Urban Renewal Act Will Benefit Malays Pm S Aide

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The proposed Urban Renewal Act will allow more Malays to own property in urban areas, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary.
Azman Abidin dismissed the opposition’s view that the proposal was a subtle tactic to displace Malays from urban areas.
“The purpose of the Act is not only to rebuild old buildings or residences but also to require developers to construct more affordable housing units that can be sold or owned.  
“The existing redevelopment approval conditions require developers to build a high ratio of affordable housing units to balance out free-market units.
“The majority of these affordable housing units are owned by Malays. Therefore, with this Act, old or dilapidated residential areas will be redeveloped, allowing more affordable units to be built and owned by Malays, in addition to the existing replacement units they receive,” he told Malaysiakini.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s aide Azman AbidinLowering redevelopment consent threshold
The Urban Renewal Act - which has yet to be tabled in Parliament - has been touted as a means to redevelop old housing in cities.
One area it proposes to tackle is the 100 percent consent hurdle for the government to redevelop old strata housing.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming had reportedly suggested that the consent threshold be lowered to 80 percent for buildings under 30 years old, 75 percent for buildings over 30 years old, and 51 percent for unsafe or abandoned properties.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor MingCritics of the bill mainly claim that it would be a means to oust the poor, especially Malays, from urban areas.
Curbing development in sensitive areas
However, Azman rejected these claims, saying that the Act would also help reduce development on environmentally sensitive vacant land.
“This includes reserved open spaces, green reserves, river reserves, or water catchment areas, which are often lobbied for by developers.
“This is because the land use zones designated for redevelopment are already intended for residential, mixed-use, or commercial purposes.
“Therefore, issues of development on gazetted land or land that contradicts zoning regulations will not arise,” he added.
Azman, who is also the Federal Territories PKR chairperson, said that this Act would address the issue of dilapidated housing inherited by the second generation.
“Typically, citizens or the first generation of families occupy old or deteriorating homes.
“Once redevelopment takes place, the new properties can be inherited by the next generation of the family,” he added. - Mkini

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