Developers duping KL residents into giving up homes and land, claims Mukhriz

Mukhriz said this was shocking especially since the Urban Renewal Bill had yet to be passed in Parliament.

The former Kedah menteri besar said the residents were asked in the survey about the types of facilities they hoped for and to tick boxes provided in the sheet.

“They are then asked to sign and write down their identification numbers, and there’s more fine print at the bottom that isn’t explained to them,” he said at a press conference after a roundtable discussion with representatives of the Kuala Lumpur Residents Alliance and Sustainable Development (KLRA+SD).

The event was also attended by representatives of Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Muda, Urimai, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia.

Mukhriz said this was a deceitful act that would strip residents of their rights.

He claimed that their signatures would be construed as them agreeing to give up their land or homes for redevelopment.

He said this was among the reasons why today’s roundtable discussion unanimously agreed to reject the Urban Renewal Bill.

Mukhriz said the bill should be rejected as a whole, and not merely improved upon.

“Existing laws can be used to renew or allow for regeneration in old, dilapidated housing areas, instead of demolishing and rebuilding them,” he said.

He also said the opposition would hold a roadshow across the country to explain the alleged threats posed by the bill.

The bill will be debated in the Dewan Rakyat in the next meeting which commences in October, with a new consent rule to be introduced following pushback from MPs and civil groups.

Housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming later said he would hold opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin to his word that Perikatan Nasional would not oppose the bill when it comes up for debate and a vote at the Parliament meeting.

Nga said Hamzah had promised the prime minister the opposition was only asking for the bill to be deferred.