kampung pandan print

8/7/2019 Kampung Pandan Print

1/28

Table Content

1.0 Introduction

2.0 Literature Review

3.0 The Visit

4.0 Sample of questionnaire form

5.0 Retrieved Data

6.0 Inference of Data

7.0 Conclusion

KAMPUNG PANDANKuala Lumpur, Malaysia

C

E

F

(A)View under High Tension Cable (B)Drainage (C)Garbage Dump

(D)Houses under High Tension Cable (E)Back Street (F)Arial View

2. Slum

4. Kampung Pandan

5. Mumbais Shadow City

6

14

16

25

28

A

B

C

D E

F

5. Comments & Opinion on Mumbais Shadow City


2/28

2 | P a g e

INTRODUCTION

Slums have always existed since human cities have existed in human

history. It is where the rejects and the lower castes among a society resides

within a city, close to the center of a cities' main economic forces, taking

advantage of the proximity to economic opportunities within the cities.

The United Nation defines a slum as an urban area where most residents

live in crowded, illegal housing that lacks clean water and adequate

sanitation services. With the influx of migrants into cities and constant

urbanization efforts, the urban population in the world has already surpassed

rural population in numbers. The trend is set to continue, putting great strain

on various cities' infrastructures throughout the world.

Housing demand will be tough to meet as lands available to be built upon

shrinks in size. All those factors, augmented with optimism about seeking a

better living in cities, continue to drive people to migrate into cities. When

they could find no where to live, and when their jobs couldn't pay them well

enough, they end up in the slums.


3/28

3 | P a g e

The slum presents itself as a tough nut to crack for all major cities in the

world. Lacking proper clean water supplies and sanitary services, public

health is always under threat. There is also the problem with security, as

slums are known to be home to criminals and gangs alike, where the

crowded slums provided them a safe haven to hide from the watchful eyes

and stay one step ahead from the grips of the authorities. Then there was

the bullying and oppression of the slums society by the gangs who controlled

certain commodities such as clean water and electricity, and also the various

jobs shady businesses ran by gangs in the slums.

Then, there are also the losses to infrastructural properties, such as hijacked

water pipes and electricity. This creates problems for the authorities in which

the water and power meant for another community paying honest fees for

these services arent getting what their moneys worth.

Finally, there is the social aspect of the slums what are the rest of the city

supposed to do with them? They are people too, and they have their own

rights, their own freedom to live in the community. The residents of the slums

are generally people who have been rejected or sidelined by the greater part

of the society, in effect condemning them into a life in the slums. In the slums,

they are subject of oppression by brutal landlords and are held at mercy by

the local gangs. The local governments either feign ignorance on the

problem or endeavor to totally wipe them out by whatever means necessary,

even by cutting their water supplies, denying them of basic infrastructures

like the sanitation and power to gradually demoralize these people and drive

them out.


4/28

4 | P a g e

Kampung Pandan (Pandan Village) in

Malaysia, just a stones throw away from

the posh and high-end Kuala Lumpur City

Center, the nations capital city andpremiere financial and business district, is

today a declining slum. There have been

many propositions to eradicate poverty and

the slums in the locale and to redevelop the

land into more profitable properties but

none have ever truly materialized.

In 2009, Kuala Lumpurs City Hall (DBKL) declared an ultimatum toKampung Pandan, demanding them to leave and to take up the

governments offer to relocate to other sites in the Klang Valley. Demolition

of the slums was also schedule to begin in October of the same year.

However, almost a year later in 2010, many still continue to live in the slums

and the big plans for the locale seem to have taken a back seat in the stake

holders agendas. Many still living in the slums expressed their reluctance to

ever leave their home, and are struggling against all odds to stay on.

This paper intends to investigate the socio-cultural environment, living

conditions and the quality of life of the residents here in Kampung Pandan.

Along the way, we discovered the need for us to highlight their plight and to

shed light into this controversial topic that most living in the KL City are only

too keen to avoid.

Our team conducted literary research on the topic of the slums and then

focused on field work gathering data on the streets ofKampung Pandan,

and bringing the stories of these people to light. These data were then used

to interpret the sub-surface information and messages that were not told as

plain facts, but those that were hidden and imbued within these statistics.


5/28

5 | P a g e

The previous article was an excerpt from the National Geographic Magazine, May 2007

issue. The article focused on the looming slums problem of Dharavi in modern-day

Mumbai of India.

