In a post on X, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad of PKR said the Urban Renewal Act would have a “major impact” on the future of Malaysia’s cities and on the country as a whole.
“It should not be rushed but should instead be deliberated upon judiciously and inclusively.”
Nik Nazmi, who resigned as the natural resources and environmental sustainability minister in May, also suggested that the Urban Renewal Bill be tabled only after the long-awaited Residential Tenancy Bill is realised.
The Residential Tenancy Bill is meant to regulate relations between landlords and tenants.
Nik Nazmi’s call for the second and third readings of the Urban Renewal Bill to be postponed comes days after seven PKR MPs called for the second reading of the bill in the Dewan Rakyat to be postponed due to concerns over the consent threshold under the proposed law.
Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail, who led the MPs in calling for the bill to be reviewed, expressed fears that the bill in its current form would be a “major political mistake”, affecting support for the unity government among urban voters staying in public housing projects.
Nik Nazmi today said his PKR colleagues had extremely valid concerns, especially over changes to the consent threshold for redevelopment projects.
Civil society and residents’ groups, on the other hand, have expressed anxieties over its impact on density and the extent to which stakeholders will be engaged, the Setiawangsa MP said.
“As such, I urge the government to refrain from taking it (the tabling of the bill) up again until the issues of concern surrounding it are comprehensively addressed.”
Earlier today, Lawyers for Liberty adviser N Surendran had also called for the bill to be scrapped.
“The government should go back to the drawing board and come up with a fair deal for Malaysians,” he said.
Surendran suggested that the consent threshold for redevelopment projects should be at least 95%, ideally 100%, to ensure broad community support.
“Under this bill, homeowners have no power to oppose redevelopment proposals. There is also no open tender system, which gives developers too much control,” he added, stressing that the government is effectively handing over redevelopment responsibilities to private developers.