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THE Malaysian government is prepared to amend the proposed Urban Renewal Bill (RUU PSB), including adjusting the contentious threshold percentage of property owners’ consent, following concerns raised in Parliament.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday that no proposed legislation is without flaws and welcomed constructive suggestions to improve the Bill.
"I must emphasise here, Yang Berhormat Larut, I welcome this (feedback) because no single piece of legislation can be absolutely perfect. So, do provide suggestions, and if necessary, we can amend the Urban Renewal Bill at a later stage," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin (PN-Larut), who asked whether the second reading of the Bill could be postponed to allow for further discussions before the opposition decides on supporting it.
The Prime Minister strongly rejected racialised narratives surrounding the Bill, particularly accusations that it was a strategy by the Chinese community to seize Malay rights.
"Let us not assume that this proposed Urban Renewal Bill is a Chinese strategy to take away Malay rights. I disagree with that. I am not a puppet. I sit here in this House with a mandate from the people, and I must defend the interests of the Malay Bumiputera majority," he asserted.
Anwar further stated that the government remains open to refining the legislation based on sound proposals, including changes to the consent threshold.
"Whether the consent threshold should be 30, 40, or 50 percent—those are details that require thorough discussion. But we cannot allow urban development to be neglected," he said.
Referring to the state of housing in the capital, Anwar noted, "In Kuala Lumpur, for instance, we have the Petronas Twin Towers, but the condition of some people’s homes is like squatting in poverty."
He emphasised the importance of urban redevelopment to provide better living conditions, particularly for the Malay majority.
"We must consider this in its proper context and give the government the opportunity to build more comfortable housing suited to the present time, because the majority of the population are Malays," he added. - August 28, 2025