Table Content

1.0 Introduction 2. Slum

4. Kampung Pandan

2.0 Literature Review 5. Mumbai’s Shadow City

5. Comments & Opinion on Mumbai’s Shadow City

3.0 The Visit 6

4.0 Sample of questionnaire form14

5.0 Retrieved Data 16

6.0 Inference of Data 25

7.0 Conclusion 28

KAMPUNG PANDAN
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A D E

F E

(A)View under High Tension Cable (B)Drainage (C)Garbage Dump

(D)Houses under High Tension Cable (E)Back Street (F)Arial View

C F
INTRODUCTION

Slums have always existed since human cities have existed in human
history. It is where the rejects and the lower castes among a society resides
within a city, close to the center of a cities' main economic forces, taking
advantage of the proximity to economic opportunities within the cities.

The United Nation defines a slum as an urban area where most residents
live in crowded, illegal housing that lacks clean water and adequate
sanitation services. With the influx of migrants into cities and constant
urbanization efforts, the urban population in the world has already surpassed
rural population in numbers. The trend is set to continue, putting great strain
on various cities' infrastructures throughout the world.

Housing demand will be tough to meet as lands available to be built upon

shrinks in size. All those factors, augmented with optimism about seeking a
better living in cities, continue to drive people to migrate into cities. When
they could find no where to live, and when their jobs couldn't pay them well
enough, they end up in the slums.

2|Page
The slum presents itself as a tough nut to crack for all major cities in the
world. Lacking proper clean water supplies and sanitary services, public
health is always under threat. There is also the problem with security, as
slums are known to be home to criminals and gangs alike, where the
crowded slums provided them a safe haven to hide from the watchful eyes
and stay one step ahead from the grips of the authorities. Then there was
the bullying and oppression of the slums society by the gangs who controlled
certain commodities such as clean water and electricity, and also the various
jobs shady businesses ran by gangs in the slums.

Then, there are also the losses to infrastructural properties, such as hijacked
water pipes and electricity. This creates problems for the authorities in which
the water and power meant for another community paying honest fees for
these services aren’t getting what their money’s worth.

Finally, there is the social aspect of the slums – what are the rest of the city
supposed to do with them? They are people too, and they have their own
rights, their own freedom to live in the community. The residents of the slums
are generally people who have been rejected or sidelined by the greater part
of the society, in effect condemning them into a life in the slums. In the
slums, they are subject of oppression by brutal landlords and are held at
mercy by the local gangs. The local governments either feign ignorance on
the problem or endeavor to totally wipe them out by whatever means
necessary, even by cutting their water supplies, denying them of basic
infrastructures like the sanitation and power to gradually demoralize these
people and drive them out.

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 Kampung Pandan (Pandan Village) in
Malaysia, just a stone’s throw away from
the posh and high-end Kuala Lumpur City
Center, the nation’s capital city and
premiere financial and business district, is
today a declining slum. There have been
many propositions to eradicate poverty and
the slums in the locale and to redevelop the
land into more profitable properties but
none have ever truly materialized.

In 2009, Kuala Lumpur’s City Hall (DBKL) declared an ultimatum to

Kampung Pandan, demanding them to leave and to take up the
government’s offer to relocate to other sites in the Klang Valley. Demolition
of the slums was also schedule to begin in October of the same year.
However, almost a year later in 2010, many still continue to live in the slums
and the big plans for the locale seem to have taken a back seat in the stake
holders’ agendas. Many still living in the slums expressed their reluctance to
ever leave their home, and are struggling against all odds to stay on.

This paper intends to investigate the socio-cultural environment, living

conditions and the quality of life of the residents here in Kampung
Pandan. Along the way, we discovered the need for us to highlight their
plight and to shed light into this controversial topic that most living in the KL
City are only too keen to avoid.

Our team conducted literary research on the topic of the slums and then
focused on field work – gathering data on the streets of Kampung Pandan,
and bringing the stories of these people to light. These data were then used
to interpret the sub-surface information and messages that were not told as
plain facts, but those that were hidden and imbued within these statistics.

