Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today the redevelopment of Kampung Baru must retain the Islamic spirit and Malayness of the village that has been in existence for 113 years.

He said that in line with the changing times, the village could not escape development, but it should retain its very own identity and historical characteristics.

The change is a wave that must be faced by all quarters, including the owners and inheritors of the land in the village, he said at the launch of the Kampung Baru Residensi RAH project here.

"If we are too nostalgic with the old and reject the new, then wait for the old to be irrelevant. It is in this context that we want to see Kampung Baru developed, with such a spirit.

"In the past, many have portrayed Kampung Baru as Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Kuala Lumpur as Kampung Baru, meaning they see Kuala Lumpur in Kampung Baru and Kampung Baru is very much identified with the Malays," he said.

-- BERNAMA