Easily the continental Asia's largest slum, Dharavi is home to up to a million people, with

a population density of about 18000 people per acre. It has been classified to be a

matured slum-a slum, where resident have upgraded from flimsy shelters into robust

concrete dwelling. Mumbai-Dharavi presented an up-scaled version of our nation's very

own Kuala Lumpur-Kampung Pandan situation, and it may be a glimpse of what is

ahead of us in the future, if uncontrolled migration and terrible urban planning policy

remain in place.

Similar to Kampung Pandan, there have been many plans tyo redevelop Dharavi, but

most of the schemes were short-lived and failed to live up to its expectations to improve

the locale's quality of life.

While also being a place associated with poverty, the artisans ghetto, factories and

sweatshops that operate in Dharavi actually churn out some 500 million dollars' worth of

goods. Needless to say, no matter how un sightly it may appear,Dharavi is part and

parcel of the Mumbai economy, without which Mumbai may be a lesser place than it is

today.

The utter stubbornness of the Dharavi dwellers was the key to the slum's ability to

continue operating. Dharavi is today one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Mumbai,

one of India's most diverse cities. It is a real living organism, which continues to struggle

within itself and with its surroundings, constantly changing and evolving to the needs of

times. Stubbornness, pragmatism and the ability to adapt ensures its continual survival.

However, in the face of a changing world and the importance of a citys image andbranding, a divide starts to grow in and around the slums. The disparity between urban

development and un-development, the rich and the poor, the legal and the illegal

continues to widen and threatens to kill this organism and destroy the lives of the 1

million souls residing in the humming slum, and also the many people in the developed

part of the city whose livelihoods are intertwined with the slum.


6/28

6 | P a g e

It was a bright sunny Friday

morning. As the sun casts its

mighty rays onto the landscape

around us, the team headed

towards the village known to us

as Kampung Pandan (Pandan

Village).

Presently, Kampung Pandan isn't much of a village, not anymore. It is located in

the dead center of the city ofKuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, with the

Central Business District just a short 3km away. Kampung Pandan is bounded to

the north by Taman U Thant, to the west by the Royal Selangor Golf Club, to the

south by Cheras housing developments and to the west by the suburbs of

Ampang.

These locations are in many ways, representations of the wealth and prosperity

that Malaysia holds:

Taman U Thant is home to many foreign consuls posted in Malaysia, and

is also where some of Malaysia's wealthiest chose to live in, with mansions of

various styles and sizes laid out amid large trees that flank the streets.

Royal Selangor Golf Club was established in 1893 is one of the oldest and

most prestigious golf courses in the continent of Asia. Strict members-only rules

assure that only the rich and the famous has access into the club.

THE VISITKampung Pandan


7/28

7 | P a g e

Cheras is where the sprawling housing development projects of Kuala

Lumpur lies. In the 1990's, it was upgraded with various world-class sports

facilities to host the 1995 SEA Games. As a result, property values in Cheras

have risen considerably over the years and there have been major shift in

demography and social strata in the area to a wealthier community.

Ampang was home to many small villages in the past until the British

Colonial Government decided to move their capital of the Federated Malay

States to Kuala Lumpur, which transformed the landscapes of Ampang forever.

Timber-and-thatch homes were upgraded to brick-and-roof-tiled residences in the

area and the Quality of Life of the area has improved tremendously through the

introduction of good urban improvements.

All this wealth and opportunities, have, unfortunately, evaded Kampung Pandan.

which serves as a stark contrast to the flamboyance of our nation's capital. What

was once the oldest Indian settlement in Kuala Lumpur has now degraded into a

slum, an eye sore in the middle of the city. But to many living here, it is their one

and only home and nothing could ever change that.

Our visit on this particular Friday was to document and to understand the living

conditions of the people living here and their plight to keep their homes and to

hope for a better future.


8/28

8 | P a g e

Approaching Kampung

Pandan on an elevated

section of the Sungei

Besi Avenue (a major

artery into the city from

the southern suburbs

and satellite towns), the

skyline ofKuala Lumpur

with her myriad of

skyscrapers and the unmistakable KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers came

into full view. Flanking the elevated roadway were commercial buildings of

various shapes and sizes which hinted at the eras in which they were built.

Kampung Pandan wasn't easy to spot: there weren't any major landmarks which

represented the settlement.

Working past the demoralizing morning traffic we turned into Jalan Perkasa

which led us into the vicinity of Kampung Pandan. All along the main roads

circumventing around Kampung Pandan are many commercial and residential

developments. There are also a few public schools in the area and one

prestigious private school which is the Sri Garden School. These are,

unfortunately, just a facade masking the realities that lie within.

