KUALA LUMPUR: The controversy surrounding the redevelopment of Kampung Sungai Baru must serve as a cautionary tale for the government as it prepares to push through the Urban Renewal Bill (URA), said Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani.
Johari, who is the Titiwangsa member of Parliament, said rushing legislation like the URA could lead to long-term problems.
“What happened in Kampung Sungai Baru should be a lesson for the Urban Renewal Bill. The bill is not just about an act.
“If it’s a public project like an MRT or road, fine. But renewal projects usually involve commercial value,” he said during an interview on the ‘Podcast Utama’ programmme, aired on TV3 tonight.
He also warned that developers must be credible, financially stable, and capable of completing projects.
“That’s why I say when we talk about the Urban Renewal Bill, we cannot rush. If rushed and passed in Parliament, we will face problems later because the law is about taking people’s homes.
“There are many rules we must set to reassure people. If this is not clear, if rules are made only after the law, that’s unacceptable. Rules must be clear before and ideally, inserted into the law itself,” he said.
Johari said failed projects could leave displaced residents in limbo.
“If not, residents who were once homeowners become squatters. That cannot happen. Renewal projects should not produce squatters.”
Johari also believed that the Land Acquisition Act must be separated from urban renewal issues, and that the Act, while necessary, had been misused.
“When we talk about renewal, it’s a different context. I am not a lawyer, but the Act was originally for public infrastructure such as roads, water treatment plants, LRT, MRT. But now it is being misused for redevelopment,” he said.
On Sept 11, a court-ordered operation to demolish houses at Kg Sungai Baru turned tense when a standoff occurred between a group of people and the police.
The resulting scuffle left Dang Wangi police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulizmie Affendy Sulaiman injured.
The government gazetted the land acquisition of Kg Sungai Baru for redevelopment on June 21, 2021, involving 420 residential units.
This followed negotiations with residents from 2016 to 2020.
However, problems began when a minority group expressed dissatisfaction with the developer’s joint venture agreement and compensation.
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