THE greater than two-decades legend of Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields supplies a prompt possibility to review the concept of stewardship.
Its essential application in administration is that guardians are turned over to release obligations in a liable and clear fashion.
Officials workout power in behalf of an entity; they are custodians of its sources and not proprietors.
This trust fund should reach all stakeholders– not simply investors or participants– yet likewise to the wider area with a reputable passion.
According to a record in StarMetro on May 26, 2025, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) claimed the landowners of the 120-year-old Vivekananda Ashram had actually requested its website be zoned as “main commercial”.
With the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KLLP 2040) currently gazetted and as a result of enter into pressure on June 11, the principals associated with the ashram’s rezoning need to review the principal concept of stewardship.
The Vivekananda Ashrama Kuala Lumpur was integrated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in 1934.
Its core objective is called “involved in educational, spiritual, cultural and welfare activities”.
There had actually been public interest rezone the website for academic and well-being usage– allures completely in accordance with the organisation’s mentioned objective.
The board of trustees’ 2014 strategy to develop a 23-storey overlook the heritage website caused public reaction and caused the structure’s heritage gazettement in 2016.
The reality that this gazettement was tested by the trustees which they have actually currently approved “main commercial” zoning talks quantities.
Even so, the ashram continues to be a valued organization with deep intergenerational value to the bigger area.
The 876 arguments sent from throughout the nation and abroad, along with the high involvement in the general public hearing, mirror this.
DBKL’s choice to rezone the 0.4 ha heritage website is unexpected.
The company had accessibility to thorough discussions throughout the general public hearing and succeeding entries from the Save Vivekananda Ashram Brickfields area.
Yet, it shows up to have actually dealt with the board as simply one more landowner, without considering the wider ramifications of its stewardship obligations.
Was the whole area interaction procedure simply a performative workout?
It would certainly be a welcome shock if DBKL reevaluated its choice and rezoned the website as “public facilities” prior to June 11.
Is that way too much to ask of those that regulate a “City for All”?
The area should proceed playing its stewardship function. Section 17 of the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982 [Act 267] offers a device to modify the gazetted KLLP 2040.
This opportunity continues to be open for the board to send an application to rezone the website as “Public Facilities”.
Meanwhile, the area should continue to be attentive.
Any suggested industrial growth needs to be kept an eye on to make sure complete conformity with National Heritage Department standards which all essential authorizations are acquired.
At a minimum, the trustees ought to share their strategies and take on an extra comprehensive stewardship design.
No issue exactly how overshadowed the ashram might come to be by future feral frameworks, its heritage as a monolith to the payments of Malaysia’s leader generation will certainly sustain.
Jayanath Appudurai
Kuala Lumpur
