Kg Sg Baru redevelopment must be for Malays only - Johari

Summary

• Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani says he will meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and FT Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa to ensure redeveloped Kampung Sungai Baru properties are sold only to Malays.

• He says the developer must preserve Malay interests.

• He criticises the use of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 on 14 homeowners who resisted eviction.

Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani announced plans to meet with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa to ensure that redeveloped properties in Kampung Sungai Baru can only be purchased by Malays.

Johari said developers must also take into account the uniqueness of Kampung Sungai Baru, which was given to Malays by the Selangor sultan during the British colonial era.

"Because historically this land is Malay land, so only the Malays can buy products from the developer.

"If there are no Malays who want to buy, the developer has to wait until the Malays can buy," Berita Harian quoted the plantations and commodities minister as saying at an event in Kuala Lumpur today.

Earlier today, the court bailiffs led an eviction operation at Kampung Sungai Baru together with several related agencies.

This was done through a court order meant to facilitate KL City Gateway Sdn Bhd’s redevelopment of the area.

Shortly after the operation, The Star reported Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying that he will ask Johari to investigate what happened during the eviction.

Look after Malay interests

Johari, who is also the interim natural resources and environmental sustainability minister, said redevelopment must preserve and take into account the interests of the Malays.

"Today, we are facing a very chronic problem in terms of the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru, and I do not agree with this matter continuing.

"But because this has happened and there is no way to turn back, the developer needs to ensure that the development in the 3.19ha area can be purchased by the Malays," he said.

He also labelled the authorities' use of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 on 14 homeowners who refused to leave as irresponsible.

"When the previous government took over this area, none of them saw the issue of the mass eviction of residents there by the developer.

"So this is what is happening now, where developers are not responsible for looking after the interests of the Malays as a whole on land that is truly for the Malays," he said.

He went on to express his sadness towards the injuries sustained by Dang Wangi district police chief Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman during the eviction.

Sulizmie is said to have been injured after several disgruntled residents attempted to force their way into the area.

When riot police blocked the residents, they resorted to hurling objects at the authorities, including stones, with Sulizmie suspected to have been struck by one of the projectiles.

Police then issued a stern warning to the residents to disperse, which they eventually complied with.

Sulizmie was later brought to the hospital for treatment.

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