PETALING JAYA: The Cabinet must proceed with caution when drafting the Urban Redevelopment Act (URA) to ensure it does not exacerbate the issue of overcrowded schools in urban areas, said Seputeh MP Teresa Kok.
Kok said the Cabinet should mandate that local councils coordinate with education departments on redevelopment projects to avoid overcrowding schools.
“Developers of high-density redevelopment projects should be asked to contribute to funds to build schools, too,” she said in a statement.
“I urge all councils to hold meaningful consultations with all stakeholders, including the education ministry, before allowing approvals.
“We should be mindful of not repeating urban nightmares caused by the previous government in certain parts of the Klang Valley.”
On March 8, the housing and local government ministry announced that it has nearly completed the draft of Malaysia’s first URA, which it hopes to table in the Dewan Rakyat soon.
Its minister, Nga Kor Ming, said the ministry had held numerous town hall sessions with stakeholders, including Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the state governments.
He said that once the Act is approved by Parliament, it will unlock numerous investment opportunities to change the city’s skyline and generate “hundreds of billions” in gross development value.
Urban planning and development are pivotal to Malaysia’s economic and social agenda, particularly as the current 78% urbanisation rate is expected to increase to 84% by 2040.
According to Nga, some areas in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya could deteriorate into slums within 20 years, resulting in many ugly, rundown and uninhabitable strata properties if there is no intervention. - FMT
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