As we made our way deeper into the locale the pretentious front gradually breaks

down into sights of dismal land. We parked the car in front of the famous

Restaurant Kampung Pandan (a restaurant known for its Indian cuisine) and set

out to explore the area on foot.

Right next to the restaurant is a vernacular school SJK

(T)K

ampung Pandanwhich uses Tamil as their instructional medium. A tiny Indian temple finds its

place behind the school, testament to the majority of Indians living in the area. A

small street, Lorong Delapan which is just wide enough for small sedans leads

from the school stretching towards the south-west. Lorong Delapan presents

itself as a divider: the houses on the west side of the street are legal properties,


9/28

9 | P a g e

while the ones on the east side, are illegal. Some of houses on this side of the

street are abandoned, with their former residents moved out according to the

government's relocation plan, while some are still occupied with the residents still

clinging onto the one place they call home.

Interviews

Ms. P.

At the Jalan Thaver-Lorong Delapan junction, we found our first respondent: lady in her

early 30's, Ms. P. She was, apparently, a software engineer with a large company.

Thanks to our stereotypical preconception, we were bemused when she revealed that

her monthly salary was upwards of RM20, 000. She lives in one of the legalized houses

in Kampung Pandan, the very same house which her grandfather settled in.

Moving on with the interview, Ms. P. was highly critical of the situation here in Kampung

Pandan. Apart from being a lowly slum, she said, this was also crime-ridden gangland

where plenty of gang fights have taken place. Personal security was constantly

threatened. Following Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) declaration in 2009 to wipe out

the slums, relocate the residents and redevelop the area, the city's sanitary department

has since stopped their services to the locale. Garbage is now a major concern in the

area, which upsets the residents of the legal houses and the slums. She didn't say

much about the relocation plans of the government, but maintained that the slums will

have to go while at the same time guarantee livelihood of the relocated residents.

Before ending the interview she advised us to avoid Kampung Pandan after 8pm, a time

which, she said, the gangs become active and "all hell breaks loose".

She didn't like staying in Kampung Pandan, and the only reason she was here was due

to the family's insistence to continue living in the house where her grandfather first


10/28

10 | P a g e

settled. She named Kelantan as her first choice to resettle. "It was peaceful and less

hectic there," she said.

Mr. S.

Further down the street, we came across a man - Mr. S. who was relaxing outside of his

house. He lives on the east side of the street, in one of the squatter houses. He

appeared to be a little wary of us as we approached him, but relaxed when we told him

of our purpose. He even went as far as to invite us into his home and served us some

light snacks.

As we chatted, it became clear that Mr. S. was living with his brother's family in this

home which their grandfather had built almost 50 years ago. He was in his late 20's, andwas earning just enough for his own living expenses. In contrast to the previously

mentioned lady, he had no problems with the security and hygiene of the place. While

the City Hall had halted the sanitary services to Kampung Pandan, Mr. S. explained that

the residents of the village took care of their garbage problem on their own just fine.

Mr. S, actually liked the idea of Kampung Pandan's redevelopment, but he had his

reservations. For one, the City Hall intends to relocate them to Kampung Muhibah in

Puchong, a good 15km away from here. Some others in the same project aren't that

fortunate, they were being relocated to Dengkil, a frontier town some 30km away.

Transportation to and from the city for work would be cripplingly high and would smother

most families that are already struggling as it was. Furthermore, these new resettlement

locations were so remote that jobs and health care wouldn't be available.

Kampung Pandan's appeal was its proximity to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the various

services and facilities around the area and its connectivity to the rest of the city - public

transport was abound and was within easy reach of the community. Besides, these

residents all had their lives built upon this location - jobs were available and easily

accessible. Given a better location to move to, somewhere closer to KL, he might

actually take the government's offer and move on. Otherwise, he planned to take over a


11/28

11 | P a g e

house which a neighbor had vacated for himself. For the moment though, Mr. S intends

to start a business on his own - to provide water-proofing solutions to homes.

The Indonesians

There was also an Indonesian family living on this street. They had come here from

Java to seek job opportunities and earn the prized Malaysian currency - the Ringgit

Malaysia so they can retire comfortably when they return to Indonesia in the future.

Compared to our other Malaysian respondents, they weren't being very critical of the

locale. However, they liked it that they are living this close to the city center and are

earning well for their jobs as home keepers, much better than if they were back in Java.

