Latest news with #MercuTandaKampungKerinchi
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Fahmi proposes priority housing for long-time Kg Kerinchi residents
KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Kampung Kerinchi whose families have lived there for generations should be given priority to buy houses built within the area. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said he had proposed to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) that between 50 and 60 per cent of housing in future developments — including affordable projects such as Residensi Wilayah or Residensi Madani — be reserved for locals with deep ties to the community. Discussions with DBKL had been going on for several years, but there were delays due to the pandemic and other factors, he said. "Some residents have had to move far away as they were forced to buy homes elsewhere. "We don't want this to happen. If possible, we want to retain residents in their original neighbourhood, where they are more comfortable living within their community." Fahmi said while many of the Persatuan Waris Kerinchi members now lived outside the area, there was hope the younger generation could return and own homes there. He was speaking to reporters after launching the Kampung Kerinchi Landmark (Mercu Tanda Kampung Kerinchi) at the KL Gateway Mall junction here today. The collaborative initiative involves DBKL, Persatuan Waris Kerinchi and Persatuan Kebajikan Tiga Luha, Tanjung Tanah Kuala Lumpur. "Apart from honouring the area's history, the landmark is also part of a long-term plan to strengthen Kampung Kerinchi's identity through planned development, official gazettement and special programmes for residents." Fahmi said there were plans to build at least one more landmark at another entrance to the area, as well as to gazette Kampung Kerinchi as a designated area. In previous efforts to empower locals, his ministry had worked with several companies, including Touch 'n Go Digital, to offer opportunities such as internships and open days for Kampung Kerinchi youth. These programmes, he said, aimed to ensure residents not only remained physically present in the area, but also gained exposure to the operations of major companies based there. Persatuan Waris Kerinchi chairman Baharuddin Hasan, 74, described the initiative as the realisation of a long-held hope. "Our hope as Kampung Kerinchi folk has always been to have a landmark that reflects its identity. "The village was established around the 1850s during the era of Sultan Abdul Samad, alongside Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum. "We do not want this name and history to disappear amid the rapid development taking place here," the retired Tenaga Nasional Bhd employee said. Baharuddin, a fourth-generation Kampung Kerinchi resident, wishes for his family to continue living in the area for generations to come.
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Fahmi: Rafizi won't be cowed into silence by attack on son
KUALA LUMPUR: Former economy minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli is unlikely to be "cowed into silence" by the attack on his 12-year-old son at a mall in Putrajaya yesterday. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said, if the syringe attack was meant to warn the vocal politician against making certain statements, then it was unlikely to succeed. He said Rafizi has faced court action and political pressure before, but was known to respond to intimidation with even greater resolve. "I don't think someone like Rafizi will be cowed into silence by something like this. He has been brought to court before and is very familiar with pressure... the more he is pressured, the more he fights back," he said after officiating the Mercu Tanda Kampung Kerinchi. Fahmi was asked by reporters to comment on the attack. He stressed that it was too early to conclude whether the incident was politically motivated as investigations are still ongoing. "The police are still investigating, so we leave it to them to determine what really happened. It is too early for me to comment on that," he said. Fahmi condemned the act in the strongest terms and called for swift action against those responsible. "This is something we absolutely cannot accept. I hope those involved will be caught and brought to justice quickly," he said. Two men were reported to have approached the boy and stabbed him with a syringe before fleeing. Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar had said investigators had reviewed CCTV footage from the scene and were tracking down two male suspects. The boy is in stable condition and receiving hospital treatment. Rafizi said this was the first time his family had been targeted and believes the act was a warning aimed at silencing him on certain issues. However, he vowed not to bow to threats and to continue his work as usual.
