OPINION: Last Tuesday, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming was brimming with confidence, declaring his ministry “ever ready” to table the Urban Renewal Bill (URA) for its second reading in Parliament.
By Friday, that bravado evaporated. The Cabinet pulled the Bill, citing the need for “improvements” after feedback from MPs, Umno, and other ministers. Translation: the bulldozer stalled, and the driver had to reverse.
Stakeholders who had been ignored during the first reading—rammed through Parliament without meaningful debate -- breathed a sigh of relief. For once, their protests were heard, and the brakes were slammed and the driver was ordered to gostan (go astern.)
“If the Cabinet agrees, my message is simple: we are ever ready. We are ready to proceed with the second reading of the URA because we believe it is vital to the future of urban development,” Nga declared on Jan 21.
Although the Act’s second tabling was stalled last year, consensus was sought from the Cabinet which made the decision to postpone it, although its importance to Malaysia’s urban future remains undiminished.
Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said the decision was made to allow several amendments be made to the Bill for “improvement.”
“Partly, this was after (the cabinet) took into consideration the views of MPs who debated the bill at the Dewan Rakyat, and also feedback from our friends in Umno and other cabinet members”, he said.
Previously defiant, Nga and ministry officials refused to budge as the protests mounted from stakeholders.
Fahmi’s announcement was met with relief by stakeholders whose views were never considered, as the first reading was bulldozed through in Parliament.
Last August, the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) director-general, Dr Alias Rameli, said it was unreasonable to delay the reading of the Bill after more than a decade of consultations.
“Since 2023, we have held 108 engagement sessions with more than 5,000 participants, including academics, professionals, resident associations, and government officers.
“We do not see why there should be any postponement. This process started in 2012. Due diligence has been done, and the inputs have been comprehensive," he said.
Nga, however, cited different figures, stating that over the past three years, the ministry had conducted 128 engagement sessions on the URA involving more than 6,500 participants, including experts and academicians.
He rejected claims by the Opposition that the URA would erode land rights, noting that 534 sites nationwide had been gazetted for urban renewal by state governments, including those led by opposition parties.
Nga noted that over the past three years, the ministry conducted 128 engagement sessions on the URA with more than 6,500 participants, including experts and academicians.
Such sessions form the backbone of a democratic society, but how many parties did not agree with the Bill? How many gave conditional agreements?
Were the views of property owners represented by their associations, notably the National Homebuyers Association (HBA), even considered? If not, why?
The writing was on the wall last year: Umno’s Johari Abdul Ghani had already warned that the party will not support the Bill unless resolutions from the Urban Renewal Convention (held by Umno Wilayah), including developer accountability and fair compensation, were written into law. That was not nitpicking; that is the core of credibility.
Last week, the retreat continued, with Nga declaring that engagement sessions with stakeholders will continue to ensure that Bill gets support for an enhanced urban renewal agenda when it is re-tabled.
Consultation sessions are structured, purposeful meetings designed to exchange information, obtain expert advice, or facilitate decision-making, commonly utilised in business and public sectors.
Such dialogues allow participants to address specific concerns, share views, or develop action plans, but when the decision has already been made, they become formalities to comply with requirements as a window dressing.
But if such sessions are going to be repeated without considering the views of related parties, will it be a repeat of the 100-plus sessions previously held?
Will not be doing the same thing, trying to get a different result?
Nga insists his intentions are noble: to help the B40 and urban poor trapped in unsafe, dilapidated buildings. But noble intentions alone don’t build trust—they build slogans.
What builds trust are credible mechanisms: clear safeguards for land rights, transparent compensation frameworks, and enforceable accountability for developers who too often escape scrutiny.
Malaysia does not need another round of consultation theatre, where endless engagement sessions are staged like re-runs of a tired Drama Minggu Ini.
What it needs is legislation that listens to dissent, protects homeowners, and delivers tangible outcomes for communities.
Without these, the URA risks becoming a perpetual rehearsal, a Bill forever “ready” but never truly performed. We need legislation that listens, protects, and delivers.
More importantly, it must put people before developers.
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