KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa has been appointed to lead a special task force protecting Malay community interests in Kampung Baru and Kampung Sungai Baru.
Dr Zaliha stated the special task force will coordinate negotiations between developers, government agencies and local community representatives.
She observed that many Members of Parliament, particularly from the opposition, still cannot differentiate between Kampung Baru and Kampung Sungai Baru despite repeated explanations.
“Although Kampung Sungai Baru is part of Kampung Baru, its status is different because Kampung Sungai Baru is not MAS land and has never been gazetted as a Malay reserve,” she said during her winding-up speech on the Supply Bill 2026 for the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Dr Zaliha confirmed the government is implementing a new approach to increase Bumiputera ownership in Kampung Sungai Baru through four main interventions.
The first intervention involves active participation from government-linked companies like UDA Holdings Berhad and Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad in strategic Malay area redevelopment.
The second intervention designates replacement houses exclusively for Malays to maintain socio-cultural continuity in historic areas.
The third intervention diversifies development components with condominium units, SOHO properties, shophouses and affordable Malay offices to enhance urban Malay ownership capacity.
The fourth intervention establishes Kuala Lumpur City Hall monitoring of Bumiputera quota compliance through quarterly reporting mechanisms.
Regarding Kuala Lumpur council member appointments, Dr Zaliha said this would be examined by a task force studying potential legal amendments while noting local government elections are not currently a government priority.
She announced the Federal Territories Minister Council and Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s consultation meeting with Federal Territory MPs will occur every three months as an official policy discussion platform.
The government is strengthening the Federal Territories Residents Representative Council with increased allowances and zone grants of RM60,000 and RM25,000 for subzones to expand local programmes. – Bernama
