Govt mulls law to refurbish old buildings, neglected urban areas 

KUALA LUMPUR – The government today said it is working on drafting legal provisions to enable urban renewal efforts, which are currently hampered by numerous overlapping laws that govern the management of buildings and areas in urban centres.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Reezal Merican Naina Merican said specific laws for urban renewal would allow for more targeted plans to refurbish dilapidated buildings and neglected urban spaces, which currently come under an Urban Renewal Implementation Guideline.

“This is why we want to draft a specific act or provision that addresses urban renewal,” he told Parliament during Question Time.

Reezal said the government is studying possible amendments to the Strata Title Act 1985 and related land ownership laws to include provisions to allow urban renewal plans, particularly for dilapidated buildings that come under strata schemes.

The government is also working on drafting an urban renewal law, under which it intends to establish a regulatory body to manage urban renewal plans, including funding for reconstruction work and land acquisition, and building synergy between federal agencies and local communities, he said.

Reezal said his ministry is in the midst of a regulatory impact assessment to study the feasibility of the proposed laws and amendments. – The Vibes, March 22, 2022