KUALA LUMPUR: Urban renewal must be prioritised to protect public health and ensure the safety of communities, as many ageing strata properties are showing signs of severe deterioration, according to the Malaysian Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute.
It said the issue was a key focus of the recent International Strata Symposium, held on April 8 and 9, in conjunction with Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean.
The event brought together experts from Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia to discuss legal reforms and redevelopment strategies for ageing strata developments.
Rehda Institute warned that inaction on urban renewal could accelerate property value decline and increase social and economic costs.
“Delaying intervention in areas experiencing urban decay risks worsening problems such as crime, economic stagnation, inequality and further devaluation of properties,” it said, Bernama reported.
The institute highlighted early warning signs in parts of Kuala Lumpur, especially in ageing flats suffering from poor maintenance and a lack of reinvestment.
It also cautioned that without timely intervention, these neighbourhoods could devolve into urban slums and added that strategic, policy-led reforms are critical to preventing long-term social fragmentation and avoiding costly repairs in the future.
Regarding land rights concerns, Rehda Institute said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and policymakers have pledged legal protections for individual property ownership.
“These legal safeguards will support transparent, community-driven urban renewal and reinforce property rights,” it said.
