Bipartisan pushback fails to stall Urban Renewal Bill

The Housing and Local Government Ministry intends to proceed with the tabling of a bill on the proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA), despite bipartisan calls for a postponement.

In a statement, minister Nga Kor Ming affirmed that the Urban Renewal Bill will be tabled in Parliament on schedule.

He noted that the decision came after a meeting with Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on Infrastructure, Transportation, and Communications chairperson Yusuf Abd Wahab.

“(The PSSC) has agreed that the Urban Renewal Bill be tabled as scheduled, subject to several improvement proposals that will be raised during the debate session,” Nga said.

At a press conference in Parliament earlier today, Yusuf urged the government to review the URA’s consent thresholds and hold more discussions with the PSSC.

He raised concerns that owners who disagree with redevelopment may receive lower compensation compared to those who agree.

The Tanjong Manis MP said this could cause “unfairness” and pose risks to the smooth implementation of projects.

He also expressed surprise at PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan’s move to read out a letter from the PSSC to Nga requesting that the bill’s second reading be delayed to allow for further talks.

Calls for postponement

While the bill was tabled for its first reading today, Nga previously announced that the second and third readings of the bill have been scheduled for Aug 27.

In a rare moment of bipartisan support after the first reading, several government backbenchers and opposition MPs called for the second reading to be postponed to the next Dewan Rakyat sitting.

Also taking issue with the URA’s consent thresholds, Subang MP Wong Chen slammed the proposed rate as unacceptable, noting that it is lower compared to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Urban renewal initiatives under the URA are governed by the Strata Titles Act 1985, which requires unanimous consent from all property owners under Section 57 before the management body can act as a trustee to carry out redevelopment projects.

Under the proposed legislation, the ministry has recommended a tiered consent threshold based on the condition and age of the building: 80 percent for buildings under 30 years old, 75 percent for those over 30 years, and 51 percent for buildings classified as dilapidated or unsafe for occupancy.

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