{"id":8308,"date":"2025-11-02T11:11:03","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T03:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=8308"},"modified":"2025-11-02T11:11:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T03:11:03","slug":"jbs-kampung-melayu-majidee-fights-redevelopment-with-cafes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=8308","title":{"rendered":"JB’s Kampung Melayu Majidee fights redevelopment with cafes"},"content":{"rendered":"


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JOHOR BAHRU<\/span> \u2013 Newlyweds Izwan Zaini and Azrin Zainal took a leap of faith in 2024 when they decided to set up a cafe selling their distinctive laksa, not in urban Johor Bahru, but in a quiet community about 10 minutes drive from downtown.<\/p>\n

The pair moved into a 70-year-old landed family home in a sleepy lane in Kampung Melayu Majidee, the village where Mr Izwan was born and raised. <\/p>\n

He hopes that if his cafe thrives, it may help his case to extend the lease on the land and preserve the area from any future redevelopment.<\/p>\n

\u201cKampung Melayu is not just a food haven, but also a source of pride and heritage for us here in JB. To preserve it has been our main goal,\u201d Mr Izwan, 33, told The Straits Times.<\/p>\n

The couple said their cafe \u2013 Ruma Tengah \u2013 is doing well since opening in August 2024. Their signature dish is laksa Johor, which uses spaghetti \u2013 instead of rice noodles \u2013 topped with a rich, creamy herring broth, fresh salad and sambal belacan. <\/i>It is popular with local councillors and even the Johor Palace.<\/p>\n

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Mr Izwan Zaini, 33, and Ms Azrin Zainal, 30, co-own Ruma Tengah in Kampung Melayu Majidee.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ruma Tengah is one of over a dozen \u201cbackyard cafes\u201d that have sprung up in the area over the last few years. Operating from residential properties, they are turning parts of a once-quiet Malay village into a bustling night spot for local food fare.<\/p>\n

Most belong to a loose network of locals who expect that increased economic activity will strengthen their fight to extend their leases before they expire in 2053, allowing them to retain the land beyond that date.<\/p>\n

Despite its proximity to the downtown, the village is mostly made of decades-old homes \u2013 some dilapidated, some abandoned \u2013 making it prime real estate for the state government. A redevelopment will subsequently necessitate the relocation of original settlers.<\/p>\n

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The land Kampung Melayu Majidee sits on has been owned by Johor Palace since the late 19th century.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to state historical sources, Kampung Melayu Majidee was named after Ungku Abdul Majid, the son of local leader Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim. The latter had ruled Johor from 1855 to 1862, after moving his seat of power from present-day Telok Blangah in Singapore.<\/p>\n

Formerly a rubber plantation, the land was granted to Abdul Majid when his eldest brother, Abu Bakar, became the first Sultan of modern Johor in 1886. It has remained under royal ownership since.<\/p>\n

The present-day village was established in the 1950s, with a 99-year lease from the Johor Palace to the original settlers. Mr Azhar Abdul Jalil, the deputy chairman of village association Perkam, told ST most of them were civil servants, such as military or police officers.<\/p>\n

With less than three decades until the leases are set to expire, some 800 residents had in April signed a petition urging the state to convert the land to freehold. They argued that their forefathers\u2019 land should be designated Malay Reserve Land, which may only be owned by Malays.<\/p>\n

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Mr Mohd Nurazri Aminudin, co-owner of cafe Kalcer Hub at Jalan Tengah, Kampung Melayu Majidee.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Residents polled by ST said that despite there being 28 years left until the leasehold ends, they fear that the area, one of Johor Bahru\u2019s last remaining Malay villages, may soon be lost to urban redevelopment. <\/p>\n

The village sits in what the locals call \u201cthe golden circle\u201d \u2013 it is surrounded by shopping malls, luxury condos, and key transport links, just minutes from Singapore. <\/p>\n

Johor Bahru is set to grow with the <\/p>\n

Rapid Transit System link to Singapore<\/p>\n

<\/a>, scheduled for completion by end-2026. The state is also in the midst of developing its <\/p>\n

Special Economic and Financial Zones<\/p>\n

<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mr Azhar said residents do not want the land to be turned into condominiums, shopping malls, or hotels, noting how \u201cthere is plenty of that in JB.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead, we\u2019d like this place to support our local community, either as a place to do business or provide affordable homes for young families starting out,\u201d he said, welcoming cafe owners who are revitalising the area.<\/p>\n

Responding to these fears, Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi told the state assembly in May that his administration will not be \u201cunjust\u201d to the residents. <\/p>\n

He assured residents that any modern redevelopment will preserve the village\u2019s heritage. So far, seven applications for lease extensions have been approved by his government.<\/p>\n

