Swamped by bricks and mortar in Batu

Banner war: Political party flags and candidates’ posters line a road along Jalan Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, in the Batu parliamentary constituency. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star

Long-time residents feel overwhelmed by high-rise developments and worsening traffic

Old World charm interspersed with modernity describes Batu in a nutshell.

Like other areas in the city, this 20sq km constituency in Kuala Lumpur is seeing rapid urbanisation with towering residential and commercial complexes being built.

The Sentul market remains a draw even for visitors from outside the area. — RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star

With the emergence of new high-rises, some long-time residents feel as if they’re being “pushed out”.

A resident who wished to remain unnamed said, “Any available land has been bought up by private developers and slated for high-density projects.

“Most of the plans do not address the impact this will have on existing residents and infrastructure.”

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The 57-year-old said that even residents living in Kuala Lumpur’s Sri Negri Sembilan public housing were worried that they could be made to move out should an urban renewal project take place.

Several stakeholders also cited worsening traffic conditions and poor maintenance of infrastructure as issues that needed to be resolved.

Incumbent Prabakaran who is a resident of Sentul is defending the Batu parliamentary seat.

Batu is home to many older areas such as Sentul, Jinjang Selatan, Taman Dato’ Senu, Taman Batu Muda and Taman Intan Baiduri in Kepong.

Older residential areas such as Kampung Railway, Kampung Kovil Utara and Kampung Kovil Hilir are developing rapidly.

The constituency has a good mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian constituents, with a broad range of income groups.

Tian Chua is running in Batu as an independent after he was not named by PKR to contest the seat.

One of the most recognisable townships is Sentul, which has a long and interesting history with several well-known mission schools such as Convent Sentul, La Salle Sentul and Methodist Boys’ School Sentul.

The Sentul market is centrally located and popular with those not from the area.

Better known as Cleopatra, Nur Fathiah’s candidacy has grabbed headlines.

Many family-run businesses are still thriving.

Batu is also noticeable for its many houses of worship including the Athi Eeswaran Temple, Sri Lanka Buddhist Temple, St Joseph Catholic Church, Masjid al-Hidayah and Masjid Jamek Pekan Sentul.

PPR Intan Baiduri resident Rashid Samad said GE15 candidates should bring more to the table than just politics.

“There are many old and new problems that have gone unresolved.

Former teacher Kohilan is banking on his track record as a deputy minister.

“Residents are struggling to earn enough to support themselves and their families.

“We need candidates who are able to come up with creative solutions to uplift the B40 community here,” he said while pointing out 11 people’s housing projects (PPR) within the constituency.

Batu has 10 candidates vying for the seat – the highest in the country.

Siti Kasim is a prominent lawyer known for her human rights and Orang Asli activism.

Among the candidates are fresh faces, a former Batu MP and the incumbent.

Former Batu MP Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, is seeking to make a comeback. He is contesting as an Independent candidate after he was dropped by Pakatan Harapan.

He is facing off against incumbent MP P. Prabakaran from PKR, who is a Sentul native.

Both will face a formidable foe in Barisan Nasional’s Datuk A. Kohilan Pillay, who has said he and his team are well prepared.

UTC Sentul is a prominent landmark in Bandar Baru Sentul, which is a township under the Batu constituency.

The MIC vice-president and former teacher is banking on his track record including as a deputy minister to convince voters to give the mandate back to Barisan.

Kohilan said he studied at SK Seri Delima and SMK Raja Abdullah before starting his teaching career at a college in Kuala Lumpur.

The landscape of Sentul, which falls within the Batu constituency, has changed over the past decades as more high-rises were built.

Meanwhile, human rights and Orang Asli activist Siti Zabedah Kasim, better known as Siti Kasim, will face another lawyer – Wan Azliana Wan Adnan, the former chairman of the Selangor and Federal Territories Rasuah Busters, an anti-graft movement.

Wan Azliana, 45, will contest as a Pejuang candidate for the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition.

Several houses of worship, including the St Joseph Catholic Church reflect the diversity of races and religions in Batu.

Businesswoman Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharudin, 28, who is another Independent has been grabbing many headlines for her “Cleopatra” moniker on social media.

The other candidates are Warisan’s Naganathan Pillai (known on the ballot as Nathan Batu), Azhar Yahya (Perikatan Nasional), Mohd Zulkifli Abdul Fattah (Parti Rakyat Malaysia) and Too Cheng Huat (Independent, running as Too Gao Lan).