DBKL to form task force ahead of Urban Renewal Act

 Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif says the task force will study the proposed law and help DBKL support property owners.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif said DBKL will work with professionals to assist owners and developers who are interested in taking up redevelopment work under the Urban Renewal Act.

PETALING JAYA:

 Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will set up a task force to guide stakeholders on urban redevelopment once the proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA) comes into effect, says Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif.

She said the task force would study the proposed law and help DBKL support property owners involved in redevelopment projects, The Edge reported.

“This is to ensure DBKL is well prepared to assist property owners with matters regarding urban redevelopment,” she said during a forum organised by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Institute.

“We are here to facilitate … DBKL will also work with professionals to assist owners and developers who are interested in taking up the redevelopment work.”

Maimunah stressed that while DBKL would play a supporting role, the initiative for redevelopment must come from property owners themselves.

“Urban development should be an owner-led initiative. Developers should be the last to step in,” she said.

The proposed URA, spearheaded by the housing and local government ministry, aims to replace outdated legislation governing the redevelopment of ageing and dilapidated areas.

However, the URA has sparked concern among civil society groups and opposition parties who argue that it could displace lower-income residents unable to afford redeveloped housing.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said the Act will not force property owners to give up their homes or change the ethnic makeup of neighbourhoods. - FMT