Putrajaya ditches Chinese US$1b Pudu Jail plan for local developers

By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor

October 05, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — The Najib administration has dropped a mainland Chinese developer’s US$1 billion (RM3.2 billion) redevelopment plan for Pudu Jail in favour of splitting the eight-hectare prime land into parcels to be developed by mainly Bumiputera companies, sources say.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Pudu Jail land owner, UDA Holdings Bhd, has been instructed by its shareholder, the Ministry of Finance (MOF), to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to oversee the redevelopment and carve up the land with two parcels to be given to Bumiputera companies and one to a non-Bumiputera firm.

“UDA Holdings received a letter from the MOF in July rejecting the Chinese bid despite a majority board decision to recommend their plan,” a source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to China’s Everbright International Construction Ltd’s bid.

A source said the eight-hectare piece of prime land will be split into three parcels under different developers. — vitruvianman.blogspot.com pic

UDA Holdings chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed confirmed the MOF directive but declined further comment. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is also the Finance Minister with Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah as the Second Finance Minister.

It is understood that the Pulai MP chaired an UDA Holdings board meeting yesterday to work out the terms of reference for companies interested in redeveloping the site, which became Kuala Lumpur’s main prison from 1895 until its formal closure in 1996.

“The board is working out the terms for the new bids and it will take some time,” another source told The Malaysian Insider, adding the requirements were set by the MOF.

UDA Holdings had recommended Everbright as its partner for the redevelopment after a shortlisting process had been completed with Everbright’s bid providing an integrated commercial and transport hub worth RM2 billion, three times the value of the land. The other bids from local companies were not impressive or gave similar returns, a source said.

The board had planned an integrated commercial and transport hub as the site is near the proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka tower, the Jalan Shaw Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, the planned Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and UDA’s own Pudu Sentral bus terminal.

The MRT and the Warisan Merdeka project, together with UDA’s proposed Pudu Jail plans, is part of Najib’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) under his New Economic Model (NEM) to turn Klang Valley into the Greater Kuala Lumpur economic district and Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

However, the MOF directive to split the land into three parcels under different developers could jeopardise UDA’s contribution to Najib’s plans, a source said.

He repeated that the government is facing pressure and lobbying from politically-connected local companies who were keen on taking part in the deal, citing the need to keep the iconic redevelopment in the hands of the majority Bumiputera business community.

The MOF had in July rejected UDA’s sale of 3.56 acres of prime land in downtown Kuala Lumpur to 54 per cent Bumiputera-owned Nadayu Properties Bhd, formerly known as Mutiara Goodyear Development Bhd, for not having sufficient Bumiputera holding.

While touting the ideals of meritocracy and the need to bring in more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country under the NEM, Najib has also taken great pains to assure the politically-dominant Bumiputeras that they will continue to have a major share of the economy.

He recently announced that 43 per cent, or RM8 billion, of civil engineering works in the MRT would be given to Bumiputera contractors after complaints that they were shut out of the pre-qualifying tenders by project operator Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (Prasarana). Prasarana was the project owner until the Cabinet announced in August that an MOF company, MRT Co, will be the SPV owning the project.

UDA came under fire recently from Malay hardliners in Umno, Perkasa and Utusan Malaysiafor allegedly abandoning the Bumiputera agenda by not appointing Bumiputera joint-venture turnkey investors for the proposed Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) on the Pudu Jail site.

Nur Jazlan has denied these accusations, saying UDA has no choice but to be competitive as it no longer received any direct assistance from the government.

UDA, whose assets are estimated to be worth RM2 billion, is over RM900 million in debt. It also holds just RM90 million in cash with an outstanding RM104 million land premium for the Pudu site due last month.

malaysian insider

Pembangunan tapak Penjara Pudu dikaji semula

Pelan pembangunan di tapak Penjara Pudu di Kuala Lumpur akan dikaji semula antaranya bagi memastikan kepentingan bumiputera turut dijaga, kata Pengerusi UDA Holdings Bhd Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohammed. 

