End of the road for 100-year landmark

KUALA LUMPUR: The almost 100-year-old government quarters in Brickfields will be demolished today by developer Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB).
The 1.4ha land however has not been transferred to the developer yet and they have not received a development order from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
The developer has however taken the responsibility to demolish the buildings as many residents in the area had expressed concerns of vandalism and theft that was going on at the battered site.
“The place has become a hazard as the vacant units have been vandalised and had become a refuge for undesirable elements including drug addicts,” said MRCB executive vice-president Datuk Dell Akhbar Khan at a press conference.
Dell Akhbar added that they had obtained the necessary approval for the demolition from the Bahagian Pengurusan Hartanah which falls under the Prime Minister’s Department, which oversees the land, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
“It will only get worse if we do not demolish it now. This is not a takeover but a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative done by us for the community,” said Dell Akhbar, adding that residents in the area have already been notified.
Plans to develop the area are part of a 2010 privatisation project with the federal government in exchange for the development of Little India in Brickfields, which was fulfilled by the developer.
Built in 1915, the three rows of 100 houses (better known as 100 Quarters) that run along the Jalan Rozario, Jalan Chan Ah Tong and Lorong Chan Ah Tong is prime land that is situated opposite KL Sentral.
Dell Akhbar added that checks had confirmed that it is not a heritage site and said that the development of the area does not have anything to do with controversy over the future of the adjacent Vivekananda Ashram.
“It (the Ashram) does not affect us,” he said. He also said the demolition, which would take two months, would not affect the hawkers nearby as it will only focus on the quarters.