THE larger than two-decades legend of Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields provides a immediate risk to assessment the idea of stewardship.
Its important utility in administration is that guardians are turned over to launch obligations in a liable and clear trend.
Officials exercise energy in behalf of an entity; they’re custodians of its sources and never proprietors.
This belief fund ought to attain all stakeholders– not merely buyers or individuals– but likewise to the broader space with a good ardour.
According to a file in StarMetro on May 26, 2025, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) claimed the landowners of the 120-year-old Vivekananda Ashram had really requested its web site be zoned as “main commercial”.
With the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KLLP 2040) presently gazetted and on account of enter into strain on June 11, the principals related to the ashram’s rezoning have to assessment the principal idea of stewardship.
The Vivekananda Ashrama Kuala Lumpur was built-in as a Company Limited by Guarantee in 1934.
Its core goal is known as “involved in educational, spiritual, cultural and welfare activities”.
There had really been public curiosity rezone the web site for tutorial and well-being utilization– allures fully in accordance with the organisation’s talked about goal.
The board of trustees’ 2014 technique to develop a 23-storey overlook the heritage web site brought about public response and brought about the construction’s heritage gazettement in 2016.
The actuality that this gazettement was examined by the trustees which they’ve really presently permitted “main commercial” zoning talks portions.
Even so, the ashram continues to be a valued group with deep intergenerational worth to the larger space.
The 876 arguments despatched from all through the nation and overseas, together with the excessive involvement in most people listening to, mirror this.
DBKL’s option to rezone the 0.4 ha heritage web site is sudden.
The firm had accessibility to thorough discussions all through most people listening to and succeeding entries from the Save Vivekananda Ashram Brickfields space.
Yet, it reveals as much as have really handled the board as merely yet another landowner, with out contemplating the broader ramifications of its stewardship obligations.
Was the entire space interplay process merely a performative exercise?
It will surely be a welcome shock if DBKL reevaluated its selection and rezoned the web site as “public facilities” previous to June 11.
Is that manner an excessive amount of to ask of people who regulate a “City for All”?
The space ought to proceed enjoying its stewardship operate. Section 17 of the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982 [Act 267] affords a tool to switch the gazetted KLLP 2040.
This alternative continues to be open for the board to ship an utility to rezone the web site as “Public Facilities”.
Meanwhile, the realm ought to proceed to be attentive.
Any recommended industrial progress must be saved an eye fixed on to verify full conformity with National Heritage Department requirements which all important authorizations are acquired.
At a minimal, the trustees must share their methods and tackle an additional complete stewardship design.
No difficulty precisely how overshadowed the ashram would possibly come to be by future feral frameworks, its heritage as a monolith to the funds of Malaysia’s chief era will definitely maintain.
Jayanath Appudurai
Kuala Lumpur
