In the heart of the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur developed in the 1850s lays Kampung Baru, a Malay enclave located in the north section of the city. In the 1900s, the Colonial British administrators granted Kampung Baru as a Malay Agricultural Settlement to allow the Malays to continue to live their village lifestyle within the city. According to Low Lay Phon (2014) “They were encouraged to be involved in agricultural activities, especially padi-planting. Although they were allowed to live and work in Kampung Baru, the residents were regarded as penumpang (squatters) in the enactment. They were not given land titles until 65 years later…” Low Lay Phon (2014) also stated that “According to the first census which was done in 1928, there were 544 houses and 2,600 villagers in Kampung Baru.” Kampung Baru includes Kampung Periok with Malaccan descendants, Kampung Hujung Pasir, Kampung Masjid (Rawa), Kampung Paya (Javanese), Kampung Atas A (Mandailing) and Kampung Atas B (Minangkabau). In the midst of a labyrinth of roads interconnecting the village and the city, the few main streets in the area are Jalan Raja Abdullah (formerly known Hale Road), Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz (formerly known as Princess Road), Jalan Raja Uda, Jalan Raja Musa Muda and Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman. The prominent landmarks of the area include the 51-year-old Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru and Sultan Sulaiman Club while the newer landmarks include the Plaza RAH, Kelana Jaya LRT line station and AKLEH entrance.
Jalan Raja Abdullah is the backbone of this Malay village which is formerly known as Hale road, named a>er A. Hale, a commi@ee member in the 1900s. Hale Road was renamed Jalan Raja Abdullah in the 1970s in regards to the father of the fourth Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Abdul Samad. This street intersects and directly links the village to the city. In the arHcle, Low Lay Phon (2013) interviewed the Kampong Baru Malay Agricultural Se@lement Board of Management’s honorary secretary, Shamsuri Suradi who enlightened the fact that “It was also the first road in Kampung Baru to be lit up with kerosene lamps when the Prince of Wales visited the famous Sultan Suleiman Club in 1922.” The street is adjacent to the most historical street in Kuala Lumpur in conjuncHon of the 1969 May 13 incident, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, formerly known as Princess Road. The racial dispute between Malays of Kampung Baru and Chinese of Chow Kit started a>er Chinese-‐led opposiHon parHes paraded into the village to show off their results in the general elecHons in 1969. It ended in a horrid blood shed event with a death toll of assumingly close to 600 people which were mostly of Chinese ethnicity. Fat Pama (2011) pointed out “Another factor that protects Kampung Baru is its special place in the history of Malay naHonalism, and the struggle for independence from BriHsh rule. It was here that crucial early meeHngs were held by what was to become Malaysia’s ruling United Malays NaHonal OrganisaHon (UMNO).” UnHl today, there are sHll some Malay poliHcal events happening by Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru. Besides that, Kampung Baru was also flooded during the Kuala Lumpur Big Flood which lasted for 2 days starHng a day before the new year of 1971.
Fast forward to today; Kampung Baru still retained its village regime of rural settlements with mainly buildings of one to two storeys high, out holding against the changes of its neighbour despite the fact that Kuala Lumpur has advanced into a fast developing city with high rise buildings conquering its skyline. In spite its urban location, Kampung Baru remained their traditional village lifestyle over shadowed by the concrete jungle. It could still be considered a historical landmark although it has lost its character over the years. The developers are attempting to take over this hot spot due to its strategic location. Low Lay Phon (2014) explains that, “It has so far managed to escape the long arm of development because it was gazetted a Malay Agricultural Settlement, under Section 6 of the Selangor State Government Land Enactment 1987.” Even though Kampung Baru’s backdrop is the skyline of the towers of Kuala Lumpur city, it seems like a world away. Low Lay Phon (2014) also conferred that “The urban village now has some 17,000 people, but Shamsuri said most of them were foreign workers. This is partly due to the lower cost of living there. He said almost 60% of the original inhabitants had moved out.” Kuala Lumpur city is chasing the future and it has left little regards for preserving its past.
The theme of our study is to analyse the historical and cultural background against its current issue of retaining its original image of Kampung Baru. Kampung Baru has no blockbuster sights but rather a low skyline with buildings of mostly one to two storeys tall while the background of the street is the contemporary high rise buildings of Kuala Lumpur city. The most iconic building on Jalan Raja Abdullah is the 70 year old Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru. In the day, the road is pretty quiet and peaceful compared to the night scene with heavier traffic of mostly motorcyclists. The main activities on this road are the schools, restaurants, workshops, car wash and prayers. The people managing the workshops are of Chinese ethnicity while the car wash is by foreigners. Most of the land of this area is not being rented out to foreigners for extra income. There are a few new building developments so far as well as many unsightly empty lands. Kampung Baru also has a small scaled ‘pasar minggu’ for the locals that happens every night with mostly food stalls famous for a Malaysian cuisine, ‘Nasi Lemak’. ‘Pasar minggu’ has been happening in this village since the 1930s making it a tradition and identity of the village. The architecture of the buildings on Jalan Raja Abdullah are mostly vernacular ‘kampung’ houses, eclectic style shop houses and post modern buildings. The taller buildings on the street are more recent compared to the existing kampong houses. It is interesting to see the contrast between this village and the city on the parallel street, Jalan Ampang. The overall colour scheme of the street is vibrant including bold colours such as pink, yellow, green and orange.
Based on the analysis of the findings, Kampung Baru is seen as a village in the city. Inevitably, it is raised that as Kuala Lumpur moves towards the contemporary era, is it possible for a village to survive and stand bravely in this city. The progress of redevelopment works of Kampung Baru has begun in 2012 but there is little communication between the villagers and the people in charge. It is devastating to see the state of preservation of this historical village. What will this village be in the coming year or decade is all up to the community of Kampung Baru. The younger generation does not realise or appreciate the past. Therefore, it is crucial to preserve the identity of this village due to its extensive history contributing to the development of Malaysia as a living example for the younger generation.
References: 1.
Low Lay Phon (24 January 2014). After more than a century, Kampung Baru remains very much a kampong. The Star. [Electronic version] Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/01/24/A-village-in-the-city-Aftermore-than-a-century-Kampung-Baru-remains-very-much-a-kampung/ on 13 June 2014.
2.
Pat Fama (2011). Kampung Baru: Kuala Lumpur’s most traditional neighbourhood. Travel Fish. Retrieved from http:// www.travelfish.org/blogs/malaysia/2011/06/09/kampung-baru-kuala-lumpurs-most-traditional-neighbourhood/ on 14 June 2014.