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The previous article was an excerpt from the National Geographic Magazine, May 2007
issue. The article focused on the looming slums problem of Dharavi in modern-day
Mumbai of India.

Easily the continental Asia's largest slum, Dharavi is home to up to a million people, with
a population density of about 18000 people per acre. It has been classified to be a
matured slum-a slum, where resident have upgraded from flimsy shelters into robust
concrete dwelling. Mumbai-Dharavi presented an up-scaled version of our nation's very
own Kuala Lumpur-Kampung Pandan situation, and it may be a glimpse of what is
ahead of us in the future, if uncontrolled migration and terrible urban planning policy
remain in place.

Similar to Kampung Pandan, there have been many plans tyo redevelop Dharavi, but
most of the schemes were short-lived and failed to live up to its expectations to improve
the locale's quality of life.

While also being a place associated with poverty, the artisans ghetto, factories and
sweatshops that operate in Dharavi actually churn out some 500 million dollars' worth of
goods. Needless to say, no matter how un sightly it may appear,Dharavi is part and
parcel of the Mumbai economy, without which Mumbai may be a lesser place than it is
today.

The utter stubbornness of the Dharavi dwellers was the key to the slum's ability to
continue operating. Dharavi is today one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Mumbai,
one of India's most diverse cities. It is a real living organism, which continues to struggle
within itself and with its surroundings, constantly changing and evolving to the needs of
times. Stubbornness, pragmatism and the ability to adapt ensures its continual survival.

However, in the face of a changing world and the importance of a city’s image and
branding, a divide starts to grow in and around the slums. The disparity between urban
development and un-development, the rich and the poor, the legal and the illegal
continues to widen and threatens to kill this organism and destroy the lives of the 1
million souls residing in the humming slum, and also the many people in the developed
part of the city whose livelihoods are intertwined with the slum.

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 THE VISIT Kampung Pandan

It was a bright sunny Friday

morning. As the sun casts its
mighty rays onto the landscape
around us, the team headed
towards the village known to us
as Kampung Pandan (Pandan
Village).

Presently, Kampung Pandan isn't much of a village, not anymore. It is located in

the dead center of the city of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, with the
Central Business District just a short 3km away. Kampung Pandan is bounded to
the north by Taman U Thant, to the west by the Royal Selangor Golf Club, to the
south by Cheras housing developments and to the west by the suburbs of
Ampang.

These locations are in many ways, representations of the wealth and prosperity
that Malaysia holds:

Taman U Thant is home to many foreign consuls posted in Malaysia, and

is also where some of Malaysia's wealthiest chose to live in, with mansions of
various styles and sizes laid out amid large trees that flank the streets.

Royal Selangor Golf Club was established in 1893 is one of the oldest and
most prestigious golf courses in the continent of Asia. Strict members-only rules
assure that only the rich and the famous has access into the club.

6|Page
 Cheras is where the sprawling housing development projects of Kuala
Lumpur lies. In the 1990's, it was upgraded with various world-class sports
facilities to host the 1995 SEA Games. As a result, property values in Cheras
have risen considerably over the years and there have been major shift in
demography and social strata in the area to a wealthier community.

Ampang was home to many small villages in the past until the British
Colonial Government decided to move their capital of the Federated Malay
States to Kuala Lumpur, which transformed the landscapes of Ampang forever.
Timber-and-thatch homes were upgraded to brick-and-roof-tiled residences in the
area and the Quality of Life of the area has improved tremendously through the
introduction of good urban improvements.

All this wealth and opportunities, have, unfortunately, evaded Kampung Pandan.
which serves as a stark contrast to the flamboyance of our nation's capital. What
was once the oldest Indian settlement in Kuala Lumpur has now degraded into a
slum, an eye sore in the middle of the city. But to many living here, it is their one
and only home and nothing could ever change that.

Our visit on this particular Friday was to document and to understand the living
conditions of the people living here and their plight to keep their homes and to
hope for a better future.

