KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) is set to conduct a visit on April 29 to dilapidated flat sites that urgently require redevelopment.
Its minister Nga Kor Ming said they will invite MPs and senators, particularly from the Opposition, to witness the situation firsthand and better understand the importance of the Urban Renewal Act.
"We will invite all interested parties and take a bus from Parliament to visit four sites — two in very poor condition and two that have undergone successful redevelopment.
"So, you can see with your own eyes the before and after, then make your own assessment on why this Act is so important," he told the press after the Sembang Kopi programme yesterday.
Also present were Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, Sinar Harian group editor-in-chief Zamri Rambli, and RTM Current Affairs News deputy director Md Shahri Saripan.
Nga said the redevelopment would provide homeowners with better housing and increase property values.
For instance, he noted that a 421-square-foot unit in Razak Mansion, previously valued at RM70,000, saw its value rise fivefold to RM418,000 after redevelopment, with the new unit measuring 820 square feet.
Some 534 sites nationwide have been identified as suitable for redevelopment, including iconic locations like the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
Previously, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim assured that the Bill would not alter the status of the affected land, dismissing claims that it would result in the seizure of Malay reserve land as outright misinformation.
Meanwhile, the minister reminded travellers returning to their hometowns for Hari Raya Aidilfitri to refrain from littering while driving to maintain cleanliness.
Nga said KPKT had tabled the amendments to the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007, the Local Government Act 1976; and the Streets, Drainage, and Building Act 1974 for their first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.
“Among the amendments is a provision allowing courts to impose up to 12 hours of community service for minor littering offences,” he said.
— Bernama