They have no complaints whatsoever when it comes to security and hygiene in the

neighborhood. The sole reason for them to continue staying here is because of the

close proximity to their jobs. The only thing that mattered to them, they explained, were

the jobs and how well they pay.

At the end of the street, we turned east into the more remote areas ofKampung Pandan.

This is the real heart of the slum, the real no man's land. This area sits in between the

massive power transmission pylons, right underneath the high tension power cables

that feed the city with its juice. These are lands rightfully owned by the National Power

Company, the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). These lands are also home to the

hundreds or so still living here.

Mr. M.

Bordering the fences set up on the TNB land's perimeter, here sits a small shack of

about 6mx5m. We approached the old man sitting in front of the shack staring out into

space. Mr. M. is in his 60's. He still works as a security guard to support his family. His

skinny body didn't appear to be cut out for his job.


12/28

12 | P a g e

Mr. M. has been living here in the same shack for all his life. Now, his son and his son's

family live with him in the same shack that has been the family's home for 3 generations.

The only complaint that he has is the City Hall's decision to move them to Dengkil, 30km

away from home. "It is too far," he said. He worried that he wouldn't be able to stand the

long commute from Dengkil to KL for his job. However, if the conditions are more

favorable, e.g. being closer to the City Center, then he shall not hesitate to move out.

He hopes for a better quality of living for his family in the future.

The BikerBoy

As we moved deeper into the slum, we found a teenage boy, still studying in the local

high school, working on a motorcycle in his garage. He was quick with his tools as we

observed him doing his work. He took a time out to speak with us. Motorcycles and

machines are his passion, he explained. His parents originated from Java, Indonesia,

who came to Malaysia and settled here in Kampung Pandan. He was born and raised

here and he knows not a different home.

His family was also part of the relocation program. He does not think much about the

relocation, but says he didn't like to be away from his school and his friends in the area.

He, however, has big dreams: he aspires to be a mechanical engineer working in

MotoGP race teams, and to be able to lift his family away from the poverty around him.

As we strolled around the slum, we came across many mounds of trash, probably the

product of the local residents' very own sanitation department. And on top of each

mound, empty plastic hulls that were once refrigerators - stripped of all mechanical

components and precious metals littered the landscaped sculpted of trash.

There were many more squatters here, occupied by Indians, Malays and Chinese alike.

Some even evolved into little businesses of their own. When we passed by an opening

in a 7-feet high corrugated metal fence, the Petronas Twin Towers came into view

among the mounds of trash. We decided to take a photo of that view. At the click of the


13/28

13 | P a g e

shutter, a youthful Indian man hurried towards us from within the fenced compound,

shouting at us as he approached. We froze.

Mr. K.

The man was aggressive when he started to question us on what we were doing

snooping around his compound. He must have thought that we were gathering

information on illegal scrap yards and chop shops. As we explained our purpose here

and showed him evidence of our innocence, he understood and relaxed his stance and

was actually quite friendly. We manage to recruit him as our respondent for the survey.

Mr. K. is only 22 years old. His demeanor (probably a tough upbringing) made him

appear to be much older. He sees himself as an opportunist, and said that he'd jump atevery chance he saw. He was born here and grew up in the slums. He didn't like the

idea of relocating to Puchong or to Dengkil. He fears he wouldn't be able to find a job.

He would, however, consider about relocating if the City Hall comes up with a more

favorable proposition.

He is perfectly fine with living conditions in the slum, claiming it has always been what it

is. However, midway through our conversations his girlfriend approached and denied

everything that he said about the slum's security and hygiene levels. When asked what

their aspirations for the future were, both of them answered enthusiastically in unison:

"to get married-lah!"


14/28

14 | P a g e

ARC 4611 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

STUDY ON SOCIO-CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF

RESIDENCY

ALL RESPONDENTS TO THIS SURVEY STUDY ARE GUARANTEED FULL ANONYMITY TO THEIR RESPONSES

AND VIEWS.

