Property developers eye Kampung Kuchai in Ipoh

Kampung Kuchai, an old section of Ipoh where time has stood still for decades, has caught the attention of property developers.

As demand for condominiums in Ipoh continues to grow, property developers hoping to cash in are eyeing available plots of land for development of high-rise residences.

Kampung Kuchai, being one of the last few undeveloped sections of Ipoh and well-located in the centre of the city to boot, has inevitably caught the eye of many.

Spread over 10.63ha, Kampung Kuchai is bordered by Sungei Kinta, Jalan Datoh, Jalan Onn Jaafar and Jalan Masjid.

Its kampung houses, standing amid trees and lush, if overgrown greenery, are at least a century old. Most have been abandoned by their owners.

Kampug Kuchai is home to many motor repair workshops, carpenters, welders and scrap metal yards

It is also home to Ipoh’s oldest mosque, Masjid Panglima Kinta, on Jalan Masjid.

The mosque was built by Datuk Panglima Kinta Muhammad Yusuff in memory of his wife in 1898. Yusuff had owned vast tracts of land during Ipoh’s pioneering days.

Since Kampung Kuchai was proposed for redevelopment in the Ipoh Draft Local Plan 2020, many of the residents have moved out. 



It is proposed that Kampung Kuchai be developed into a Malay heritage village as part of the city’s tourism development plan.

There is to be mixed-use development of commercial, tourism and residential projects. Four blocks of high-rise condominiums with a shopping plaza, business parks and an exhibition hall are included in the masterplan.

An esplanade along the riverbank is also included. There are to be jetties, hotels, an art gallery and eateries along the embankment. -- Jerry Francis / The Malaysian Insider