• Bungsar Estate (1900-an)

Di sempadan sebelah timur Bungsar Estate, pernah terdapat suatu kawasan perkampungan yang dinamakan Kampung Bukit Mati:-

“In one of the evergreen valleys of Kuala Lumpur's Lake Gardens is a Malay kampong which has all the beauty of 'Shangrila'. But, paradoxically, its name has for a long time been 'Kampong Bukit Mati' - the village of the hill of the dead. This valley is more than a mile long, with Guillemard Road snaking along the hill on its right and King's House on its left. All that visitors to the gardens see is the bottleneck leading into the valley in which is one of the most beautiful kampongs of Kuala Lumpur. Despite its ominous name, Kampong Bukit Mati is a sanctuary of peace and contentment. And its 400 villagers live in harmony with one another like the members of a very large family. Recently an influx of settlers flowed into the valley and turned it into a hive of activity. These settlers were Malays who had been obliged to quit their 'squatter' homes behind the Lucky World Amusement Park in Batu Road.” (Peter Kum @ The Straits Times, 17 May 1953, Page 10: |"Kampong Bukit "Shangrila' of Kuala Lumpur").

“Today, there are more than a hundred homes in the valley and over thirty are brand new. There is still room from many more homes and the kampong folk say they will welcome suitable settlers with open arms. With the growth of its population, the people have decided that the name Kampong Bukit Mati should be discarded. And after much deliberation, they have decided to cut out the dead and make it simply Kampong Bukit. The story of Kampong Bukit can never be complete without any mention of Inche Yahaya bin Sheik Abdul Rahman, the valley's pioneer inhabitant, who is looked upon unofficially, as the headman of the kampong. Inche Yahaya, although only 28 years old, is undoubtedly the moving force behind all the advancement in the valley. He was a teacher in Batang Kali shortly before the Japanese invasion which took place about two months after his arrival in the country from Menangkabau, Sumatera. When the Japs surged south, Inche Yahaya fled to Kuala Lumpur and found security in the valley. He became the first inhabitant of the kampong.

Early in the occupation, thousands of his countrymen from Menangkabau were brought into the country and then moved up to work on the notorious Siamese Death Railway. Around 1943, hundreds of these slave labourers escaped the Japs and found shelter in Inche Yahaya's valley. But medicine was scarce and many perished from diseases contracted while in Siam. The valley had become a valley of death….Kampong Bukit Mati. Kampong Bukit Mati needed no renaming then. Its name was a very apt one and in fact, the pensioners enhanced this name. It was a valley where almost everyone waited patiently for the end. More people settled in the valley and about three years after the liberation, faced with the shortage of accomodation, many government pensioners found homes in the kampong to finish their lives in quiet enjoyment. During all this time, Inche Yahaya had not been idle. He started a grocery business which is the only one in the valley. He feels there is still a lot to be done. 'At the moment, the people are getting their water supply from a monsoon drain which runs through the valley. I am trying to negotiate for pipes to be laid.' It is Inche Yahaya who is called upon when there are letters to write. He is the kampong's petition writer.

When there is a quarrel in the village, Inche Yahaya is the peace maker. Should there be any knotty family problem, Inche Yahaya becomes an adviser. If anyone has business with the government, Inche Yahaya invariably finds himself the representative. Inche Yahaya must be a very busy man indeed because he is also a correspondent for a Malay newspaper in Singapore. 'There are many children who are old enough to go to school. At present, those of school age have to leave their homes early to go to the Malay schools. I would like to see a school built here. 'Children who fall sick have to be taken to town to get treatment. The people here would appreciate it very much if the authorities or the British Red Cross set up a clinic here to cater to the children and women,' he said.”

“Inche Yahaya bin Sheik Abdul Rahman is a proud father of a bonny little boy - his 'pride and joy.' He left off writing a newspaper story to pose for the Sunday Times. - Sunday Times picture.”

(Sumber: Peter Kum @ The Straits Times, 17 May 1953, Page 10: |"Kampong Bukit "Shangrila' of Kuala Lumpur").

Kiri: Peta sekitar Kampung Bukit Mati, 1945. Kawasan hilir Sungai Bukit Mati sekadar ditanda sebagai sebahagian jaringan “AM Drain” (Antimalaria Drain / Parit kawalan malaria). Kawasan kampung mungkin ke hulu sungai, tidak termasuk di sebelah barat peta ini (War Office @ British Library, 1945: |"Malaya. Town Plan of Kuala Lumpur").
Kanan: Peta sekitar Kampung Bukit Mati, 1957. Lokasinya kemungkinan sepanjang kawasan hulu Sungai Bukit Mati, sebagaimana yang ditandakan di peta tahun 1967 di bawah (Surveyor General, Malaya @ The Australian National University, 1957: |"Malaysia, Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 1957, 1:380 160").