7|Page
Approaching Kampung
Pandan on an elevated
section of the Sungei
Besi Avenue (a major
artery into the city from
the southern suburbs
and satellite towns), the
skyline of Kuala Lumpur
with her myriad of
skyscrapers and the unmistakable KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers came
into full view. Flanking the elevated roadway were commercial buildings of
various shapes and sizes which hinted at the eras in which they were built.
Kampung Pandan wasn't easy to spot: there weren't any major landmarks which
represented the settlement.

Working past the demoralizing morning traffic we turned into Jalan Perkasa
which led us into the vicinity of Kampung Pandan. All along the main roads
circumventing around Kampung Pandan are many commercial and residential
developments. There are also a few public schools in the area and one
prestigious private school which is the Sri Garden School. These are,
unfortunately, just a facade masking the realities that lie within.

As we made our way deeper into the locale the pretentious front gradually breaks
down into sights of dismal land. We parked the car in front of the famous
Restaurant Kampung Pandan (a restaurant known for its Indian cuisine) and set
out to explore the area on foot.

Right next to the restaurant is a vernacular school SJK (T) Kampung Pandan
which uses Tamil as their instructional medium. A tiny Indian temple finds its
place behind the school, testament to the majority of Indians living in the area. A
small street, Lorong Delapan which is just wide enough for small sedans leads
from the school stretching towards the south-west. Lorong Delapan presents
itself as a divider: the houses on the west side of the street are legal properties,

8|Page
 while the ones on the east side, are illegal. Some of houses on this side of the
street are abandoned, with their former residents moved out according to the
government's relocation plan, while some are still occupied with the residents still
clinging onto the one place they call home.

Interviews

Ms. P.

At the Jalan Thaver-Lorong Delapan junction, we found our first respondent: lady in her
early 30's, Ms. P. She was, apparently, a software engineer with a large company.
Thanks to our stereotypical preconception, we were bemused when she revealed that
her monthly salary was upwards of RM20, 000. She lives in one of the legalized houses
in Kampung Pandan, the very same house which her grandfather settled in.

Moving on with the interview, Ms. P. was highly critical of the situation here in Kampung
Pandan. Apart from being a lowly slum, she said, this was also crime-ridden gangland
where plenty of gang fights have taken place. Personal security was constantly
threatened. Following Kuala Lumpur City Hall's (DBKL) declaration in 2009 to wipe out
the slums, relocate the residents and redevelop the area, the city's sanitary department
has since stopped their services to the locale. Garbage is now a major concern in the
area, which upsets the residents of the legal houses and the slums. She didn't say
much about the relocation plans of the government, but maintained that the slums will
have to go while at the same time guarantee livelihood of the relocated residents.
Before ending the interview she advised us to avoid Kampung Pandan after 8pm, a time
which, she said, the gangs become active and "all hell breaks loose".

She didn't like staying in Kampung Pandan, and the only reason she was here was due
to the family's insistence to continue living in the house where her grandfather first

9|Page
settled. She named Kelantan as her first choice to resettle. "It was peaceful and less
hectic there," she said.

Mr. S.

Further down the street, we came across a man - Mr. S. who was relaxing outside of his
house. He lives on the east side of the street, in one of the squatter houses. He
appeared to be a little wary of us as we approached him, but relaxed when we told him
of our purpose. He even went as far as to invite us into his home and served us some
light snacks.

As we chatted, it became clear that Mr. S. was living with his brother's family in this
home which their grandfather had built almost 50 years ago. He was in his late 20's, and
was earning just enough for his own living expenses. In contrast to the previously
mentioned lady, he had no problems with the security and hygiene of the place. While
the City Hall had halted the sanitary services to Kampung Pandan, Mr. S. explained that
the residents of the village took care of their garbage problem on their own just fine.