RESIDENT'S BACKGROUND

NATIONALITY MALAYSIAN/NON-MALAYSIAN

RACE MALAY / CHINESE / INDIAN / OTHER (PLS SPECIFY _______)

ORIGIN

REASON FOR MIGRATING/STAYING

EDUCATION LEVELPRIMARY / SECONDARY / TERTIARY / PROFESSIONAL / NO

FORMAL EDUCATION

OCCUPATION LABOURER / OFFICE JOB / PROFESSIONAL / UNEMPLOYED

HOUSEHOLD MONTHLY INCOME

(IN RM)< RM1000 / < RM2000 / < RM5000 / < RM10,000 / > RM10,000

FAMILY SIZE

(LIVING IN SAME HOUSEHOLD)

NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLING

AGE

RESIDENT'S LIFESTYLE

ANY LEISURE ACTIVITIES / HOBBIES YES / NO (IF YES, PLS SPECIFY __________)

FREQUENCY OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES FEW TIMES A WEEK / ONCE A WEEK / ONCE PER FORTNIGHT /ONCE A MONTH / RARELY

ASPIRATIONS PLS SPECIFY _______________

RELATIONSHIPS SATISFACTION

(NEIGHBOURS, FAMILY,ETC)SATISFIED / NOT SATISFIED

SAMPLE OF UESTIONNAIRE


15/28

15 | P a g e

ARC 4611 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

STUDY ON SOCIO-CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF

RESIDENCY

RESIDENTS OPINION ON LOCALITY

1) LIKES/DISLIKES OF HOUSE/LOCATION

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) OPINIONS ON SECURITY

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) OPINIONS ON HYGIENE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4) OPINIONS ON COMFORT/CONVENIENCE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5) SATISFACTION WITH CURRENT LIVING CONDITION

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6) DIFFERENCES ON EXPERIENCE WITH PREVIOUS RESIDENCE (IF APPLICABLE)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7) WILL YOU RELOCATE IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8) IF YOU'RE TO STAY HERE, HOW WILL YOU REMODEL/MODIFY YOUR HOME?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAMPLE OF QUESTIONNAIRE FORM


16/28

16 | P a g e

Retrieved Data from the Kampung Pandan Slums

education

respondent primary secondary tertiary professional uneducated

1 /

2 /

3 /

4 /

5 /

6 /

7 /

8 /

Total 0 6 1 1 0

monthly income family

respondent


17/28

17 | P a g e

aspirations

respondent career family

1 /

2 /

3 /

4 /

5 /

6 /

7 /

8 /

Total 6 2

Quality of life

home

location security hygiene

respondent likes dislikes good ok bad good ok

ba

d

1 / / /

2 / / /

3 / / /

4 / / /

5 / / /

6 / / /

7 / / /

8 / / /

Total 6 2 0 5 3 0 7 1


18/28

18 | P a g e

relationship with

neighbors convenience

living

condition

respondentgood ok bad good ok bad good ok

ba

d

1 / / /

2 / / /

3 / / /

4 / / /

5 / / /

6 / / /

7 / / /

8 / / /

Total 0 8 0 4 2 2 2 5 1

relocate remodelling

respondent yes no enlarge/additions dcor

1 /

2 / /

3 / /

4 / /

5 / /

6 / /

7 / /

8 / /

Total 5 3 7 1


19/28

19 | P a g e

Malaysian

87%

Non-Malaysian

13%

Nationality

Kampung

Pandan

87%

Elsewhere

13%

Origin

Primary

0%

Secondary

75%

Tertiary

12%

Professional

13%

No Formal

Education

0%

Education Level


20/28

20 | P a g e

Labourer

25%

Office Job

37%

Professional

12%

Unemployed0%

Student

13%

Others

13%

Occupation

< RM 1000

25%

< RM 2000

37%< RM 5000

12%

< RM 10,000

0%

> RM 10,000

13%

N/A

13%

Household Monthly Income (In RM)


21/28

21 | P a g e

Yes

75%

No

25%

Leisure Activities

Few times a

week

83%

Once a week

0%

Once per

fortnight

0%

Once a month

0%Rarely

17%

Frequency of Leisure Activities

Good

75%

OK

0%

Bad

25%

Home Location


22/28

22 | P a g e

Good

0%

OK

62%

Bad

38%

Security

Good

0%

OK

87%

Bad13%

Hygiene

Good

100%

Relationship Satisfaction


23/28

23 | P a g e

Retrieved Data from OtherTypes ofResidence

respondents' background

nationality origin

respondent Malaysiannon-

M'sian Kg Pandan elsewhere

Condominium / /

Semi-Detached / /

Terrace / /

Terrace / /

Slums /

education

respondent primary secondary tertiary professional uneducated

Condominium /Semi-Detached /

Terrace /

Terrace /

Slums /

monthly income family

respondent


24/28

24 | P a g e

personality

aspirations

respondent career family

Condominium /

Semi-Detached /

Terrace /

Terrace /

Slums /

Quality of life

home location security hygiene

respondent likes dislikes good ok bad good ok bad

Condominium / / /

Semi-Detached / / /

Terrace / / /Terrace / / /

Slums / / /

relationship with

neighbours convenience

living

condition

respondent good ok bad good ok bad good ok bad

Condominium / / /

Semi-Detached / / /

Terrace / / /Terrace / / /

Slums / / /

relocate remodeling

respondent yes no enlarge/additions dcor

Condominium / /

Semi-Detached / /

Terrace / /

Terrace / /

Slums / /


25/28

25 | P a g e

Inferences of Acquired Data

First of all, of the 8 individuals we that we interviewed, only one of them was a

