THE Johor Baru mayor says that the Urban Redevelopment Act (URA) will benefit the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. Local councils could rejuvenate their jurisdictions by redeveloping old and abandoned buildings and squatter areas.

In March, the housing and local government minister said the URA is in the final stages of drafting and will be tabled soon. The URA aims to improve redevelopment planning for isolated, old, and uneconomical areas, transforming them into zones offering a quality life. It also aims to create abundant investment opportunities, change the city skyline, generate hundreds of billions in gross development value, create new infrastructure, and increase tax revenue.

These are the selling points. But what about the displaced local residents and the environment? 

The number of owners required to agree to redevelopment under the proposed URA was a matter of heated contention during a recent forum.

The National House Buyers Association (HBA) argued that the property owners’ right to refuse should not be taken away by a redevelopment law in favour of developers.

Worse still is if the Land Acquisition Act (LAA) is invoked. A case in point is the Kampung Sungai Baru redevelopment. Under the LAA, state authorities have the power to compulsorily acquire land, ostensibly for public purposes, without provisions for objection. The law is adequate to provide justice to the parties; however, the practice has not achieved the law’s objectives. If a landowner can prove that the acquisition is not for public purpose or lacks good faith, they may apply to court but bear the burden of proof – a tedious process.

Stop using Singapore or Hong Kong as examples. They have limited land and their buildings are built on leasehold land.

The HBA said it is a regressive move because it is unconstitutional and a blatant contravention of Article 13 of the Federal Constitution – rights to own property – and the principles of indefeasibility of title enshrined in the National Land Code. It could extend to cover landed non-strata properties.

The last time this issue resurfaced was in 2019, and the government is trying its luck again.

Hopefully, the government is not siding with developers under the guise of economic drivers, seeking higher profit rather than rejuvenation or benefiting owners. Mixed developments are priced much higher than the demolished buildings. In Singapore, owners are given replacement units in the renewed and redeveloped land, not in some far-off location.

Redevelopment should promote racial, ethnic, and income mixing in neighbourhoods and not perpetuate patterns of “residential apartheid” or segregation.

Most targeted properties are older strata buildings, and proponents argue that they no longer complement modern high-end buildings. The HBA notes that developments in the 1990s were fairly well done with moderate density and plenty of open spaces under decent planning guidelines. Today, it is about more revenue and maximising profits, as confirmed by the minister himself.

Often, the displaced are low-income, elderly, or infirm individuals whose voices are often ignored. They tend to face hardships adapting to new surroundings.

A negative impact of urban regeneration is the loss or dilution of local culture, heritage, and diversity. It replaces historical buildings, landmarks, and traditions.

Concerns about housing affordability, traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, increased carbon footprint, infrastructure challenges, prevalence of crime, rising cost of living, and accessibility to basic amenities are secondary. Is the government saying that these issues are negligible compared to the money made under the name of redevelopment?

Developers reap instant benefits, while the government bears the infrastructure costs, and contractors also benefit from these projects.

Old buildings could be dangerous for occupation, but why allocate RM50 million to repair run-down lifts in low-cost strata houses? There are sufficient laws to upgrade dilapidated buildings. Just review the uniform building bylaws to see what upgrades could be introduced for a safe and clean environment for occupants.

What about liveability, inclusiveness, sustainability, and resilience? What if the redevelopment project is abandoned or becomes a sick project?

The ministry should focus on solving abandoned housing projects where many buyers were left in the lurch, as well as projects completed years ago without strata titles, thus shortchanging owners. The Commissioner of Buildings (COB) must be proactive in sorting out issues like this. There is plenty of room for improvements to reduce issues at COB.

The Urban Renewal Implementation Guidelines are a strategic tool, inviting developers to revitalise areas with untapped potential through attractive incentives. It states that “the impact of potential redevelopment is expected to increase more than 139 areas and it is highly encouraged to create a more attractive environment in Kuala Lumpur.”

There could be avaricious developers who get favourable assistance. Development or redevelopment must be based on the needs of city residents and not developers.

Greater Kuala Lumpur, Iskandar, and Greater Penang account for nearly 60% of the peninsula’s population. The slow development of efficient public transport and limited attention to environmental aspects have resulted in a loss of efficiency and productivity, as shown in the latest IMD Competitiveness Index.

Conversion of land use is rampant, and different plot ratios at the maximum cap result in saturated developments. The draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 has a lot to show. The rise in the number of strata residential buildings calls for effective enforcement of the Strata Management Act. The KL mayor’s authority over plans should be checked and balanced.

Our land use planning is poor. The Middle Ring Road 2 in Selangor area is categorised F (severely congested), but the local authorities still approve new developments there.

There is an urgent need for policy reforms.

What happened to smart cities? More than 29% of Malaysians, most of them young adults, have been diagnosed with psychological distress, The B40 group is most afflicted due to financial restrictions and limited access to healthcare. Urbanisation does not always bring prosperity.

In the meantime, I applaud DBKL’s aim for a 100% increase in green spaces by 2040 and to achieve a ratio of 20sq m of green space per resident.

The proposed URA should mandate social impact assessments to ensure future developments are well-planned, effective, and positively impact the social well-being and welfare of urban residents.

However, in Malaysia, the accomplishments of policies, strategies, and programmes do not commensurate with stated targets and objectives.

Why encourage urban migration to already congested cities? Rural planning comes under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development. Why can’t the ministries coordinate? According to DoSM, only 5% of our land is urban, yet 78% of our population is concentrated here.

In the meantime, look at the iconic Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad and Carcosa Seri Negara. Conflicts over ownership and lack of accountability have left them in poor condition. They are good prospects to be listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites.

What say you… – June 26, 2024.

* Saleh Mohammed reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.