PSB much needed to help poor, critics just stoking fires
BY: RODZIAH ISMAIL
Whenever the government proposes changes with the good of the people in mind, there are always political opponents who raise objections for the sake of creating issues and unhappiness.
A case in point is the Akta Pembaharuan Semula Bandar which is expected to be tabled later this year, and is an initiative by the government to resolve long-standing deadlock over development.
The new law would lower the consent threshold required for an en bloc sale, depending on the age of the building, and this has brought about a predictable chorus of criticism from the opposition camp.
The thing is that as many as 78 percent of Malaysians now live in urban centres such as KL, Selangor, Penang, Ipoh and Johor Baru and many low-income Malay families continue to live in cramped and poorly maintained units despite Malaysia’s economic progress.
The protesters such as PAS Youth are objecting to the PSB claiming to defend Malay rights. But what they are actually doing is standing in the way of progress when the government is trying to help urban Malays who have been left to suffer in poverty under previous administrations.
Ironically PAS itself has no record of helping urban Malays!
As prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself said, the opposition claim that using Malay reserve land for urban development will destroy Malay ownership is a lie.
It is in fact a great way to revitalise urban centres, especially those areas with ageing infrastructure. The PSB would allow for better restructuring and planning in deteriorating townships that initially grew haphazardly albeit organically.
This would allow better access to an upgraded public transport system and key institutions such as hospitals and schools, simultaneously enhancing community services, and increasing job opportunities.
I look forward to the PSB being passed in Parliament because there are many run-down and decaying low-cost flats in my constituency of Ampang.
To improve further the wellbeing of mostly urban dwellers, we need to review the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) as well.
Under the current law which demands unanimous consent of the owners, much needed redevelopment can be prevented if just one owner refuses to sell, leading to decaying and substandard buildings being left to decay.
Just imagine, the Housing and Local Government Ministry has identified up to 139 pieces of land in Kuala Lumpur for redevelopment, with 91 of them being residential properties, and if projects under the PSB are approved this can generate an estimated gross development value of RM332.5 billion.
Under the proposed law, buildings under 30 years old could be sold with 80 per cent consent from the owners, those older than 30 years would require only two-thirds consent and building that are deemed unsafe or abandoned, would need just half of the owners to approve the sale.
Our government’s objective is to improve living conditions by providing larger, more comfortable homes for urban people, with the Malay community in particular, being impacted positively.
Critics should self-reflect and ask if they are really helping the issue or just finding things to shout about.
RODZIAH ISMAIL is Ampang MP of PKR.
Â