Lawmakers ask to delay second reading of Urban Renewal Bill for further review

• The Members of Parliament have called for the Bill to be referred to two committees—Infrastructure, Transportation and Communications, and Women, Children and Community Development—and for a full social impact study to be commissioned.

KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 21): Lawmakers from both sides of the political divide want the Housing and Local Government Ministry to defer the second reading of the Urban Renewal Bill 2025 (URA Bill) and have it referred to relevant parliamentary special select committees for further scrutiny.

The Members of Parliament have called for the Bill to be referred to two committees—Infrastructure, Transportation and Communications, and Women, Children and Community Development—and for a full social impact study to be commissioned.

Parliamentary special select committees are small groups of lawmakers who closely examine and review important issues or bills before the full Parliament decides.

The call came after Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming tabled the Bill for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday. The second and third readings are scheduled for next Wednesday (Aug 27).

One of the contentious provisions is Clause 19, which sets consent thresholds for redevelopment at 80% for buildings aged 30 years or less, 75% for buildings older than 30 years, and 51% for abandoned or structurally unsafe buildings as certified by a professional engineer.

At a press conference in Parliament, a group of government backbenchers led by Wong Chen (PH–Subang) warned that the proposed thresholds could undermine homeowners’ rights and displace underprivileged tenants in city centres.

Citing a survey conducted in Subang, they said nearly 73% of low-cost housing occupants are tenants, while most unit owners are from middle- or upper-income groups.

With absentee owners likely to support redevelopment, the MPs cautioned that the Bill could accelerate gentrification and push underprivileged tenants out of city centres.

They proposed raising the consent threshold to 85% for buildings older than 30 years and 90% for those younger than 30 years to better safeguard homeowners and social housing tenants.

In addition, they demanded a guarantee of one-to-one replacement for low-cost units in any redevelopment plan.

“If the government proceeds with this URA Bill as it stands, it risks alienating urban voters, particularly in constituencies where social housing is concentrated. This would be a grave political mistake,” Wong said.

The group included Rodziah Ismail (PH–Ampang), Zahir Hassan (PH–Wangsa Maju), Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH–Ledang), Tan Kar Hing (PH–Gopeng), Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (PH–Balik Pulau) and Lee Chean Chung (PH–Petaling Jaya).

Meanwhile, Opposition chief whip Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan highlighted that the committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, chaired by Yusuf Abd Wahab (GPS–Tanjong Manis), had also sent a letter to Nga raising several concerns on the Bill.

“Thus, I am requesting here for the minister to delay the second reading. This is a request from the (select committee) itself because there are many pending issues,” he said.

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