TI don't think that hey're reserved for elites, but having had 2 KL flights on HV metal in recent days, I have noticed that the "business" cabin becomes available for selection in the days leading up to departure. Or maybe that was just because I finally got back my Gold status, and Elite Plus is what unlocks the front seats.

A non-elite acquaintance of mine who was on the same flight as me yesterday, and who apparently hadn't bothered to select a seat in advance or even look at the booking online, was seated in one of these "business" seats automatically. However, the flight was completely full so it may just have been that this was one of the few seats still available when he checked in.