Selain itu, katanya, perkara yang perlu diambilkira dalam kajian semula itu adalah dari segi pasaran dan juga keupayaan dalaman Uda sendiri. 

"Projek ini mungkin memakan masa selama 10 sehingga 15 tahun dan ia merupakan sebuah projek yang besar, justeru selain menjaga kepentingan bumiputera terdapat perkara lain yang perlu juga diperhalusi semula," katanya. 

Nur Jazlan ditemui pemberita selepas majlis berbuka puasa Ancasa Hotel bersama 80 anak yatim dari Muassasah Darul Fuqaha di Bangi dan Baitu Saidati Khadijah, Gombak di Kuala Lumpur hari ini. Turut hadir ialah Pengarah Urusan UDA Datuk Jaafar Abu Hassan. 

UDA Holdings sebelum ini dilaporkan akan merubah kawasan Penjara Pudu sebagai ikonik baru Kuala Lumpur yang bakal dikenali Pusat Bandar Bukit Bintang membabitkan kos RM5 bilion. 

Projek yang meliputi kawasan seluas kira-kira 7.76 hektar itu akan dibangunkan dalam beberapa fasa membabitkan ruang niaga, menara pejabat, apartmen servis, hotel, pusat komersial dan rekreasi serta hab pengangkutan awam mini. 

Nur Jazlan berkata pembangunan tersebut mungkin akan dimulakan pada suku pertama atau kedua tahun depan sejurus selepas pelan pembangunan baru tersebut diluluskan oleh Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). 

Ditanya sama ada gerbang utama penjara itu akan dirobohkan, beliau berkata gerbang tersebut terpaksa dirobohkan jika DBKL mahu melebarkan Jalan Hang Tuah. 

Bagaimanapun, katanya, pihaknya sedia berunding dengan pihak yang berminat untuk memindahkan struktur pintu gerbang bangunan itu ke tempat lain atas faktor sejarah. 

Jun lalu, sebahagian tembok sepanjang 300 meter yang mengelilingi penjara berusia lebih 100 tahun itu dirobohkan bagi membolehkan kerja pelebaran dan laluan bawah tanah Jalan Pudu dilakukan. 

- Bernama
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/140373

Uda Holdings: Mahu gerbang penjara Pudu, silakan

Kesemua bahagian penjara Pudu, termasuk pintu gerbangnya - yang mempunyai nilai sejarah yang tinggi - kini boleh dipohon untuk pemindahan dan penempatan semula bagi tujuan kajian dan penyelidikan. 

Pengerusi UDA Holdings Berhad Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed berkata, pihak yang berminat dipelawa mengemukakan permohonan sekarang sementara kerja merobohkan tapak sejarah warisan dunia itu dihentikan buat seketika.

"Meskipun perlu mendapat kelulusan daripada Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), UDA tidak mempunyai sebarang halangan (untuk) meluluskan permohonan tersebut," katanya yang juga ahli parlimen Pulai.

"Kami tiada masalah, untuk sementara ini masih ada masa (bagi) individu menyerahkan permohonan bagi membawa keluar barangan sejarah ditemui pada tapak sejarah warisan dunia berusia lebih 150 tahun."

Sebahagian daripada penjara Pudu atau dahulunya dikenali sebagai Pudu Goal yang terletak di Jalan Hang Tuah di Kuala Lumpur mula dirobohkan pada 22 Jun lalu.

Tindakan kontroversi itu dilaporkan ditentang banyak pihak, antaranya pembangkang dan pencinta sejarah, sehingga usul khas mengenainya cuba dibawa untuk perbahasan di parlimen.

Kerja-kerja perobohannya juga mengundang kehadiran 300 aktivis yang bersedih dengan tindakan itu. Manakala sebahagian lagi datang bagi mengutip lukisan mural pada dinding penjaran berkenaan.

