DAP MP slams PAS for spreading fear over Urban Renewal Act

Summary

• Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng accuses PAS of using racial scare tactics by falsely claiming that the Urban Renewal Act (URA) is designed to displace certain communities and enable local government election.

• Lim clarifies that URA focuses on redeveloping unsafe housing while prioritising existing homeowners, offering them better units in the same location, either for free or at a discount.

• Housing Minister Nga Kor Ming also refutes claims that URA would push out Malays and Indians, emphasising that it safeguards property ownership and aims to modernise ageing urban housing.

Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has hit back at PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man over his claims that the Urban Renewal Act (URA) is a scheme to displace certain communities and pave the way for local government election.

In a statement today, Lim accused PAS of resorting to racial scare tactics due to a lack of real issues to champion.  

“The reality is that URA aims to redevelop old, unsafe, and high-risk housing areas. Many of these buildings have structural issues, outdated electrical and drainage systems, and lack modern facilities.

“If PAS wants to defend crumbling houses and let people live in dangerous conditions, that’s their choice. But the Madani government will not allow urban poverty to persist out of fear of change,” he said.

Lim dismissed claims that the URA was a “covert method” to displace Malays and Indians from cities, explaining that original homeowners - regardless of race - are prioritised.

“They are not evicted; instead, they are offered better housing in the same location, either for free or at a discounted price.

“So where is this so-called ‘eviction’ agenda coming from? Or is PAS afraid that people will realise the truth and stop falling for their propaganda?” he questioned.  

‘Is this North Korea?’

The DAP lawmaker also mocked Tuan Ibrahim’s argument that existing laws - requiring 100 percent homeowner approval for redevelopment - are sufficient.  

“What logic is PAS using? How do you get full approval when some homeowners are deceased, missing, or caught in ownership disputes?

“If we follow PAS’ reasoning, development will never happen. Only in North Korea are decisions accepted without question,” he added.  

Lim urged PAS to stop misleading the public with conspiracy theories, insisting that the URA is a government initiative to improve people’s living conditions, not a “political plot”.

The proposed Act - which has yet to be tabled in Parliament - has been touted as a means to redevelop old housing in cities.

One area it proposes to tackle is the 100 percent consent hurdle for the government to redevelop old strata housing.

‘House-Grabbing Act’

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming had reportedly suggested that the consent threshold be lowered to 80 percent for buildings under 30 years old, 75 percent for buildings over 30 years old, and 51 percent for unsafe or abandoned properties.

Last October, Nga, in response to criticism from PAS about the bill, denied that it would target any races.

However, opposition MPs said the Act is a subtle way to push poor Malays and Indians out of urban areas.

Muda’s Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said the government should rename it the “House-Grabbing Act”, claiming it would reduce the development consent threshold from 100 percent to 80 percent.

Nga refuted this yesterday, saying the proposed Act safeguards the original ownership of properties and that no party would forcibly seize them, dismissing critics’ concerns that it could marginalise certain communities.

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