Do we need it? Probably, yes. But it means nothing if the Urban Renewal Act (URA) results only in the building of new condominiums and apartments that are higher.
We need schools, police stations, hospitals, fire stations and better public transport. What we are seeing now are new high-rise residential buildings going up, but no new schools, no new police stations, no new fire stations.
Adding new schools, police stations, hospitals, and fire stations will definitely increase the number of civil servants, as these are classified as civil servants under our Federal Constitution, which would impact the administration's effort to reduce the 'bloating', so to speak. (They could improve the 'bloating' by defining where the 'bloating' is, and make targeted cuts there, but they still want to have so many ministries despite having fewer parties in their coalition, and we have not yet seen any concrete actions in reducing the ‘bloating’).
Improving public transport would affect the automotive industry as improved public transportation reduces the need for cars and motorcycles.
Perhaps what should come together with the URA is the effort to relocate businesses and industries outside of urban areas. Tax incentives can be given for the move. As businesses and industries move to lesser developed areas, these areas get much-needed development. The schools in these rural areas, already suffering from the lack of new students, would be reinvigorated, while schools at urban locations get a reprieve, both in terms of class room sizes and number of teachers required. Local hospitals are improved to cater for a larger population while relieving the congestion in major cities.
Most of these rural areas need better infrastructure and connectivity to support these businesses and infrastructure. Therefore, it is a win-win situation. Not just a win for the developers.
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