Why the Chinese will not move to Datum Jelatek

What is the future for Malaysia? I find myself asking this question more frequently over the past few years than I had for most of the previous decades I have known this land as my one and only home.

I was born and bred in Kuala Lumpur and am always proud to declare myself only as Malaysian – no need for race or religion – wherever I go, whether here or abroad.

So how can this country be anything but the most beautiful and pleasant place to live through the rest of my working life, retirement and into a ripe old age.

The answer lies in the unfettered increase in racism, contempt and greed that this nation is facing now and that which I, unfortunately, do not see dissipating anytime soon.

The news shows examples of this every day. Yes, it is a daily affair now. Most veteran media people would tell you that such incidents, incendiary speeches and other negative public displays would at most have been a monthly affair or even a handful per year in the not too distant past, that is, around the turn of the century and before.

Well, except for that black day in local history called May 13, 1969. But even then, it is amazing how it was all contained within days and, though nothing was the same again, life almost went back to normal not long after.

That infamous day came to mind when I read the news last week on the unruly and racist protest by a group of Malays in Keramat over the proposed site of a new billion ringgit luxury project.

I am aware that it could have been staged just to show up the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government and PKNS in particular, but still the words and gestures displayed an ugliness that sadly, many of us are getting too used to seeing.

Anyhow, I was rather surprised at the location for this Datum Jelatek project, which is said to cost RM1.2 billion and will comprise four blocks of luxury condominiums, a hotel, offices and, of course, the mandatory mall, when it is completed.

The condominiums are to be built on the former site of four blocks of PKNS flats, which were mostly owned by Malays, and which were demolished in late 2010. This was just a year before approval was given to the developer of Datum Jelatek.

I am all for progress and development. But do we really need more luxury condominiums in the Klang Valley, let alone Malaysia?

But what worries me more is: how safe would anyone staying in these luxury condominiums feel in the years to come?

I must make it clear that I am neither trying to be a scaremonger nor am I trying to present any negative connotation as to the majority population in the area surrounding this Datum Jelatek project.

I can only relate it back to the aftermath of that fateful day in 1969.

I was always surprised why there were many Indian families staying in the lucrative Bangsar area when I went there to visit relatives or friends during the 1980s. Many of them were government servants too. I wondered how could they have afforded what was already becoming expensive property.

Then, a retired teacher and friend from church explained how it came to be so, and how he bought a beautiful double-storey house at the top of the hill in the Terasek neighbourhood.

It was the early 1970s and the developer who landed that piece of property that lies between Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur knew how ideal a location it would turn out to be. The problem was there were not enough buyers.

Let’s face it, at the time it is easy to ascertain which community living in these two urban areas who would have the money to buy one or more houses in Bangsar, whether to move in or as an investment. It was still more expensive than most parts of KL or PJ, but just a fraction of what it is now, of course.

So, the developer had to approach the government for help and through that channel and the loans provided, he was able to sell, at a loss, most of the houses. Many of the buyers were from the Indian community and some Malays too, I was told.

So, I naturally asked, why did the Chinese avoid Bangsar then? Well, it was the fear of staying in a residential area that was considered too near to Kampung Kerinchi, which was a mostly, if not exclusively, Malay area at the time.

The race riots, a few years before, was fresh in the memory and one thing the Chinese community learnt was to keep a safe distance away, where possible. Of course, some Chinese families saw the opportunity and grabbed it regardless of what had happened.

Now, imagine all that is happening around us today – the weak government, the lack of leadership, race-based parties, racial and religious extremism, the lack of social justice, the growing us-vs-them mentality, and finally, the ever-expanding gap between the haves and the have-nots.

Then think about this – and here’s why I think the protesters last week have got it wrong – why would the Chinese community consider purchasing property in Datum Jelatek, if there is even a remote chance that some trouble could occur sometime in the future.

If anything, the protest did show just a glimpse of what is possible.

I still pray that things will change for the better in our country, but I am not holding my breath waiting for it to happen anytime soon. – January 29, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.