News by Datuk Chang Kim Loong

DBKL’s new framework seems to centralise decision-making and sideline public voices, effectively shutting the public out of decisions that directly affect the liveability, heritage, and sustainability of their neighbourhoods.

Physical development in Kuala Lumpur must be balanced with social needs to ensure the city remains conducive and liveable for all generations, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa.  

The National House Buyers Association (HBA) is deeply concerned that the idea of a Housing Completion Guarantee Corporation (HCGS) should even be mooted at all, because it effectively means the loss from abandonments caused by runaway developers is to be incurred by the government from the coffers aka tax payers’ monies.

Rehda Institute has proposed a few solutions to addressing the distressing issue of abandoned housing projects. In our opinion, Rehda Institute is missing the forest for the trees.

After four years of uncertainty, 207 non-bumiputera homeowners in USJ One Park, Subang Jaya, Selangor, can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the Selangor government has agreed to waive a staggering RM15.32 million in penalty fees early this year.

It was recently reported that the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) has blacklisted 109 “errant developers” and their boards of directors.

According to the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRBM), the e-invoicing mandate applies to all individuals and legal entities, including associations and bodies of persons.

The Urban Renewal Act (URA) is set to be presented in Parliament next month. Among its contentious proposals is an 80% consent threshold for properties of 30 years old and a 75% threshold for properties over 30 years old. This means that a property could be compulsorily redeveloped even if 20% or 25% of owners oppose it.

In recent developments, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is contemplating an increase in assessment tax rates, following the Selangor state government's 25% hike effective from January this year. This move has raised concerns among residents, who are calling for greater transparency and financial accountability from DBKL before any rate adjustments are implemented.

The concept of redevelopment where homeowners exchange their present property titles for another future home unit or monetary compensation is not new in Malaysia.