foreigner. She was the lady from Indonesia, who came over to Malaysia to seek

greener pastures. She was also the only individual we interviewed that wasnt

born in Kampung Pandan, and the rest of them are the true born-and-bred

Indians ofKampung Pandan.

Most of the respondents have at least completed their high-school education,

while a small minority went as far as to complete their tertiary education, with one

exemplary example with a professionals degree. This suggests a sufficiently

high level of literacy among the younger generation thats emerging from the

slums.

From our data, while the residents ofKampung Pandan earns an average of

about RM2000 per month, there are some that are earning less than RM720,

below the current poverty line as defined by the government. There are also a

few exceptions to the stereotypical view about the slums that those living in the

slums are doomed to be poor. These individuals are taking home a handsomeincome from their daily jobs and are less likely to stumble into severe finance

crisis in the family. These well-earning individuals are, however, those that are

more critical of the slums conditions and would like to see the end of the slums.

As far as our interviews were concerned, family sizes in the slums averages at 5

members per household, with an average of 1 child per family still attending

school. This could be indicative that the slums population is now slowly thinning

down and that only the older generations still remain in the area the older

generations that still cling on to their ancestral homes and being hard-headed

about the idea of living.


26/28

26 | P a g e

From the survey data, we found that a majority of the residents in Kampong

Pandan maintain at least a form of hobby. Leisurely activities are indicative of a

persons or a communitys priorities in life. Such leisurely activities aid in de-

stressing in a hectic urban lifestyle. The more they devote their time to suchactivities, the happier and more productive their lives could be, hence better the

possibility of a more wholesome family and community.

Almost all of the respondents are neutral or speaks in favour ofKampung

Pandans hygiene and security levels. This contradicts claims of some of our

respondents highly-critical stance on the bad hygiene levels and terrible security

situations in the slum. However, these majorities may simply have gotten used to

the way things are as its the same situations as they have known it since

childhood.

Convenience is a major attraction forKampung Pandan. Its close proximity to the

city centre means easy accessibility for the residents to get to the city for work

and for entertainment. Relations with the neighbors are fine, but most did not

elaborate on the matter. At the very least, they appear to see no fault with the

people living around them.

While most responded that their living conditions are fine, some even claims that

it is good. However, most of the respondents seem to be in favor of relocating to

a new home, preferably some where nearby, as their jobs and practically all their

lives are built around here.

It is amusing to see the difference in opinions of those living in the slums and

those living in formal housing developments. As a comparison, we interviewed an

additional 4 individuals in the city. As the results show, these individuals hold at

least a tertiary education. Academically, they are definitely having the upper hand

as compared to those from the Kampung Pandan slum. They are also more

critical of the living conditions around them as compared to the slum dwellers.


27/28

27 | P a g e

Interestingly, while the slum dwellers speak less critically of their homes as

compared to those living in formal housing, they appear to be the group that are

more inclined to leave their home and relocate than those in formal housing. This

shows very much that the slum dwellers are a tougher breed that is open tobetter opportunities should such options become available, while those living in

formal housings are either too sensitive and too critical of their surroundings, or

are just plain whiners who arent capable of breaking out from their own cages

they built around themselves.


28/28

Conclusion

At the end of this exercise, we realized that there are much more to slums than

they initially appeared. Referring back to the article presented here - MumbaisShadow City one of the correspondents to the author stated that the slum

dwellers are his heroes.

Looking back on our findings, we discovered that despite through all the

hardships and difficulties and such unfriendly conditions, the people here are

very much alive they are resilient, and wont ever go down without a fight.

They value their rights just as much as any one of us do. Hence, we should taketheir plights into consideration, and rather than relocating these people out into

the outskirts and frontier towns like Dengkil, where they could potentially be

sidelined and smothered into submission, it might be best to erect temporary

housing for them closer to the heart of the city while the City Hall upgrades their

home to a more humane standards. Eradication of the slums is, after all, better

for everyone that dwells in the city.

-THE END-

kampung pandan print

Documents