Mr. S, actually liked the idea of Kampung Pandan's redevelopment, but he had his
reservations. For one, the City Hall intends to relocate them to Kampung Muhibah in
Puchong, a good 15km away from here. Some others in the same project aren't that
fortunate, they were being relocated to Dengkil, a frontier town some 30km away.
Transportation to and from the city for work would be cripplingly high and would smother
most families that are already struggling as it was. Furthermore, these new resettlement
locations were so remote that jobs and health care wouldn't be available.

Kampung Pandan's appeal was its proximity to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the various
services and facilities around the area and its connectivity to the rest of the city - public
transport was abound and was within easy reach of the community. Besides, these
residents all had their lives built upon this location - jobs were available and easily
accessible. Given a better location to move to, somewhere closer to KL, he might
actually take the government's offer and move on. Otherwise, he planned to take over a

10 | P a g e
house which a neighbor had vacated for himself. For the moment though, Mr. S intends
to start a business on his own - to provide water-proofing solutions to homes.

The Indonesians

There was also an Indonesian family living on this street. They had come here from
Java to seek job opportunities and earn the prized Malaysian currency - the Ringgit
Malaysia so they can retire comfortably when they return to Indonesia in the future.
Compared to our other Malaysian respondents, they weren't being very critical of the
locale. However, they liked it that they are living this close to the city center and are
earning well for their jobs as home keepers, much better than if they were back in Java.
They have no complaints whatsoever when it comes to security and hygiene in the
neighborhood. The sole reason for them to continue staying here is because of the
close proximity to their jobs. The only thing that mattered to them, they explained, were
the jobs and how well they pay.

At the end of the street, we turned east into the more remote areas of Kampung
Pandan. This is the real heart of the slum, the real no man's land. This area sits in
between the massive power transmission pylons, right underneath the high tension
power cables that feed the city with its juice. These are lands rightfully owned by the
National Power Company, the Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). These lands are also
home to the hundreds or so still living here.

Mr. M.

Bordering the fences set up on the TNB land's perimeter, here sits a small shack of
about 6mx5m. We approached the old man sitting in front of the shack staring out into
space. Mr. M. is in his 60's. He still works as a security guard to support his family. His
skinny body didn't appear to be cut out for his job.

11 | P a g e
Mr. M. has been living here in the same shack for all his life. Now, his son and his son's
family live with him in the same shack that has been the family's home for 3
generations. The only complaint that he has is the City Hall's decision to move them to
Dengkil, 30km away from home. "It is too far," he said. He worried that he wouldn't be
able to stand the long commute from Dengkil to KL for his job. However, if the
conditions are more favorable, e.g. being closer to the City Center, then he shall not
hesitate to move out. He hopes for a better quality of living for his family in the future.

The Biker Boy

As we moved deeper into the slum, we found a teenage boy, still studying in the local
high school, working on a motorcycle in his garage. He was quick with his tools as we
observed him doing his work. He took a time out to speak with us. Motorcycles and
machines are his passion, he explained. His parents originated from Java, Indonesia,
who came to Malaysia and settled here in Kampung Pandan. He was born and raised
here and he knows not a different home.

His family was also part of the relocation program. He does not think much about the
relocation, but says he didn't like to be away from his school and his friends in the area.
He, however, has big dreams: he aspires to be a mechanical engineer working in
MotoGP race teams, and to be able to lift his family away from the poverty around him.

As we strolled around the slum, we came across many mounds of trash, probably the
product of the local residents' very own sanitation department. And on top of each
mound, empty plastic hulls that were once refrigerators - stripped of all mechanical
components and precious metals littered the landscaped sculpted of trash.

There were many more squatters here, occupied by Indians, Malays and Chinese alike.
Some even evolved into little businesses of their own. When we passed by an opening
in a 7-feet high corrugated metal fence, the Petronas Twin Towers came into view
among the mounds of trash. We decided to take a photo of that view. At the click of the

12 | P a g e
shutter, a youthful Indian man hurried towards us from within the fenced compound,
shouting at us as he approached. We froze.

Mr. K.

The man was aggressive when he started to question us on what we were doing
snooping around his compound. He must have thought that we were gathering
information on illegal scrap yards and chop shops. As we explained our purpose here
and showed him evidence of our innocence, he understood and relaxed his stance and
was actually quite friendly. We manage to recruit him as our respondent for the survey.

