Highlight town’s heritage value

ON JULY 4, StarMetro reported on plans by Selangor to develop Kuala Kubu Baru for heritage and eco-tourism under the Kuala Kubu Baru Special Area Plan that was gazetted in 2010.

This is indeed a commendable move given Kuala Kubu Baru’s rich town-planning history and its other attractions.

Many may not know that KKB was planned in 1924 by Charles Reade, the first government town planner in the Federated Malay States, along the lines of the garden city in London.

The world-renowned garden city-concept was mooted by Ebenezar Howard of the Garden Cities and Town Planning Association.

Reade was its acting secretary before coming over to Malaya from Australia. He was a propagandist and ardent supporter of the garden city movement at a time when the town planning profession was in its nascent growth worldwide in the early 20th century.

Reade opened both the South Australian in 1916 and the FMS Town Planning Department in 1921 (now known as the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia).

Thus, KKB now stands alongside other garden cities planned and built in other parts of the world, such as Lethworth and Welwyn in Britain, and Colonel Light Gardens (now a heritage garden, also planned by Reade) in Adelaide, South Australia.

KKB exudes and exemplifies many characteristics of the garden city, including its parkland surrounding the town centre, delightful angular visual entry to the town centre (so popular in civic design during that period), a compact town centre to allow space for the parkland separating the residential areas and hospital.

KKB is a new town because it was built to replace the old Kuala Kubu in Ampang Pechah, a place 2km south of the town which was frequently flooded by the Selangor river.

KKB is surrounded by a number of hills and a scenic spot.

It is hoped that more can be done for KKB to highlight its heritage value.

A number of buildings near the parkland have been demolished or are in a neglected stage.

Though KKB is away from mainstream urban development, it is being eyed by developers who would probably damage its heritage value if not properly handled.

At Colonel Lights Gardens, heritage walks are being carried out by its historical society, and KKB could emulate such heritage and tourist activities.

Let us put KKB on the world map, from a tourist, heritage and town planning perspective.

Kamalruddin Shamsudin

Batu Caves, Selangor