PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has warned against spreading lies – allegedly in the name of the Malays and Islam – against a proposed Urban Renewal Act, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister was responding to plans by PAS to mount a rally against the proposed law.
He said the proposed law is meant to redevelop urban Malay areas that are poor and have been left behind such as the flats located in Kampung Kerinchi and Seri Perlis in Kuala Lumpur, which are run down and in desperate need of repair.
"We want to use the law to help poor residents, the majority of whom are Malays. So why are you protesting this?
"I want to remind you to not to… lie and cast aspersions in the name of Islam and the Malays.
"They have never been to Kampung Kerinchi and Seri Perlis Flats, they are so run down. We don't want the poor to be sidelined.
"It is our responsibility to use the law to push for the redevelopment of those areas," Anwar said after an event to launch the Malaysia Madani logo at a restaurant in Putrajaya on Friday (Feb 28).
Anwar said in Parliament on Feb 26 that the proposed law would help redevelop dilapidated housing schemes, especially flats and apartment buildings.
The proposed law would lower the threshold of necessary approvals from all owners of the flats.
For example, if the building is less than 30 years old, it will need 80% approval and those older than 30 years require 75% approval, Anwar said.
PAS and its allies in Perikatan Nasional have claimed that poor urban Malays could lose their houses under proposed law.
On Feb 26, PAS Youth deputy chief Mohd Hafez Sabri said that the party is planning to hold a mega rally to protest the proposed law.