Mr. K. is only 22 years old. His demeanor (probably a tough upbringing) made him
appear to be much older. He sees himself as an opportunist, and said that he'd jump at
every chance he saw. He was born here and grew up in the slums. He didn't like the
idea of relocating to Puchong or to Dengkil. He fears he wouldn't be able to find a job.
He would, however, consider about relocating if the City Hall comes up with a more
favorable proposition.

He is perfectly fine with living conditions in the slum, claiming it has always been what it
is. However, midway through our conversations his girlfriend approached and denied
everything that he said about the slum's security and hygiene levels. When asked what
their aspirations for the future were, both of them answered enthusiastically in unison:
"to get married-lah!"

13 | P a g e
SAMPLE OF QUESTIONNAIRE
ARC 4611 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

STUDY ON SOCIO-CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF

RESIDENCY

ALL RESPONDENTS TO THIS SURVEY STUDY ARE GUARANTEED FULL ANONYMITY TO THEIR RESPONSES
AND VIEWS.

RESIDENT'S BACKGROUND

NATIONALITY MALAYSIAN/NON-MALAYSIAN

RACE MALAY / CHINESE / INDIAN / OTHER (PLS SPECIFY _______)

ORIGIN

REASON FOR MIGRATING/STAYING

PRIMARY / SECONDARY / TERTIARY / PROFESSIONAL / NO

EDUCATION LEVEL
FORMAL EDUCATION

OCCUPATION LABOURER / OFFICE JOB / PROFESSIONAL / UNEMPLOYED

HOUSEHOLD MONTHLY INCOME

< RM1000 / < RM2000 / < RM5000 / < RM10,000 / > RM10,000
(IN RM)
FAMILY SIZE
(LIVING IN SAME HOUSEHOLD)
NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN SCHOOLING
AGE
RESIDENT'S LIFESTYLE

ANY LEISURE ACTIVITIES / HOBBIES YES / NO (IF YES, PLS SPECIFY __________)

FEW TIMES A WEEK / ONCE A WEEK / ONCE PER FORTNIGHT /

FREQUENCY OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES
ONCE A MONTH / RARELY

ASPIRATIONS PLS SPECIFY _______________

RELATIONSHIPS SATISFACTION
SATISFIED / NOT SATISFIED
(NEIGHBOURS, FAMILY,ETC)

14 | P a g e
 SAMPLE OF QUESTIONNAIRE FORM
ARC 4611 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

STUDY ON SOCIO-CULTURAL BACKGROUND AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF

RESIDENCY

RESIDENTS OPINION ON LOCALITY

1) LIKES/DISLIKES OF HOUSE/LOCATION

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2) OPINIONS ON SECURITY

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3) OPINIONS ON HYGIENE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4) OPINIONS ON COMFORT/CONVENIENCE

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5) SATISFACTION WITH CURRENT LIVING CONDITION

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6) DIFFERENCES ON EXPERIENCE WITH PREVIOUS RESIDENCE (IF APPLICABLE)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7) WILL YOU RELOCATE IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8) IF YOU'RE TO STAY HERE, HOW WILL YOU REMODEL/MODIFY YOUR HOME?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15 | P a g e
Retrieved Data from the Kampung Pandan Slums

  education        
uneducate
respondent primary secondary tertiary professional
d
1   /      

2   /      

3     /    

4   /      

5       /  

6   /      

7   /      

8   /      

Total 0  6 1 1  0

  monthly income family

<rm500 family
respondent <rm1000 <rm2000 <rm10000 >rm10000 no of children
0 size
1     /     4 0
2 /         4 0
3   /       4 0
4           4 2
5         / 5 1
6 /         8 0
7   /       6 4
8   /       5 2
Total 2 3 1   1 5 1

personality
Leisurely
    Frequency of activities
activities
monthl
respondent yes no often weekly fortnightly rarely
y

