BRICKFIELDS is well on its way to changing the face of Kuala Lumpur and providing a tourism boost for the township, if a multi-million ringgit project to refurbish and upgrade the Federal Capital’s unofficial Little India gets the nod from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said the proposal, once it received the final endorsement from Najib, would see the charming enclave being transformed into a cultural hub reflecting the 1Malaysia concept.
Saravanan, who is also MIC vice-president, said the first fruits of the mega project could be seen with the widening of the inner roads in Brickfields, as well as the beautification of Jalan Berhala.
Maddening sight: If the plan goes through, jams like the one in this file picture may soon be a thing of the past. “Brickfields has been gradually getting a makeover and this can be seen in the tiled pavements and public walkways and new street lighting that can be seen in various locations in the township,” Saravanan said.
“We need to ensure that the infrastructure is in place first and also convert the main roads into one-way streets for smoother traffic flow,” he said, adding that the aim is to bring some order into a very chaotic township and inject an identity that reflects the 1Malaysia concept.
Saravanan said the plan, which would take about six months to complete, would include an entrance archway located at the tailend of Jalan Brickfields near the Naga restaurant and the Brickfields police station and a fountain at the junction of Jalan Travers and Brickfields.
“There will also be an information pavilion and food bazaars in Jalan Chan Ah Tong, fruit kiosks in Jalan Thamby Abdullah and flower kiosks behind the KFC.
“Hawkers and petty traders will be relocated to a food court and multi-storey car parks will be built. Right now everything is everywhere, and we hope things will be more orderly and systematic,” Saravanan added.
The project is estimated to cost RM30mil.
Saravanan, who has been in discussions with community heads in Brickfields, said the redevelopment plans took into consideration the needs and welfare of the community and stakeholders of the area.
In place: Jalan Berhala has already been widened and upgraded with wider tiled walkways and stylish street lights. According to Saravanan, compromises have been made and alternatives have been provided for.
Saravanan said most of the temples in Brickfields would not be affected by the development plans, but added that alternative sites would be provided if they were.
Saravanan cited the Sivan temple in Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad as an example which needed to make way to facilitate the widening of Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad, but added that an alternative site had already been identified nearby.
Saravanan said with the developments taking place around Brickfields over the years, traffic in the area had gone from bad to worse and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), together with the Federal Territories Ministry, recently unveiled a plan for better traffic management in the area.
The plan, undertaken by the Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd, started in June and is expected to be completed in 2011.
It involves a major traffic dispersal scheme for the KL Sentral and Brickfields areas.
The RM110mil project includes an overpass at the Jalan Travers-Jalan Bangsar interchange, and a ramp connecting KL Sentral to the Mahameru Highway.
There will also be road-widening and upgrading work along Jalan Tun Sambanthan and the other connecting roads in the area.
On the street: With the upgrade, flower vendors will no longer have to use the walkways to sell their flowers. One of the key changes is a one-way traffic flow along Jalan Tun Sambanthan leading to Jalan Tun Sambanthan 3 (next to the Mobil station) and Jalan Padang Belia and Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4 before connecting to Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad and Jalan Berhala.
Last year, when Najib visited Brickfields, word had been going around that he would announce that the suburb would be officially bestowed the title the Little India of Kuala Lumpur.
Though the official conferment did not materialise, the prime minister did declare his support for the proposal.
In August, at the launch of the Lot G integrated development project in KL Sentral, Najib said once completed, Brickfields would be transformed into a contemporary, world-class transport hub.
The prime minister said while the old Brickfields would eventually change, areas like Little India would be retained to ensure that the economic and social gains would be enjoyed by the surrounding communities.
Perhaps once Brickfields undergoes its makeover, it will finally get its much deserved title.
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