The Urban Renewal Act controversy explained

Free Malaysia Today

FMT takes a closer look at its origins, what it entails and why some are opposed to it.  Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/02/26/the-urban-renewal-act-controversy-explained/  Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5 Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Download FMT News App: Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46 App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP  #FMTNews #UrbanRenewalAct #Explained

Transcript

00:00The Urban Renewal Act, a proposed law that would allow land redevelopment without full

00:06owner consent, is being regarded as a solution for revitalizing neglected areas and redeveloping

00:12abandoned buildings.

00:14But not everyone is on board.

00:16Certain quarters argue that it could result in forced evictions, unfair land acquisitions,

00:22and the displacement of poorer citizens unable to afford their homes once the area is redeveloped.

00:28All these concerns stem from the proposed amendments to the Strata Titles Act 1985,

00:33perhaps the biggest point of contention of the bill.

00:36Presently, the Strata Titles Act requires a unanimous resolution of owners before the

00:41strata titles of a subdivided building can be terminated.

00:45But the Urban Renewal Act wants to change that.

00:48If passed, the new law would lower the consent threshold to 80% for properties under 30 years

00:53old, 75% for those over 30 years old, and 51% for abandoned buildings.

01:00This specific provision was not welcomed by many, including Chang Kim Lung, Secretary

01:05General of the National House Buyers Association, who warned that it could potentially undermine

01:10Article 13 of the federal constitution.

01:13Article 13 stipulates that no law shall provide for the compulsory acquisition or use of property

01:19without adequate compensation.

01:21Chang argued that the concept of adequate compensation in Malaysian law is subjective

01:26and can often be contentious.

01:28Another critic of the Act, past Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, alleged that the law

01:34is aimed at pushing poor Malays and Indians out of urban areas.

01:38But supporters such as Kepung MP Lim Lip Eng and Bukit Bundera MP Sherlina Abdul Rashid

01:44firmly believe that the law will benefit Malaysians living in deteriorating public housing.

01:49Lim said that under the Act, the original homeowners would be given new homes for free

01:54or at a discounted rate, regardless of their race.

01:58Sherlina also said the Act would improve the quality of life for thousands of Malaysians

02:03who currently live in deteriorating housing.

02:06On Tuesday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also reassured property owners that it would not

02:11force them to give up their homes or alter the ethnic composition of residential areas,

02:16as Tuan Ibrahim had previously claimed.

02:18It is clear that there are strong opinions on both sides.

02:22And one thing's for certain, with the bill yet to be tabled in Parliament, the conversation

02:26is far from over, with parties on all sides continuing to fight for the common goal of

02:31sustainable urban renewal.

02:34Natasha Bust, FMT News.

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