Bercakap dalam sidang media selepas berbuka puasa bersama 80 anak yatim di sebuah hotel di ibu kota malam tadi, Nur Jazlan sebelum itu - ketika ditanya secara tiba-tiba soalan mengenai pintu gerbang itu - spontan menjawab: 

“Termasuk apa-apalah (daripada) bekas tapak penjara Pudu itu kalau hendak pindah ke tempat lain silakan.” 

Penjara yang dibina pada tahun 1891 di atas tanah seluas 10 hektar itu pernah digunakan sebagai tempat tahanan tentera bersekutu yang ditawan Jepun ketika perang dunia kedua.

Pembinaan secara berperingkat itu siap sepenuhnya pada tahun 1895, manakala temboknya mula dibina pada Februari 1891 dan siap pada Ogos 1892.

Tembok ini dibina daripada batu bata yang dilepa dengan simen yang diimport dari negera-negara jajahan British ketika itu.

Semasa Perang Dunia Kedua, ramai tentera bersekutu dibunuh dan diseksa di penjara berkenaan.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/140375

Pudu Jail’s final curtain

By Boo Su-Lyn

June 22, 2010

The wall came down last night at 10.10pm, June 21, 2010. - Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 – The mural wall of the 115-year-old Pudu Jail was demolished last night amid protesting honks of cars along Jalan Pudu.
Demolition of the 394-metre Pudu Jail wall fronting Jalan Pudu started at 10.10pm as hundreds of onlookers shouted their dismay while snapping last photographs of the historic wall.
However, work halted about 20 minutes later as a large crowd ignoring the moving excavator walked through the gap in the wall and casually strolled on the wide path between the decaying mural and a newly-constructed wall near the deserted prison building.
Boasting notorious former inmates like armed robber Botak Chin, Singaporean gang boss Jimmy Chua and bomoh Mona Fandey, Pudu Jail was first used as an army command centre by the British but became the central prisoner of war camp during the Japanese Occupation from 1941 till 1945.
“They should not destroy (the wall) as it is a reminder to people…although it had a grim history,” said 30-year-old IT trainer Sharifah Sharina who had come here after work at Ulu Kelang to take a picture of the historic wall at about 9.30pm yesterday.

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The mural featuring peaceful scenes of nature was painted by prisoner Khong Yen Chong and other inmates as community service in the early 1980s.
It entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest mural in the world at 394 metres completed in one year using 2,000 litres of paint.
Unlike many others posing in front of the wall, part-time photographer Garry Lin had set up his mini tripod and camera a few feet away from the Pudu Jail entrance where the Berjaya Sompo building loomed against the night sky in the background.

The cameras flashed to store pictures of a past no more. - Picture by Choo Choy May

“It (Pudu Jail) should be a tourist attraction rather than to have (the wall) taken down,” 23-year-old Garry told The Malaysian Insider yesterday, while adding that he was taking shots from this angle to indicate the location of the wall, compared to mere shots of the wall.
Although Garry was aware that the actual demolition was targeted at the wall facing Jalan Pudu, Sharifah and a few others were not.
In fact, there were about 100 people last night taking pictures of the wall facing Jalan Hang Tuah compared to the 10 people snapping shots of the actual wall that would be demolished outside Jalan Pudu.
“I am not sure,” said administrative assistant Mazliza Muhamad Yusof aged 28 when asked if she knew which part of the wall would be demolished.
“However, they should preserve history,” she added, saying that the government could restore and beautify the prison.
The government had decided that the 115-year-old Pudu Jail was “not something to be proud of” and hence should not be turned into a heritage site, said Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Awang Adek Hussin yesterday.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) public works director Siti Saffur Mansor said that the demolition of the wall had been scheduled at 10pm because heavy traffic on Jalan Pudu would have ebbed by then.
“It (the demolition) will be done on three nights…tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday night,” said Siti, adding that they would continue in the wee hours of the morning once the crowd dispersed.
“There are many people going out at night on Saturdays, especially during school holidays,” she added when asked why the demolition was scheduled on a Monday instead of on a weekend.
While the wall makes way for an underpass project aimed at reducing traffic congestion at the Jalan Hang Tuah and Jalan Pudu interchange, the 7.6ha Pudu Jail will be turned into a mixed development project where 40 per cent of the development would house residential properties and the remaining 60 per cent would be for commercial purposes.
The development project which will be spread over 10 years beginning the first quarter of next year is to include a transit centre, serviced apartments, office spaces, recreational areas, hotel and commercial spaces, which will be developed by UDA Holdings Berhad.
MI