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A view of Masjid Bulatan, in Jalan Satu, Kampung Melayu Majidee.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

ST\u2019s checks of the Johor Bahru Special Area Plan 2030 showed that this redevelopment includes road widening, commuter-friendly facilities, a central garden with cycling lanes, and a mixed sports-retail hub. <\/p>\n

The village will also have <\/p>\n

its own tram-bus stop<\/p>\n

<\/a> and an Electric Train Service station nearby.<\/p>\n

Mr Aziff Azuddin, research director at Malaysian think-tank Iman Research, explained that urban Malay villages in the country were formed when rural communities migrated to cities in the past, creating cultural enclaves rich in identity and history.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the pushback is understandable from a community that feels like rapid urban development will come at the cost of wiping out the entire history and heritage of a community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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Perkam chairman Abdul Rahim Md Shariff (centre) and secretary secretary Hussin Saemon (left) speaking with lawyer Alias Rasman (right).<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lawyer Alias Rasman, who is Perkam\u2019s legal advisor, said that there are two different issues at play: the first involves the status of Malay Reserve Land under the Federal Constitution and Johor Malay Reservation Enactment 1936, and the second the National Land Code which regulates land titles including freehold and leasehold ownership.<\/p>\n

Article 89 of the Federal Constitution states that Malay Reserve Land status requires strict dual approval from both state and federal levels before it can be changed, and if any such land is removed, an equivalent replacement must immediately be declared.<\/p>\n

Under the Johor Malay Reservation Enactment, only the state Land Office can amend the boundaries of a Malay Reserve Land, with the approval of the Sultan.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, under the National Land Code, residents must apply with the Land Office to either convert their leasehold land to freehold, or to request for an extension on the lease.<\/p>\n

In August, Perkam said it may consider legal action to force the conversion of the land leases to freehold.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe residents, as legitimate holders of the land, are entitled to apply lawfully for security of tenure and long-term ownership rights,\u201d said Mr Alias. <\/p>\n

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Grassroots leader Mohd Ali Mohd Salleh showing proposed upgrades for the village.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some residents ST spoke to hope to keep their land indefinitely. However, others were open to redevelopment if they are fairly compensated.<\/p>\n

Despite this, many younger residents have moved away, making upkeep of properties in the village difficult. Grassroots leader Mohd Ali Mohd Salleh said financing homes also poses a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cBanks are unlikely to grant loans for property with such short lease periods,\u201d said Mr Ali, who also chairs a welfare group in the village.<\/p>\n

Lease renewal documents seen by ST showed that it costs about RM52,000 (S$16,000) to extend a 13,000 sq ft lease by 99 years. A similar 6,600 sq ft lot was recently renewed for nearly RM17,000.<\/p>\n

As a result, many of the houses in the village remain dilapidated, despite the revival by the new backyard cafes.<\/p>\n

Former resident Ishak Jailan, who has run his cafe Smokey Kuew Teow at his late mother\u2019s home since 2017, said he is proud to see youths turning old homes into business spots.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf land is left vacant, it\u2019s left to rot. Having newcomers do business gives it purpose and offers income to the landowners too,\u201d the 65-year-old said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Mr Azhar Md Aris, 39, who grew up poor in illegal squatters\u2019 settlements in the village, hopes rising business activity will help preserve Kampung Melayu Majidee.<\/p>\n

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Mr Md Azhar Md Aris, 39, grew up from squatting to managing his late father’s yong tau foo business.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He now runs his late father\u2019s business Md Aris Yong Tahu, selling yong tau foo with his mother and two sisters from a landed house bought in 2014, complete with a dining hall and car park for patrons.<\/p>\n

Newcomer Mohd Nurazri Aminudin, 34, from Kota Tinggi, said he is moved by the residents\u2019 fight for their lands. He runs Kalcer Hub, a cafe and event space popular with millennials and Gen Z patrons. Around 30 per cent of its customers are from Singapore.<\/p>\n

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Kalcer Hub is popular among the young by celebrating local subculture, fashion, music and art.<\/p>\n

ST PHOTO: HARITH MUSTAFFA<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He recalled a neighbour who, inspired by Kalcer Hub, also upgraded his run-down restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met the owner \u2013 an otai <\/i>\u2013 while he was painting his shop,\u201d he said, using Malay slang for an \u201cold timer\u201d. Mr Nurazri said his neighbour had thanked him for restoring life to the place, pushing him to also do the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not from here, I don\u2019t share the same sentiments as the locals. But I feel like I\u2019m contributing something more to Kampung Melayu.\u201d<\/p>\n

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