16 | P a g e
1   /          
2 /   /        
3 /           /
4 /   /        
5 /   /        
6   /         /
7 /   /        
8 /   /        
Total 6 2 6       2

  aspirations  

respondent career family

1   /
2 /  
3 /  
4 /  
5 /  
6   /
7 /  
8 /  
Total 6 2

Quality of life

17 | P a g e
 home
  location   security   hygiene  
ba
respondent likes dislikes good ok bad good ok d
1   /     /   /  

2 /     /     /  

3 /       /     /

4 /     /     /  

5   /     /   /  

6 /     /     /  

7 /     /     /  

8 /     /     /  

Total 6 2 0 5 3 0 7 1

relationship with living

 
neighbors     convenience     condition    
respondent good ok bad good ok bad good ok bad
1   /     /     /  
2   /       /   /  
3   /   /     /    
4   /     /     /  
5   /   /         /
6   /   /     /    
7   /       /   /  

18 | P a g e
 8   /   /       /  
Total 0 8 0 4 2 2 2 5 1

relocat
  e   remodelling  
enlarge/addition
respondent yes no s décor
1   /    
2   / /  
3   / /  
4 /     /
5 /   /  
6 /   /  
7 /   /  
8 /   /  
Total 5 3 7 1

19 | P a g e
 Nationality
Non-Malaysian
13%

Malaysian
88%

Origin
Elsewhere
13%

Kampung Pandan
88%

Education Level
Professional
Tertiary 13%
13%

Secondary
75%

20 | P a g e
 Occupation
Others Labourer
Student 13% 25%
13%

Professional
13%
Office Job
38%

Household Monthly Income (In RM)

N/A
13% < RM 1000
> RM 10,000 25%
13%

< RM 5000
13%
< RM 2000
38%

21 | P a g e
 Leisure Activities
No
25%

Yes
75%

Frequency of Leisure Activities

Rarely
17%

Few times a week

83%

Home Location
Bad
25%

Good
75%

22 | P a g e
 Security
Bad
38%

OK
63%

Hygiene
Bad
13%

OK
88%

Relationship Satisfaction

Good
100%

23 | P a g e
Retrieved Data from Other Types of Residence

respondents' background
nationalit
    origin  
y
non-
respondent Malaysian Kg Pandan elsewhere
M'sian
Condominium /     /

Semi-Detached /     /
Terrace /     /

Terrace /     /
Slums     /  

  education

respondent primary secondary tertiary professional uneducated

Condominium       /  

Semi-Detached       /  
Terrace     /    

Terrace       /  
Slums   /      

  monthly income family

<rm100 <rm200 <rm500 family no of
respondent <rm10000 >rm10000
0 0 0 size children
Condominium       /   5 3
Semi-Detached     /     3 0
Terrace     /     8 2
Terrace       /   4 2
Slums   /       5 1

personality
Leisurely
    Frequency of activities
activities

24 | P a g e
 ofte weekl fortnightl monthl rarel
respondent yes no
n y y y y
Condominiu
m /     /      
Semi-
Detached /     /      
Terrace /   /        
Terrace /   /        
Slums /   /        

personality
  aspirations  

respondent career family

Condominium /  

Semi-Detached   /

Terrace   /

Terrace   /

Slums /  

Quality of life
 
home location   security   hygiene  
respondent
likes dislikes good ok bad good ok bad
Condominium /     /     /  

Semi-Detached /     /     /  

Terrace /     /     /  

Terrace /       / /    

Slums / / /
         

25 | P a g e
 relationship with living
 
neighbours     convenience     condition    
respondent good ok bad good ok bad good ok bad
Condominium     /   /     /  
Semi-Detached   /     /     /  
Terrace   /   /         /
Terrace   /     /   /    
Slums   /   /       /  

  relocate   remodeling  

respondent yes no enlarge/additions décor

Condominium /   /  

Semi-Detached   / /  

Terrace   / /  

Terrace   / /  

Slums
/   /  

26 | P a g e
Inferences of Acquired Data

First of all, of the 8 individuals we that we interviewed, only one of them was a
foreigner. She was the lady from Indonesia, who came over to Malaysia to seek
greener pastures. She was also the only individual we interviewed that wasn’t
born in Kampung Pandan, and the rest of them are the true born-and-bred
Indians of Kampung Pandan.