Pudu Jail slips into Malaysia’s past

By Boo Su-Lyn

June 22, 2010

A young photographer taking a close pix of the now demolished Pudu side wall of the jail. - Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — While the hundreds of people shouted in protest at the tearing down of Pudu Jail's mural wall last night, an ex-prisoner and two former wardens expressed mixed feelings about the building's demolition.

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“It (the demolition) is part of development and we have to pay a price for it,” prison director Narander Singh told The Malaysian Insider yesterday. He used to serve as a warden officer in Pudu Jail from 1988 till 1995.
“I have mixed feelings,” he said, adding that the Pudu Jail once housed 8,000 prisoners in 1993 or 1994.
The ex-prisoner who did not want to give his name spoke about the cramped conditions of the jail during his time there in 1980 as he and seven other inmates took turns to sleep in a cell meant to house three people.

Leong feels change is part of a developing city. - Picture by Choo Choy May

“I am not sure what to say,” he answered when asked how he felt about the wall being torn down. The 34-year-old man who had just lost his job as a security guard a week ago after his manager discovered his criminal record stayed two years in prison for trafficking heroin.
“The Chinese and Indians are hanged on Wednesday mornings while the Malays are hanged on Friday mornings,” he added.
Former Pudu Jail warden Mohamad Simin, who had worked at the historic jail for 17 years from 1979 till 1996, said his most terrifying experience was when Jimmy Chua with four other inmates took two doctors and a medical assistant hostage in 1986.
“They (the prisoners) said that they wanted to escape…and overcame the doctors using the doctors’ scissors and other sharp equipment at the prison hospital,” said Simin.
The 54-year-old man who is currently working as a warden in the Sungai Buloh prison was, however, non-committal when asked about his response towards the Pudu Jail wall being demolished.
But what do the people who work around the area feel about the "passing" of Pudu Jail? Shop owners along Jalan Pudu and Jalan Hang Tuah also had differing opinions about the demoliton of the mural wall which once entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest mural in the world.
Teochew porridge seller Leong Wei Peng was optimistic about the future development of the prison site, expressing hopes that it would draw more people to his shop located at Jalan Pudu.
“The prison is right in the middle of the city…it will stop development,” said 60-year-old Leong.
“Business is very slow. Hopefully with new development, there will be more people,” he added.
Leong is a second-generation owner of the 51-year-old restaurant, which used to serve mixed rice to Pudu Jail wardens 20 years ago.
The prison was closed for several years following the executions of Australian nationals Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers for trafficking heroin, and finally closed its doors in November 1996 whereupon Urban Development Authority (UDA) took over.
It was opened briefly as a museum from 1997 till 1998 for a short time, reopened again as a museum in 2004, but finally closed due to poor visitor rate.
Bamboo and wooden chicks maker Tham Kok Koon aged 73 had ventured into the prison itself when he was asked to install blinds in the prison’s administrative centre 30 years ago.
“Preferably, it should not be demolished,” said Tham while he painted some blinds with his wife.
“At least they should preserve the wall for remembrance’s sake since the inside is already destroyed,” he added.
Tham’s Thye Fah Liki shop located on Jalan Pudu used to be a furniture shop when he started working there 59 years ago at the tender age of 14.
On the other hand, 60-year-old Yong Tai Wai who repairs motorcycles in a small shop on Jalan Pudu, did not specifically support or protest the destruction of the wall, saying that his only concern was whether his shop would be forced to close down in the event of road expansions.
“I am just afraid that my shop will be pushed backwards…if the road is expanded,” said the motorcycle repairer who once did repairs for wardens back in 1978.
MI