Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today stressed that the redevelopment of land in Kampung Sungai Baru, Kuala Lumpur, should prioritise the interests of the Malay community given the historical significance of the area.
The Selangor ruler said while he had no objections to the redevelopment of the Kampung Sungai Baru area, it had to be handled “carefully and prudently”, with the conditions for redevelopment to be made clear and in favour of the Malays.
A commotion erupted in Kampung Sungai Baru, a smaller village enclave within Kampung Baru itself, when the authorities evicted residents from 37 houses last Thursday, with 14 homeowners refusing to vacate their homes.
Dang Wangi police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman was struck on the head by an object allegedly flung by a member of a group opposing the evictions.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said the authorities were merely executing a writ of vacant possession issued by the court for the 37 terrace houses.
Police later arrested three suspects in connection with the incident. Seven others were detained on Saturday, whom police said were not residents but leaders and members of an “organisation”.
“Kampung Baru has been a symbol of Malay awakening since 1900. The original history and heritage of Kampung Baru must be taken into account in any consideration made by parties involved in this matter,” Sultan Sharafuddin said in a statement published on the Selangor Royal Office’s Facebook page.
Sultan Sharafuddin said Kampung Baru was established in 1899 and recognised as a Malay settlement for agricultural purposes by the fifth Selangor sultan through a state government gazette dated Jan 12, 1900.
The ruler said he lived and studied at SK Raja Muda in Kampung Baru when his father, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, was the Raja Muda of Selangor.
Sultan Sharafuddin said that as the heartbeat of Kuala Lumpur’s development at one time, Kampung Baru had housed the Sultan Sulaiman Club – the venue of the 1946 Malay Congress which led to the formation of Umno.
The ruler also said the club served as a refuge for the Malays during the May 13, 1969 riots, while the field previously served as a training ground for the Selangor football team. Today, the Sultan Sulaiman Club’s heritage building remains under the ownership of the Selangor government.
Sultan Sharafuddin said that before Kuala Lumpur was made a federal territory, the official residences of the Selangor menteri besar and Selangor state secretary were also located in Kampung Baru.
He also noted the understanding that the Kampung Baru Jamek Mosque, which was officiated by the sixth Selangor sultan, Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, must remain in its current location and cannot be relocated elsewhere.
“Therefore, I wish to stress once again that Kampung Baru plays an important role in the survival and dignity of the Malays in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
“Any redevelopment in Kampung Baru must take into account the interests of the Malays, both now and in the long term.”
