The heads of 56 Kampung Bukit Baja households holding up their cheques after receiving the goodwill payment for their impending relocation in Dengkil. — Photos: Bernama
New houses, compensation for 56 households awaiting relocation to nearby gazetted site earmarked for transformation into sustainable housing
The Selangor State Develop-ment Corporation (PKNS) will relocate an Orang Asli village in Kampung Bukit Baja, Dengkil, to a new sustainable modern settlement.
State housing and culture committee chairman Datuk Borhan Aman Shah said this included gazetting the 72.8ha new site for the Orang Asli village, building single-storey homes and developing facilities, including a community hall and kindergarten, in addition to basic infrastructure.
“Our approach isn’t just about physical development; it’s about securing the future of the Orang Asli community.
“This land has been gazetted and is protected,” he told reporters after attending a cheque handover event for 56 Kampung Bukit Baja Orang Asli household heads.
According to a Bernama report, Borhan said the state government gave each of the 56 families RM10,000 to move into their new homes once completed before PKNS took over their old site to build a golf course.
“The new houses are designed to reflect the Orang Asli’s identity and lifestyle, with open layouts and no fences to maintain their traditional way of life in a modern setting.”
Borhan presenting a cheque to a villager at the Cyber Valley sales gallery as Jalil (left) looks on.
He said the state government planned to make the new settlement a modern Orang Asli village in the Sepang district, with business premises to create economic opportunities for the community.
PKNS deputy group chief executive officer (strategic partnerships) Md Kamarzan Md Rais said an agreement was reached with the tok batin (village chief) Jalil Long and the Bukit Baja villagers after over two decades of negotiations.
He said PKNS would also build an office for the tok batin, clinic, playground and other infrastructure.
He said they would eventually be offered jobs at the nearby golf club too.
“We also plan to promote Orang Asli handicrafts and set up three shoplots as sales centres to help boost their income,” he added.
Jalil said the development would give the younger generation opportunities to improve their living standards and adapt to modern life.
“I want the younger generation to embrace modern thinking while preserving our identity and culture.”
The development area is divided into two main zones: 2.53ha for 56 homes of about 1,000sq ft each and 1ha for facilities that would support the community’s social and economic needs.
Last Oct 5, PKNS held an engagement session with the villagers to hand over relocation offer letters.
The PKNS offer includes a single-storey home per family, RM7,000 for relocation and demolition of existing homes, RM10,000 as a goodwill payment, RM20,000 per acre of crops and RM3mil for the Bukit Baja Orang Asli community fund.
The initiative supports inclusive development that respects the original communities in new projects such as Cyber Valley.
In a StarMetro report on July 9, 2024, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari told the state assembly that the original site of the village had never been gazetted as an Orang Asli village, most probably due to the nomadic nature of the inhabitants.
The gazetted new village site is located just beside the upcoming golf course on land owned by PKNS.
