THE PROPOSED Urban Renewal Act (URA) is not the final answer for the redevelopment and rejuvenation of dilapidated housing schemes as some other challenges would remain, says Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (PH–Sungai Tua).
While emphasising the need for the URA to prevent buildings, particularly apartments older than 30 years, from becoming more dilapidated, Amirudin said temporary relocation of the residents while their houses are being redeveloped is one of the biggest challenges.
“All the developers appointed are required to provide the affected residents with temporary housing before they demolish the houses for redevelopment. However, the availability of sites for the temporary relocation remains an issue.
“For example, some of the redevelopment projects in AU3, Ampang, and Section 16, Shah Alam are facing hurdles due to the lack of suitable space. Some of the sites we identified would see a drastic increase in population density if the residents are relocated there.
“We also cannot relocate the residents too far away from their original places as they would have built their families and careers there,” he said during the Selangor state assembly sitting on Monday (Nov 24).
He was answering Datuk Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN–Si Jangkang), who asked about the state government’s plan in utilising its government-linked companies to redevelop dilapidated houses that are more than 30 years old.
Besides insufficient space for relocation, appointing suitable developers with enough financial capabilities to carry out the redevelopment projects is also a challenge, according to Amirudin.
“Redevelopment projects would generally incur a high cost.
“To address the challenge, we could study how we can utilise funds from the Selangor Housing and Real Estate Board to support the projects.
“Another challenge is the disruptions that may arise while the redevelopment projects are ongoing. Some parties may suddenly step in, attempting to be a ‘hero’, which would drag the progress of the projects without regard for the safety and comfort of the residents living in those dilapidated houses,” he added.
He further stated that he has been pushing the Selangor State Development Corporation to rejuvenate and redevelop run-down houses in the state as soon as possible over the past two years.
It was reported that the tabling of the URA Bill for its second reading in Parliament had been postponed to allow for more “holistic and focused” engagement sessions between the Housing and Local Government Ministry and relevant stakeholders.
Minister Nga Kor Ming was reportedly saying that the bill had gone through 122 engagement sessions with various stakeholders and had been presented several times in Cabinet meetings and parliamentary special select committees.
The controversial bill outlines three types of projects – redevelopment involving tearing down and rebuilding housing projects; regeneration involving repairs or upgrades to dilapidated or abandoned buildings, while revitalisation refers to upgrading or improving an area without demolition.
