands of the time need to be eliminated if not addressed by Parliament.
The MP also pointed out that among one "prominent anomaly" was the fact that 70 percent of Kampung Baru land was owned by individuals.
"The enactment provided for the right of occupation, not the right of ownership. On what basis the titles were issued, I just do not know," he said.
'Political vision'
However, the former parliamentarian for Titiwangsa Dr Suleiman Mohamed said this was done by the late Harun Idris during his tenure as Selangor menteri besar. "That was the contribution of Harun. He dared to take such political steps. Eventually, people got land once Harun started giving them out," he said when met at his residence in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
It is such "political vision and political will" that is needed today to reinvigorate Kampung Baru, he added. Suleiman had lived in Kampung Baru for 45 years before moving to Ampang.
Harun, who was mentri besar from 1964-1976, had brought in Malays to settle in Kampung Baru in order to off-set the domination of the Chinese majority population in Kuala Lumpur. When Suleiman proposed equally radical steps as abolishing or amending the MAS Act back in 1982 to allow non-Malay occupation, he was accused of wanting to "sell off the Malays and their land".
"What I say is based on reality and sobriety. I do not want to sell the Malays or Kampung Baru. There are facts and figures. These are the realities of today," he added.
View Comments0