Urban renewal bill must be improved and refined, says Umno

Party welcomes withdrawal of bill, says new version must take in recommendations by Umno special committee headed by vice-president Johari Ghani.

Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the party is not against urban development. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Umno has welcomed the Cabinet’s decision to withdraw the proposed Urban Renewal Bill, saying the legislation should only be retabled in Parliament after substantial improvements.

Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki stressed that the party is not against urban development.

“However, the bill must be improved and refined. This includes several amendments as recommended by the Umno special committee tasked with making improvements to the bill, chaired by vice-president Johari Ghani,” he said in a statement.

Earlier today, government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet has decided to retract the bill after taking into account the concerns raised by MPs, ministers and “friends from Umno”.

Asked when the bill will be retabled, Fahmi said the Cabinet will leave it to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to draft the new version.

Resistance to the bill from both the opposition and some in the government bloc, including Barisan Nasional and seven PKR MPs, prevented the bill from being passed during the last Dewan Rakyat meeting in August.

The bill aims to redevelop old, dilapidated housing areas to ensure the wellbeing of residents and sustainable urban development.

The bill outlines three types of projects – redevelopment involving tearing down and rebuilding housing projects; regeneration involving repairs or upgrades to dilapidated or abandoned buildings; and revitalisation pertaining to upgrading or improving an area without demolition. - FMT