KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party has voiced strong opposition to the proposed Urban Renewal Act, recently tabled in Parliament by Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
Its supreme council member and vice youth chief Yong Yit Jee noted that although the Urban Renewal Act currently applies only to West Malaysia and Labuan, Sabahans should not take it lightly.
"This law is designed to benefit large developers, with the federal minister given sweeping discretion to decide who profits. Sabahans will not allow our people’s homes, towns and communities to be sacrificed for private gain," he said.
Under the bill, buildings more than 30 years old may be declared "urban renewal areas" and demolished through compulsory acquisition, even if a quarter of owners object.
"This violates Article 13 of the Federal Constitution, which protects property rights, and puts entire communities at risk of forced eviction," Yong, who is also a practising lawyer, warned.
He stressed that housing, land and local government fall under the State List, with Article 95E of the Federal Constitution preventing Parliament from legislating on Borneo state matters without consent.
"Under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, Sabah and Sarawak were guaranteed control over land, housing and local governance. The Urban Renewal Act has no application here in Sabah, and Sabah Progressive Party will ensure it stays that way," he said.
Civil society groups have also criticised the bill, including Lawyers for Liberty describing it as "the biggest danger to property rights since independence", while the National House Buyers Association questioned the need to demolish buildings as young as 30 years when their lifespan is 70 to 100 years.
Most recently, a coalition of more than 80 residents’ associations and NGOs in the Klang Valley rejected the proposal as "defective, unsound, unlawful and devoid of legitimacy", warning that it permits compulsory acquisition with as little as 75% consent and risks uprooting entire communities.
"This is not just about a law. It is about protecting our homes, our communities and our constitutional safeguards. The danger is clear: if federal encroachment is tolerated in Malaya, it could one day be forced onto Sabah," Yong declared.
Sabah Progressive Party reaffirmed its stand, declaring: "Hands off our homes, our rights and our state. Decisions for Sabah must be made in Sabah, not Putrajaya."