Pada Julai 1958, seluruh penduduk kampung ini (70 buah keluarga, berjumlah 300 orang) telah diberi notis oleh kerajaan untuk berpindah selewat-lewatnya hingga akhir tahun tersebut: “70 Squatter Families Told To Quit Homes KUALA LUMPUR, Mon. About seventy families comprising more than 300 persons at Kampong Bukit Mati. near the Lake Gardens here, have been given notice to quit their homes by the end of this year. The kampong will be taken over by the State…” (15 July 1958: "70 Squatter Families Told To Quit Homes").

Namun setakat Jun 1961, kampung ini masih diduduki (Berita Harian, 29 June 1961, Page 7: |"Ahli2 Nashid Kampong Bukit Mati K.L.").

Latar peristiwa: “Di-antara beberapa kampong rumah2 haram itu, Kampong Bukit Mati telah menchatetkan suatu sejarah sa-bagai sa-buah kampong yang telah mendapat layanan khas dari Kerajaan sa-belum Merdeka. Pendudok2 Melayu yang ramai sa-kali dari kampong itu sangat bertuah kerana di-berikan tanah Kerajaan di-Kampong Dato Keramat. Mereka ada-lah pendudok2 yang asal sa-kali mendudoki tanah Kerajaan di-kampong tersebut. Tetapi, sa-lepas Merdeka kebanyakan pendudok2 itu telah menjualkan tanah di-Kampong Dato Keramat itu dan balek ka-kampong asal-nya di-Kampong Bukit Mati di-Lake Garden.” (Berita Harian, 18 July 1963, Page 5: |"Masa'alah rumah haram").

Kiri: Peta sekitar Kampung Bukit Mati, 1957. Lokasinya kemungkinan sepanjang kawasan hulu Sungai Bukit Mati, sebagaimana yang ditandakan di peta tahun 1967 di bawah (Surveyor General, Malaya @ The Australian National University, 1957: |"Malaysia, Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 1957, 1:380 160").
Kanan: Peta sekitar Kampung Bukit Mati, 1967 (Malaysia : Director of National Mapping, 1967: |"Malaysia, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Series: L8010, Sheet 94k, 1967, 1:25 000").

Kiri: Peta sekitar Kampung Bukit Mati, 1982. Sungai Bukit Mati masih ditandakan, namun kampungnya tidak lagi (Jabatanarah Pemetaan Negara @ American Geographical Society Library, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, 1982: |"Kuala Lumpur / diterbitkan oleh Pengarah Pemetaan Negara").
Kanan: Peta sekitar Kampung Bukit Mati, 2025. Kawasan kampungnya dahulu mungkin di sekitar lembah Sungai Bukit Mati di Jalan Jelutong dan Lembah Ledang, di kawasan sebelah timur Damansara Heights kini (Mapcarta).

“A 19.14-acre parcel of government land fronting Jalan Duta near Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur has been sold for RM646 million — 22% below the original advertised reserve price. The buyer is said to be Jakel Land Sdn Bhd, a company equally owned by Symphony Life Bhd, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and JBiz Development Sdn Bhd. According to sources, Jakel Land bought the prime tract located in Jalan Lembah Ledang through a tender for RM646 million or RM774.90 psf, with a view to build a mixed-use development with a gross development value of RM5 billion to RM6 billion. The 833,665 sq ft tract, which initially had a plot ratio of 1:6, was first put up for tender by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on March 8 last year at a reserve price of RM833.3 million or RM1,000 psf. The tender closed on April 6 last year. ….. A check with the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Lands and Mines Office reveals that while the tract is still in the name of the Federal Land Commissioner, Jakel Land lodged a caveat on it on Dec 27, 2016, indicating that it has an interest in the land but that the land transfer has yet to be completed. … The site originally comprised six parcels, but they were amalgamated under one title for the sale. Previously marked for residential use, the tract has now been approved for a mixed-use development. Apart from this tract, MoF had also called for tender for a smaller parcel nearby at a reserve price of RM297.03 million or RM700 psf. This freehold site, categorised for integrated development, has a plot ratio of 1:4. The closing date of the tender was April 27 last year. A search with the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Lands and Mines Office shows that the land remains with the Federal Land Commissioner.” (Vasantha Ganesan @ The Edge Malaysia, 18 Sep 2017: |"Newsbreak: Prime land near Istana Negara sold to Jakel Land").

“Located at the exclusive area of Damansara Heights, Lembah Ledang is 19.14 acres of exhilarating mixed-use development. Offering seamless accessibility through its future MRT station, MRT Semantan, for easy access to the excitement of KL and Bangsar, it is also five minutes from KL Sentral and close to several institutions and universities.” (Jakel Development: |"LEMBAH LEDANG").

“Symphony Life Bhd (KL:SYMLIFE) has proposed to raise up to RM23.53 million via a private placement of 10% of its enlarged share base to fund a joint development project. ….. The group said RM23.29 million in proceeds will go towards the Lembah Ledang project, a mixed-development project Symphony Life is to jointly develop with Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and JBiz Development Sdn Bhd, with a gross development value of RM5.3 billion.” (Izzul Ikram @ The Edge Malaysia, 22 May 2025: |"Symphony Life plans RM23m private placement to fund Lembah Ledang project").