Seeking changes: Suren (seated, centre) and Chang (seated, second from left) at the press conference on the Urban Renewal Act in Petaling Jaya. — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The controversial Urban Renewal Act (URA) continues to be a source of concern for resident associations, with groups calling on Putrajaya to withdraw the Bill until the government has reviewed the current consent threshold required by developers to manage redevelopment projects.
They feel that the current consent threshold is too low because under the proposed URA, projects initiated by either Federal (FEC) or State Executive Committees (SEC) need an 80% consent threshold for buildings less than 30 years old, 75% for buildings older than 30 years old, and 51% for abandoned structures.
KL Residents Action for Sustainable Development (KLRA+SD) chairperson Tan Booi Charn said her group, which represents 75 resident associations in Kuala Lumpur, does not reject urban renewal, but stressed that any form of rejuvenation must be done with safeguards to protect the rights of house owners.
According to Tan, KLRA+SD has engaged with the Housing and Local Government Ministry in three official meetings since last year, and has submitted its recommendations to PLANMalaysia, but none of it was taken up.
“When the first reading was tabled in Parliament last week, we were shocked to find out that almost all of our proposed key points were not taken into consideration,” she said.
Tan added that the Bill to introduce the URA should not proceed for its second and third readings in Parliament.
“Without important safeguards, we are doomed,” she said.
The group also criticised the Bill as being developer-centric, with some saying they were already being harassed by developers into accepting deals to redevelop their houses.
Tan was part of a joint press conference yesterday involving Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), PJ Sejahtera, the National House Buyers Association, Taman Sri Endah Apartments Management Committee, Taman Segar Flat Rukun Tetangga, Taman Cantek Apartment Residents, Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park Low-Cost Flat Residents Action Committee and Kampung Sungai Baru Action Committee.
Taman Sri Endah Apartment Management Committee member Moksin Junaid said that in 2022, he was approached by a developer to surrender his apartment unit for redevelopment.
He said the developer had used various tactics to pressure residents into accepting deals, which had sown distrust and disunity among residents.
“Some wanted to stay, and some wanted to leave. So, this has made things very complicated. I’m not against urban renewal, but it must be fair and transparent,” he added.
National House Buyers Association secretary-general Datuk Chang Kim Loong said the consent threshold to rejuvenate a building is too low, given that the lifespan of a building is between 70 and 80 years.
“So, why 30 years for the consent threshold?” he questioned.
Chang also criticised Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming for citing 1 Razak Mansion and Kampung Kerinchi as successful urban redevelopment projects.
“Please don’t take credit for this. This was done by the previous administration,” he said.
LFL adviser N. Surendran said poor residents without lawyers will be the most at risk of being coerced by developers into giving consent to redevelop their homes.
“We’ve seen how it’s done; they are bullied and harassed into giving consent.
“Our first demand is to withdraw the Bill.
“If you don’t withdraw the Bill, at least remove the Parliamentary whip so that backbencher MPs can vote based on their conscience,” he said.
Kampung Sungai Baru Action Committee representative Rafidah Ibrahim said her group will hold a protest today to express their displeasure with the URA, where they will walk from the National Monument to Parliament at 9.30am to submit a memorandum.
The URA is scheduled for second reading in Parliament tomorrow.
