Kampung Baru was established in 1899 by a grant from the then-
Sultan of Selangor,
Sultan Alaeddin Suleiman Shah, to allow the
Malays to retain their village lifestyle within the city. It was formally gazetted as the
Malay Agricultural Settlement in 1950. Since then Kampung Baru has held out against development and modern-city living, turning into a political symbol of Malay culture. The area held a special place for Malay politics during the pro-independence movement that grew up after
World War II. Kampung Baru is home to the Sultan Sulaiman Club (), where anti-colonial political gatherings were often held, including those that led to the formation of the
United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysia's ruling party since independence until 2018, and then again since 2021. Documents dating back to the period were unearthed at the grounds of the Club several years ago. Kampung Baru, which sprawls over almost 4 km2, was among the hardest-hit areas during the
May 13 Incident in 1969, where bloody racial clashes occurred between ethnic Malays and Chinese. The riots started after Chinese-led opposition parties marched through the village to celebrate their good showing in
general elections of that year. In recent years, Kampung Baru also played a central role in the
Reformasi protests of 1998, when former deputy premier
Anwar Ibrahim launched protests against then premier
Mahathir Mohamad, calling for reforms to government and the judiciary. ==Developments==