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Kampung Baru, 100-year old Malay village in the heart of KL
Free Malaysia Today
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3/27/2025
A fourth-generation resident of the town, Fuad Fahmy is dedicated to putting Kampung Baru on the tourism map.
Story by: Theevya Ragu
Shot by: Fauzi Yunus
Presented by: Theevya Ragu
Edited by: Muhammad Akif Irfan
Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/03/31/one-mans-dream-to-put-kampung-baru-on-the-tourist-map/
Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.
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00:00
At first glance, this may look like a typical kampung during Hari Raya until the twin towers
00:14
appear in the background.
00:15
Welcome to Kampung Baru, one of the last Malay villages in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
00:26
Although it may translate to new village, Kampung Baru is anything but new, dating back
00:32
over a hundred years.
00:34
Recently, FMT Lifestyle chatted with Fuad Fahmi, a fourth-generation resident of Kampung
00:39
Baru, to uncover its story.
00:42
My great-grandpa, Haji Sulaiman Besar Budin, he was the first imam at Masjid Kampung Baru.
00:55
He hails from Medan, Sumatera, from what was shared by my late Atok.
01:03
He was a religious officer with the Delhi Sultanate, that was in Medan.
01:08
He was one of the prosperous sultanate at that time, and when KL was booming, of course
01:14
they need people to build the city, so hence he was tasked by the authority, by the sultanate,
01:21
to come here and to be the first imam.
01:24
And that was in 1907, and after 20 years serving the community, we were given, I mean he was
01:32
given this piece of land, and we've been staying here since 1927, so two years' time will be
01:40
100 years.
01:43
But Fuad is no ordinary Kampung man, he's on a mission to turn his humble village into
01:49
a thriving tourist destination.
01:53
After furthering his studies in tourism, he spent years leading Malaysians on tours around
01:58
the world, until one day, an idea he had changed everything.
02:04
So you know whenever I lead groups overseas, we call it tour leader, I have the chance
02:09
I visit Tourism Malaysia office.
02:12
There was little or no mention about Kampung Baru, despite us being 700 metres from the
02:18
tower.
02:20
So after many years of working, I got tired of a lot of things, my hair all white.
02:26
So in 2016, finally I told myself, why don't I do a tour here in Kampung Baru, right?
02:34
For almost 10 years, Fuad has been leading walking tours called Magical Kampung Baru,
02:39
welcoming visitors from around the world to experience the beauty of traditional Kampung
02:44
life.
02:46
But what exactly makes Kampung Baru so special?
02:50
For one, it's traditional Malay architecture.
02:53
The wooden stilt houses or rumah panggung are built without nails.
02:58
Many of these houses, painted in vibrant colours, are still occupied by the same families who
03:03
have lived there for generations.
03:07
Food is another cornerstone of Kampung Baru's charm.
03:11
From Buka Puasa, a century-old bubur lambuk recipe draws massive crowds outside the mosque,
03:17
where this rice porridge is generously handed out for free.
03:22
This dish is so popular that several versions are now sold outside the mosque.
03:28
Haji Zambri Abdul Karim, who served at the mosque for 22 years, decided to carry on the
03:33
tradition of making this hearty porridge using the original recipe, while also making a living
03:40
after retirement.
03:43
Cooking up to 10 pots a day, each taking around 2 hours, Haji shared that mosques across Malaysia
03:50
have invited him to cook the dish as nothing quite matches the Kampung Baru version.
04:01
Another hidden gem is a quaint little shop that sells kuih raya all year round.
04:06
Here you'll find 65-year-old Machit Rosna Abu Sama, a third-generation kuih maker, who
04:12
learnt the craft from her elders.
04:15
It's so old-school, they never bothered with a business name and only accept cash.
04:20
When tourists come, they see a different KL.
04:25
The vibe, the environment, the smell, the spirit, the soul is different, right?
04:33
Kuad pointed out that the locals here are incredibly friendly and welcoming to visitors.
04:39
Sometimes if we walk, the owner will say, hey, bawak ni, bawak, guest kau ni makan jemudak.
04:47
She will take the knife, cut in front of you, we just eat by tepi jalan.
04:52
Made up of seven villages, Kampung Baru was officially gazetted as a Malay agricultural
04:57
settlement in 1950.
04:59
However, it hasn't escaped urbanisation, with parts of it being demolished to make way for high-rises.
05:06
My only hope is that the younger generation, they will have a sense of belonging in Kampung Baru.
05:17
Because we don't find other places like this anymore.
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5:15
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