Probe If Kg Sg Baru Under Malay Reserve Land Status Villagers

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The residents of Kampung Sungai Baru in Kuala Lumpur have urged the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office to check the status of their land.
ADSThis comes after several official documents and maps allegedly show Kampung Sungai Baru as a Malay Agricultural Settlement, said lawyer N Surendran, who advises the village's Residents' Rights Committee.
"We are here to submit an application so the office can launch an investigation into the land status of Kampung Sungai Baru. The applicants claim that their land area is not under a 99-year lease but instead is Malay reserved land.
"Because these facts were not stated on their land titles, we want the agency to investigate the matter under Chapter 4 of the National Land Code to determine whether it’s Malay Agricultural Settlement land," he told reporters outside the agency's office in Kuala Lumpur earlier today.
Surendran, who is from Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), said several residents have also filed a second application with the agency, seeking the authority to give the Malay Agricultural Settlement status to their land plots.
Lawyer N Surendran (front, second left) with Kampung Sungai Baru residents outside the FT Lands and Mines Office in Kuala LumpurHe urged the Lands and Mines Office to process the applications and conduct a probe, saying it is important for the villagers as it has an impact on the whole of Kampung Sungai Baru.
Alleged gazette made in 1930s
Committee chairperson Zainab Alias claimed some parts of the Kampung Baru area, including Kampung Sungai Baru, was gazetted as Malay Agricultural Settlement on Feb 16, 1932.
If Kampung Sungai Baru indeed has the Malay reserved land status, Zainab said, they want the government to redevelop the settlement area.
"We also want the right to own, because there are two statuses here. One is for the terrace houses and the other for flat units. Most of the flats have already been torn down.
"If this area is really Malay Agricultural Settlement land, we want to ask the government to reconstruct the sites, including the flat units, and return them to the rightful owners," she added.
LFL co-founder Latheefa Koya, who was also present, urged the government to listen to the residents' demands.
"Do not undermine these people by accusing them of being anti-development, that they are rejecting bigger and more beautiful condominiums for one-room flats.
"This is only an attempt to divert from discussing the real issues. The issues are clear, while they want development, their rights should not be denied.
“They have the right to ensure they obtain the Malay Agricultural Settlement status for their land as it would reflect the land’s real value," the lawyer said. - Mkini

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