Most of the respondents have at least completed their high-school education,

while a small minority went as far as to complete their tertiary education, with one
exemplary example with a professional’s degree. This suggests a sufficiently
high level of literacy among the younger generation that’s emerging from the
slums.

From our data, while the residents of Kampung Pandan earns an average of
about RM2000 per month, there are some that are earning less than RM720,
below the current poverty line as defined by the government. There are also a
few exceptions to the stereotypical view about the slums that those living in the
slums are doomed to be poor. These individuals are taking home a handsome
income from their daily jobs and are less likely to stumble into severe finance
crisis in the family. These well-earning individuals are, however, those that are
more critical of the slum’s conditions and would like to see the end of the slums.

As far as our interviews were concerned, family sizes in the slums averages at 5
members per household, with an average of 1 child per family still attending
school. This could be indicative that the slums’ population is now slowly thinning
down and that only the older generations still remain in the area – the older
generations that still cling on to their ancestral homes and being hard-headed
about the idea of living.

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From the survey data, we found that a majority of the residents in Kampong
Pandan maintain at least a form of hobby. Leisurely activities are indicative of a
person’s or a community’s priorities in life. Such leisurely activities aid in de-
stressing in a hectic urban lifestyle. The more they devote their time to such
activities, the happier and more productive their lives could be, hence better the
possibility of a more wholesome family and community.

Almost all of the respondents are neutral or speaks in favour of Kampung

Pandan’s hygiene and security levels. This contradicts claims of some of our
respondents’ highly-critical stance on the bad hygiene levels and terrible security
situations in the slum. However, these majorities may simply have gotten used to
the way things are as it’s the same situations as they have known it since
childhood.

Convenience is a major attraction for Kampung Pandan. Its close proximity to the
city centre means easy accessibility for the residents to get to the city for work
and for entertainment. Relations with the neighbors are fine, but most did not
elaborate on the matter. At the very least, they appear to see no fault with the
people living around them.

While most responded that their living conditions are fine, some even claims that
it is good. However, most of the respondents seem to be in favor of relocating to
a new home, preferably some where nearby, as their jobs and practically all their
lives are built around here.

It is amusing to see the difference in opinions of those living in the slums and
those living in formal housing developments. As a comparison, we interviewed an
additional 4 individuals in the city. As the results show, these individuals hold at
least a tertiary education. Academically, they are definitely having the upper hand
as compared to those from the Kampung Pandan slum. They are also more
critical of the living conditions around them as compared to the slum dwellers.

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Interestingly, while the slum dwellers speak less critically of their homes as
compared to those living in formal housing, they appear to be the group that are
more inclined to leave their home and relocate than those in formal housing. This
shows very much that the slum dwellers are a tougher breed that is open to
better opportunities should such options become available, while those living in
formal housings are either too sensitive and too critical of their surroundings, or
are just plain whiners who aren’t capable of breaking out from their own cages
they built around themselves.

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Conclusion
At the end of this exercise, we realized that there are much more to slums than
they initially appeared. Referring back to the article presented here - “Mumbai’s
Shadow City” one of the correspondents to the author stated that the slum
dwellers are his heroes.

Looking back on our findings, we discovered that despite through all the
hardships and difficulties and such unfriendly conditions, the people here are
very much alive – they are resilient, and won’t ever go down without a fight.

They value their rights just as much as any one of us do. Hence, we should take
their plights into consideration, and rather than relocating these people out into
the outskirts and frontier towns like Dengkil, where they could potentially be
sidelined and smothered into submission, it might be best to erect temporary
housing for them closer to the heart of the city while the City Hall upgrades their
home to a more humane standards. Eradication of the slums is, after all, better
for everyone that dwells in the city.

-THE END-

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