Anwar dismissed claims the bill would see Malay reserve land being seized, describing such accusations as false.

“If the land is Malay reserve land, it remains as Malay reserve land. If it belongs to the state government, it remains under the state. If it is privately owned strata land, it stays that way,” Bernama quoted him as saying at an event in Alor Setar, Kedah, today.

He said he will not allow the public to continue living in cramped and deteriorating homes, adding that he wants to use his authority to provide Malaysians with better housing and improved facilities.

“For example, in Kuala Lumpur, the Seri Perlis flats built in the 1960s are more than 50 years old and deteriorating. They only have one bedroom, and the poorest residents live there,” he said.

“As prime minister and finance minister, should I just let that be? How can we develop (urban areas) without amending the law?”

Anwar urged the public not to be misled by misinformation about the bill, leading to unnecessary protests.

This comes after PAS Youth deputy chief Hafez Sabri announced plans for a large-scale demonstration against the proposed bill.

Spearheaded by the housing and local government ministry, the proposed legislation has been touted by its minister, Nga Kor Ming, as necessary to replace outdated laws and regulations governing the redevelopment of dilapidated urban areas.

The Strata Titles Act 1985 presently requires a unanimous resolution of owners before strata titles issued in respect of a subdivided building can be terminated.

The Urban Renewal Act seeks to lower the threshold of strata owners’ consent to 80% for properties under 30 years old, 75% for those over 30 years old, and 51% for abandoned buildings.

The proposed legislation’s critics argue it will displace poorer citizens who may be unable to continue living in the area after it is redeveloped.