Cabinet wants urban renewal Act drawn up by next year, says Nga

PUTRAJAYA: An Act will be drafted to ensure systematic, well-planned and efficient urban renewal efforts that will spur the country’s economic growth, says Nga Kor Ming.

The Local Government Development Minister said the proposed Act would lead to better redevelopment planning for isolated, old and uneconomical areas and turn them into zones that can offer good quality of life to urban dwellers.

He said the Cabinet had decided for the Act to be expedited and be tabled as soon as possible, with a target for it to be presented next year.

“This is one of the push factors that enables the redevelopment, rejuvenation and revitalisation of our cities,” he said on Tuesday (Sept 5).

It was important for Malaysia to have the Act in place as Malaysia’s urban rate was expected to increase to 85% by 2040, he added.

“This growth will create new challenges which require a more systematic approach to urban planning and management.

“With limited land resources and considering areas that need to be protected and preserved, urbanisation must not just focus on urban renewal but infill development as well,” he added.

The Town and Country Planning Department and Malaysia Productivity Corporation have been tasked with carrying out a regulatory impact analysis to evaluate the need for a dedicated Act for urban renewable initiatives in line with the practices of developed countries.

“As a prelude, we now have an urban renewal implementation guideline in place to which local authorities, developers and other stakeholders can refer when planning for redevelopment or development,” he said when launching the guideline on Monday (Sept 4).

Urban renewal encompasses urban redevelopment, regeneration, revitalisation and conservation.

Nga said with no specific Act in place, urban redevelopment efforts were inhibited by nine different legislations and laws, including the National Land Code, Town and Country Planning Act, Contracts Act and Land Acquisition Act.