KUALA LUMPUR: The identity of the 120-year-old Kampung Baru, located right smack in the middle of the city, will be preserved with 11 refurbished traditional homes.
According to the CEO of the Kampung Bharu Development Corporation (PKB), Zulkurnain Hassan, the preservation of these homes is part of the Malay Heritage Park (Taman Warisan Melayu) project included in the Kampung Baru re-development plan, which will be presented at the townhall session with the residents on Sept 21.
He said the heritage homes which mostly reflect traditional houses in Selangor, Perak and Pahang were identified through research conducted by Kuala Lumpur City Hall together with the Centre for the Study of Built Environment in the Malay World, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
“The core features which reflect a Malay kampung will be preserved, the selected homes will undergo a conservation process so that the Malay image and the image of Kampung Baru are retained,” he told Bernama.
Zulkurnain said the park will also be the site for popular food industries and be the pride of Kampung Baru which is known as a food haven.
He said the open space will allow the public to participate in recreational activities, as well as be a centre for arts and cultural activities like silat and traditional games.
Zulkurnain said the re-development of Kampung Baru will ensure land ownership will remain with the Malays.
“Current owners will retain their ownership in Kampung Baru, but not in the present format (land lots), but they may be given apartments which are built here,” he said.
According to Zulkurnain, the government aims to provide 45,000 homes, including affordable units, to encourage Malays to live in Kampung Baru.
“Under the plan, 70% of the re-development will involve residential areas and 30% commercial areas,” he said, adding that more business premises will also be provided.
He said to facilitate the re-development, the main obstacle of the issue of ownership and inheritance which affect more than 5,000 land owners, 60 hectares of land and 800 land lots must be resolved. - Bernama
