DBKL Wants To Demolish Masjid India's Bazaar And Turn It Into London's Oxford Street
The overhaul will be completed next year.
By John Lim — 22 Aug 2017, 01:41 PM
DBKL has announced that it will be demolishing a popular area in Masjid India and turn it into a shopping haven similar to London's Oxford Street
The Star Online reported that the bazaar area in Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur will undergo a major overhaul in order to turn it into a modern shopping district, just like London's Oxford Street.
The bazaar is famous for anything traditional – attires, snacks, and textiles are all on sale at cheap prices, making it one of the best shopping haunts in KL.
KL mayor Datuk Seri Amin Nordin Abd Aziz felt the bazaar area "was ageing and looked shabby"
"I decided that the bazaar must go and be replaced with a modern concept that is open and bright, something akin to the pushcart kiosk that can be moved around," he said as quoted by The Star Online.
The new development is parked under the 100km River of Life (RoL) project which seeks to transform the Klang and Gombak rivers into vibrant waterfronts.
DBKL has proposed the overhaul of Masjid India six years ago, but it failed to take off due to disagreements from traders and shop owners
DBKL also said the project was delayed due to lack of mapping archive of underground utility cables belonging to utility firms Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd, Tenaga Nasional Bhd, and Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd.
DBKL will now go ahead with the demolition and expects to complete it by December next year
However, Amin Nordin noted that a compromise was needed between traders and shop owners so the project would not be delayed anymore.
"The major issue we are facing is the refusal of traders to relocate to allow contractors to start work," he said.