A hundred percent of the development of Kampung Baru in the heart of Kuala Lumpur should remain in the hands of Malay and this should never be compromised, said Titiwangsa member of parliament Dr Lo' Lo' Ghazali.

NONE Seeing red over the government's proposal to redevelop the Malay heartland based on a 60:40 ratio of Malay and non-Malay participation, she said many are of the view that the 60:40 proposal reflected the failure of the BN government and its failure to defend the only village which is 100 percent owned by Malays while they claimed to be champions and fighter of Malay rights.

She added that the second failure was its acknowledgement that Malays cannot progress without the cooperation of non-Malays.

For 110 years, the owners and heirs of the land have defended Kampung Baru from the influence of development, and they should be permitted to develop the land in a way favourable to them, she added.

The MP demanded that a trust be formed with the participation of every resident of Kampung Baru, as well as representatives from non-governmental organisations and government agencies.

Among other aspects, Lo' Lo' also insisted that the village be developed as a one-stop centre for all that is Malay and every part of the construction reflect Malay architecture, culture, economy and history.

However, according to Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, the 60:40 proposal is not yet finalised.

Raja Nong Chik had said that the government would hear feedback and views of land owners before making any decision on the matter.

In a statement on Monday, the minister said that the interests of the Malay villagers will not be jeopardised even if non-Malays are given a 40 percent quota to own property in the area when the Kampung Baru Development Project is implemented.

The size of Kampung Baru is 307.344 acres and based on the valuation done on 136 acres in March 2007, land there was valued at between RM270.00 and RM300.00 per square foot for housing and from RM500.00 to RM600.00 per square foot for commercial lots.