By Mahathir Mohd Rais
The residents of Kampung Setia Jaya, a community predominantly comprising Malay people, are now facing the threat of displacement, shrouded in allegations of racially motivated eviction under the guise of development.
Their story is not unique, resembling the tragedies that befell Kampung Chubadak, Kampung Aman, and Kampung Berembang – all of which have vanished from the historical map of Malaysia.
Kampung Setia Jaya itself has a deep history.
Opened as forest land by former military personnel at the request of Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the second Prime Minister, the village became a symbol of the Malay Bumiputera’s efforts to migrate to urban areas for political stabilization.
Known as Kampung Melayu Buku Hijau, it also includes the Taman Melati area and the Jalan Lingkaran Tengah 2 (MRR2) project.
However, the fate of its residents now hangs in the balance.
Their requests for land grants have never been fulfilled.
They now face eviction notices because the land has been given to developers planning to build the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College (TARUC), a private higher education institution owned by MCA. Their plight worsens as residents, including those of the fourth generation who have long settled there, are asked to vacate the area.
Over 500 residents now await their fate, while seeking intervention from leaders and the government.
A viral video showing women from Kampung Setia Jaya expressing their disappointment with the government’s actions raises a question: Is the MADANI government concept, highly touted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, merely empty rhetoric?
This concept is supposed to create a more humane approach in every policy and implementation in Malaysia, yet what is happening seems to negate this principle.
This suffering illustrates how leaders who should be grounded in reality often overlook the real-life circumstances of the community and the nation’s culture.
The late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra once said, “A leader is a servant who offers himself as a messenger to all common people, and his job is to sacrifice himself to serve the common people.”
Yet, ironically, PMX and his PH-BN government failed to fulfil this role.
The story of Kampung Setia Jaya is not just about eviction, but also about how a community that has long been rooted in this land now feels marginalized and oppressed.
This is a story that should be contemplated collectively, as a nation striving to respect and preserve the diversity of its culture and history.
About the author: Mahathir Mohd Rais, Bersatu Federal Territories information chief. This is an opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this publication.
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