Was the first project run in Kampung Medan [one of the kampungs in Taman Medan]?
No. Because we figured that a lot of NGOs are working in Kampung Medan because that’s the hot spot, that’s the centre, and that’s where all the action is. And everyone wanted a piece of Kampung Medan. So, we said, quite clearly, we should work from the periphery. So, Kampung Pinang and Kampung Petaling Utama are actually on the periphery of that whole region. And then once you cross over, it’s like Sri Sentosa already, a different area. We just work with the surrounding communities that actually share very similar issues and tensions. What’s the profile of these kampungs you’ve been working in? Kampung Pinang is about, I would say, 75% Malay. Working-class background, obviously. Kampung Pinang is half flats – very low-cost, low-rise flats, only about four-storeys high – and half squatter houses. The sepak takraw court divides the squatters and the flats in the community. [Kampung] Petaling Utama is literally next door. And they are a community that used to be called Kampung Muniandy, w
