KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Kampung Sungai Baru has never been gazetted as part of the Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS) land or designated as Malay reserve land, according to a review by the Federal Territories Land and Mines Office (PTGWPKL).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa clarified during a briefing session in the Dewan Rakyat today, addressing ongoing confusion regarding the actual status of Kampung Sungai Baru in relation to the MAS land.
She said that Kampung Sungai Baru was established in 1967, following the Selangor state government's undertaking of a river straightening project for Sungai Klang, located adjacent to the MAS land, to mitigate frequent flooding in the area.
“Following the straightening of the river, approximately 16 acres (6.47ha) of new land emerged. This newly formed land became known as Kampung Sungai Baru but was never part of the 219.91-acre (89ha) of MAS land.
“The land was later developed by the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) with the aim of increasing Malay settlements around Kampong Bharu. However, there is no official record categorising the land as part of the MAS land,” Dr Zaliha said.
On the proposal to gazette Kampung Sungai Baru as part of MAS or Malay reserve land, she said that any proposal must receive full consent from all landowners, including developers.
Dr Zaliha said that this move cannot be initiated by the government, as part of the land is already owned by developers.
“Currently, the entire Kampung Sungai Baru land has been granted ownership titles and is now under the possession of developers and individual unit owners. Any move to gazette the land must be initiated by them with unanimous consent, not by the government,” she said.
Meanwhile, the minister also addressed the public perception that the government played a role in appointing the developer for the Kampung Sungai Baru redevelopment project, adding that the government was never involved in the selection process.
“The residents who agreed to the redevelopment project formed an association in 2010 — the Kampung Sungai Baru Property Owners’ Welfare Association — representing 328 property units comprising 264 flats and 64 terrace houses.
“That association was the one that signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with developer Ritzy Gloss Sdn Bhd, which was later taken over by Suez Capital Sdn Bhd in 2016,” Dr Zaliha said.
Addressing allegations that the developer was from Singapore, she dismissed the claims as baseless after verifying with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) that the company is fully Malaysian-owned.
“Since the association’s formation 15 years ago, it has been led by four chairmen, all of whom are terrace house owners in the area,” Dr Zaliha said.
Tensions in Kampung Sungai Baru have been mounting in recent months. On September 11, local media reported a standoff after several residents refused to vacate their homes amid eviction proceedings tied to the land acquisition process.
The redevelopment project is said to involve 67 terrace homes and 14 apartment blocks known as Pangsapuri Sungai Baru, with land acquisition efforts first initiated in 2016.
