Meeting the Concorde Club: Nga (seated, third from left) attending the gathering with (seated, from left) Sinchew Daily deputy executive editor-in-chief Tay Tian Yan, Xinhua News Agency KL bureau chief Mao Pengfei, Wong and Chin (standing, third from right). — SAMUEL ONG/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has no issue with PAS Youth’s planned rally against the proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA) as it respects the right to peaceful protest, says Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.
However, he made it clear that the organisers should engage the issue with rational arguments instead of inflaming sentiments.
“Let’s talk sense,” he said.
The government acknowledges the right to peaceful assembly, he said, citing the example of events such as the Turun Anwar rally in July where security measures were put in place.
Nga said this yesterday to media practitioners who attended a Concorde Club meeting here yesterday.
Also present was Star Media Group deputy executive editor Christina Chin.
The Concorde Club is an informal group of editors and senior journalists who meet with politicians and other key policy makers.
Previous guests of the Concorde Club, led by Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, included Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and other political leaders such as Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Anthony Loke and Nurul Izzah Anwar.
PAS Youth has invited parties and non-governmental groups to help organise a rally on Oct 4 here to protest against the proposed URA.
Critics of the URA were of the view that the proposed law is skewed towards developers.
Nga, however, questioned whether the opposition coalition was objecting to its own earlier proposals.
“Please be reminded that there are 534 urban renewal areas which have been proposed and gazetted by state governments, including the SG4 states,” he said, referring to the state governments of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, and Perlis.
“Kedah has 55 sites gazetted, Terengganu has 22 and Kelantan has four urban renewal areas proposed by the PAS government.
“So are they actually opposing what they themselves proposed? I don’t know. Let the people judge,” he said.
He noted that some of the gazetted areas that were located in PAS-led states dated back to 2015.
“They proposed the gazette but have done nothing. Either there is a lacuna in the law that stops them from doing so or there is no political will to help residents living in dilapidated flats,” he said.
Nga argued it would be more reasonable for PAS state governments to resolve the issues in areas they had already gazetted instead of holding a rally.
On the government’s plan for the URA, Nga said: “Our intention is genuine. As a responsible government, it is our duty to do the right thing.”
He expressed concern for the next generation if urban renewal efforts were not implemented.
“I do not want our next generation to continue living in slums if nothing is done. I can foresee in the next 20 years that many of our current dilapidated buildings will no longer be habitable. They will become dangerous and unsafe,” he said.
The proposed URA, is expected to be debated during the Dewan Rakyat meeting next month.
It seeks to facilitate redevelopment projects by lowering the consent threshold required from residents, depending on the age of the building.
While residents are entitled to compensation under the draft law, critics say the provisions are insufficient.
PAS has alleged that redevelopment could lead to Malays being marginalised in urban areas.
