A RESIDENT activist has called for the ancestral land of Kampung Sungai Baru to be preserved for future generations, rejecting compensation offers from developers amid ongoing eviction operations in the area.
“We don’t want compensation, we don’t want money from the developers. We want this heritage land to remain in our hands, passed down through generations,” said Rafidah Ibrahim at a press conference on Friday.
Her comments follow the forced eviction of residents in the area under the Land Acquisition Act 1960, which she criticised for enabling the seizure of homes through monetary compensation.
“When the eviction process is done under the Land Acquisition Act, it allows for forced action on the residents under the guise of compensation,” she said. “Let it be clearly known that money is not the main issue in Kampung Sungai Baru.”
Rafidah also stressed that the Urban Renewal Act (URA) had not yet been implemented, and that any future redevelopment decisions must respect individual ownership rights.
“If a neighbour agrees with the developer, that cannot override the rights of those who do not. No one should be using the issue of majority versus minority when the URA is not even in force,” she said.
She also shared her experience during Thursday’s eviction operation, which she described as aggressive and lacking in basic compassion.
“I was here. Yesterday morning, while they were carrying out the operation, we were all inside the house. My child was still asleep at the time,” she recounted. “The developer’s workers were so aggressive—they broke down doors without care or thought. Even adults could feel the pressure, let alone children.”
Earlier, media reports confirmed a chaotic incident during the eviction operation, in which Dang Wangi District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman, sustained a head injury.
Three men have since been arrested in connection with the scuffle.
The eviction involved the execution of a writ of vacant possession for 26 individual land titles, covering 37 terraced houses in the area, and was carried out with the assistance of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and several enforcement agencies.
Kuala Lumpur Police Chief, Datuk Fadil Marsus, stated that the operation followed proper legal procedures, including a court decision. - September 12, 2025
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