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Kampung Baru
27 Nov 2014 — As recently as 30 years ago, Kuala Lumpur was a predominantly low-rise city, with hardly any building more than a few storeys’ high. Fast forward to today, and the situation could not be any more different: the Kuala Lumpur City Centre, with the iconic Petronas Towers and massive shopping centre, epitomises the new KL. But, a few hundred metres away is Kampung Baru, a settlement that has so far resisted the march towards modernity. The Malaysian Insider photographer, Nazir Sufari, captures this living heritage of sorts in its element today.
The Petronas Twin Towers as seen from Jalan Raja Alang in Kuala Lumpur. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A reflection of the twin towers seen through a puddle of water at a construction site in Kampung Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
Women sauntering along a street in the settlement. Kampung Baru is now the target of development projects. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A man hard at work cleaning a car at a car-wash centre, a common sight in the settlement and the capital. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
The Petronas Towers seen through a wooden house in Kampung Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A well-maintained wooden house bearing the hallmarks of Malay architecture. The colonial British administrators gazetted Kampung Baru as a Malay agricultural settlement in 1900 to allow the Malays to keep their village lifestyle within the city. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
Construction workers work the ground at the settlement. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A broken mirror at a construction site in Kampung Baru shows a reflection of a worker and the iconic twin towers. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A man walks past a demolished house at the settlement. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A cat sits on what looks like a broken pillar of a demolished house in Kampung Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
The view of a hi-rise, low-cost flats in Kampung Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
An abandoned house near a construction site in the settlement. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A woman dries her clothing at a flat in Kampung Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A barber and a cobbler work side by side, offering affordable services to the residents. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A man pedals slowly around Kampung Baru in his three-wheeler. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
The young of Kampung Baru indulging in the country’s favourite sport, football. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A man rides his bike through the settlement’s wet market. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A hawker selling murtabak at the market in Kampung Baru, which is also a hub for local delicacies. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
The reflection of the twin towers gleam through a puddle of water at a construction site in Kampung Baru. Residents are now challenged to find a balance between modernity and tradition. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
An electric pole stands guard in Kampung Baru, with the Petronas Towers in the background. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
A night view of Jalan Raja Alang, one of the streets in Kampung Baru. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, November 27, 2014.
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