Hundreds of police, enforcement officers flood Kg Sungai Baru as residents resist eviction

Hundreds of enforcement officers descended on Kampung Sungai Baru today in the latest effort by authorities to evict the residents from their homes.

They were accompanied by personnel from Tenaga Nasional Bhd who were there to cut the residents' electricity supply, and contract workers hired to carry out their belongings.

The residents, however, have refused to budge, making good on their earlier vow to defend their homes.

MalaysiaNow's reporter meanwhile was barred from covering the situation and told to leave by the police.

MalaysiaNow has since had trouble contacting its journalist, giving rise to the possibility that the authorities are using jammers to block communication.

MalaysiaNow also understands from a source at a local news outlet that certain parties have instructed the media to refrain any coverage on the Kampung Sungai Baru issue.  

"Whether it's the residents' protests or the eviction today, we have been asked not to go," an editor said.

MalaysiaNow is withholding the identity of the media outlet pending confirmation of the claim.

Video clips of scenes on the ground, shared by the residents themselves, have nevertheless been circulating on social media.

Prominent influencer Ratu Naga, who is on the ground, has also shared on live stream footage of enforcement officers breaking into homes and smashing house windows.

The residents previously vowed to fight to the end to defend the Malay reserve land, the property value of which runs into tens of millions.

They had held prayer sessions every evening since Sept 8 to protest the government's move to continue evicting them despite their suit in court.

Residents also claimed that the developer was trying to cause chaos by hiring people to join one of their protest events under the pretext of being part of the community.

They have lodged a police report on a viral WhatsApp message offering payment of RM100 to anyone willing to attend the protest against the development today.

The Kampung Sungai Baru redevelopment controversy began after the government gazetted the land acquisition on June 21, 2021 under Section 8 of the Land Acquisition Act 1960.

The gazettement involved 410 residential units comprising 37 terrace houses, 72 flats and hundreds of apartments, affecting more than 2,000 residents.

The residents previously cited a document issued in 1932 by the then resident of Selangor, clearly identifying Kampung Sungai Baru as Malay agricultural land or MAS, a status under British colonial administration that gave it protection and strict conditions against any acquisition of land.

They also rejected the developer's offer of compensation which they said was too low, given the actual market value of the land in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, just a few minutes' drive from the Golden Triangle and KLCC where property values exceed RM1,000 per square foot.

N Surendran, the lawyer representing the residents, had urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administrationto acknowledge its error in using the APT, and to use its power to offer a "new and fairer" offer.