Fahmi Wants Original Residents To Get Priority In Owning Houses In Kampung Kerinchi

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 14 (Bernama) – Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil wants the ownership of units in any housing project including Residensi Wilayah and Residensi MADANI in the Kampung Kerinchi to prioritise buyers from Kerinchi residents.

Fahmi who is also the Lembah Pantai Member of Parliament, proposed that 50 to 60 per cent of home ownership should be given to the children of Kampung Kerinchi, especially the second and third generations who are now forced to live outside the area.

“Many children from this area, including members of Persatuan Waris Kerinchi, are now living outside so we hope that through this policy, they will be able to return and resettle in their original area,” he told reporters after officiating the Kampung Kerinchi landmark in front of KL Gateway Mall, today.

Fahmi said the home ownership priority policy was among several measures designed to uphold the identity and history of Kampung Kerinchi.

Regarding the launching of Kampung Kerinchi landmark, Fahmi said it was a continuation of efforts that had been initiated since his first term as Lembah Pantai Member of Parliament.

"My efforts do not stop here. We plan to build another landmark at the other entrance of Kampung Kerinchi and are in discussions with DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) to officially gazette this area as Kampung Kerinchi," he said.

Meanwhile, he also stressed the importance of relationships between the community and large companies operating in the area such as Touch 'n Go Digital to organise industrial training programmes and open days to provide opportunities for Kerinchi children.

Fahmi also explained that rapid developments such as Bangsar South, Pantai Panorama and Pantai Hillpark are still within the boundaries of Kampung Kerinchi, which can directly benefit local residents.

Meanwhile, Persatuan Waris Kerichi chairman, Baharuddin Hasan, 74, expressed pride with the landmark which has been the hope of the residents for a long time to recognise the history of development in the area.

"Our hope is that the people of Kampung Kerinchi will have a landmark that shows the identity of Kampung Kerinchi.

"If we go by history, more or less, during the time of Sultan Abdul Samad around the 1850s, Kampung Kerinchi was developed, at the same time as Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum, so we don't want this name and history to be lost in the rapid development in this area," he said, who is the fourth generation to live there.

-- BERNAMA