URA to target neglected areas by cutting strata owner approval to 80%

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said Urban Renewal Act (URA) would address neglected and deteriorated areas in Malaysia by reducing satra owner consent to 80 per cent. 

“Why does our country need the Urban Renewal Act?

“One successful example to follow is the High Line in New York.

“It was once dirty, dilapidated, and uninhabitable.

“Now, it is clean, modern, and a popular tourist attraction.

“The power of change,” he said in a Facebook post. 

The High Line in New York City, America is an elevated park built on a former freight rail line.

Once an abandoned and deteriorating railway, it was transformed into a modern public space featuring gardens, pathways, and seating areas. 

The High Line has become a popular attraction and a model for urban renewal, demonstrating how repurposing old infrastructure can create vibrant, usable public spaces.

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) aims to lower the threshold for strata owners’ consent to 80% under the proposed URA, which is currently being drafted. 

Nga announced last month that KPKT aims to present the bill to Parliament by November.

He further stressed the urgency of getting the bill passed, pointing out that Malaysia is 30 years behind other Asian countries in urban redevelopment.

Under the current laws, Section 57 of the Strata Titles Act 1985 (Act 318), a unanimous resolution is required to terminate strata titles in a subdivided building.

The proposed URA aims to reduce strata owners’ consent to 80 per cent.