KUALA LUMPUR: The National House Buyers Association (HBA) has called for an independent commission to oversee the Urban Renewal Act (URA) bill, saying the law cannot rely solely on committees made up of civil servants.
HBA honorary secretary-general Datuk Chang Kim Loong said the commission should be accountable to parliament, led by a retired senior federal court judge and supported by experts and stakeholders.
“The independent URA commission can be headed by a retired senior federal court judge and assisted by experts and stakeholders, not government officials,” he told the New Straits Times today.
Chang said stakeholders could include the Institute of Engineers Malaysia, the Construction Industry Development Board, the Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Residents Action for Sustainable Development (KLRA+SD), the Malaysian Bar, and the Malaysian Association of Social Impact Assessment.
Housing and Local Government minister Nga Kor Ming held a 40-minute press briefing to address concerns over the bill and offered several assurances.
Chang, however, said verbal promises were not enough and called for the accompanying rules and regulations to be tabled before the bill is voted on.
“(Nga) made a lot of promises. We can’t rely on promises.
“We do not know what the rules and regulations will be.
“Reveal the rules and regulations, then everything can be smoothed out and fine-tuned so the law can work,” he said, warning that vague assurances could lead to ambiguity and uncertainty.
He said that making the rules and regulations public would ensure that those affected fully understood the law.
The HBA also voiced concerns about timelines in the bill.
“According to the bill, within 24 months, the developer must start work. The Minister just announced that developers chosen to undertake redevelopment have 36 months to complete it.
It means the developer has five years, or 60 months, to finish the development and deliver vacant possession and ownership documents, with utilities in place,” he said.
Chang contrasted this with current housing laws, which require landed properties to be completed within 24 months and strata-titled properties within 36 months, with developers required to obtain a licence before selling.
“Under the URA, it takes a long time for the original residents to wait for their new home – and that’s if the government doesn’t grant developers an extension of time, which the bill allows,” he said.
KLRA+SD policy advisor JS Han echoed similar concerns, saying the measures highlighted by Nga were inadequate.
“The measures mentioned by the minister, such as due diligence on consent obtained and mediation, are at most remedial, not preventive.
“Key processes such as obtaining consent should not be done by developers in the first place due to conflicts of interest,” he said.
Han also criticised questionable tactics where residents are pressured or misled into giving consent.
He said the bill should be more clearly defined and widely discussed to ensure informed, constructive feedback from members of parliament before debate resumes.
“Verbal assurances have limited reliability, are open to interpretation, and can change depending on who holds office.
“This is compounded by the over-concentration of powers on the minister, whom the Federal Executive Committee reports to, along with a lack of checks and balances and public accountability,” he said.
Han said stronger safeguards must be built into the act.
“The staged process the minister mentioned, such as considering revitalisation and regeneration first before redevelopment, is not reflected in the wording or spirit of the current bill,” he added.
The second and third reading of the bill at the Dewan Rakyat had been postponed to the next sitting.
It covers three distinct aspects of development, namely revitalisation, regeneration and redevelopment.
It has recently drawn protests from various quarters, including a rally outside parliament earlier this week urging that it not be passed.
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