HBA backs Hannah Yeoh’s transparency push on big projects, flags policy inconsistency over URA

PETALING JAYA (Jan 22): The National House Buyers Association Malaysia (HBA) has welcomed the move to require greater disclosure and early consultation in urban development, and stresses that democratic participation must take place before decisions affecting communities are finalised.

HBA issued the statement on Tuesday in response to Federal Territories Minister Hannah Yeoh’s announcement that Kuala Lumpur Members of Parliament (MPs) will now have a formal role in providing input on all future large-scale projects in the city.

Yeoh made the announcement during the inaugural meeting of the Federal Territories Minister’s Council with KL MPs, saying the move aims to strengthen accountability and transparency in urban planning, including granting MPs early access to the One-Stop-Centre (OSC) portal to review and provide input on development applications before final approval.

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HBA honorary secretary-general Datuk Chang Kim Loong noted that over-centralised and closed-door decision-making in urban development has contributed to a serious trust deficit of governance.

“[Yeoh’s] acknowledgement highlights a fundamental policy inconsistency at the federal level. While one ministry moves towards greater transparency, early consultation, and democratic oversight, the proposed Urban Renewal Bill (URA) advanced by the Housing and Local Government Ministry proceeds in the opposite direction.

“It does so by weakening consent thresholds, centralising discretion, and deferring essential safeguards to executive mechanisms rather than embedding them in primary legislation,” he said in the statement.

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Chang said these two approaches cannot logically co-exist, as urban redevelopment directly affects private property rights, security of tenure, and community stability.

“Such matters cannot be governed by guidelines, assurances, or post-approval processes. Safeguards must be clear, statutory, and enforceable from the outset.

“Where rights are uncertain, public confidence erodes, and investment certainty deteriorates,” he said.

He added that HBA does not support the Urban Renewal Bill in its current form, which will see its second reading tabled in the current Parliament session that started on Monday.

“Until the Bill is amended to align with constitutional protections, coherent planning policy, and genuine participation by affected owners and communities, HBA cannot endorse its progression,” he stressed.

Chang said urban renewal must be built on trust, legal certainty and accountability, adding that without these foundations, redevelopment becomes a source of systemic risk rather than sustainable progress.

“You cannot claim transparency in one ministry while weakening consent and safeguards in another,” he said.

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