Urban Renewal Act (URA) will likely to be passed very soon. Since this is an Act of Parliament, Urban Renewal Act may affect or be extended to Sabah and Sarawak once passed by parliament. Many quarters are voicing their concern to the Act because there is a fear that the Act would be an unfair Act to property owners but fair to property developers.

Property owners should not be caught sleeping and if passed you can be victims. It seems parliamentarians from Sarawak keeping quiet about it.

The Urban Renewal Act should be challenged in court as unconstitutional, once passed. The supreme law of the and is the federal constitution. It is the ultimate law and no law should be passed against the protection of rights to property under Article 13.

Article 13(1) of the federal constitution provides that no person shall be deprived of property save in accordance with the law, but, what will happens if the law is unfair to property owners?

A further protection is given to property owners under Article 13(2)which states that no law shall provide for the compulsory acquisition or use of property without adequate compensation. What is adequate compensation is subject to argument. For example an old or aging two storey shop house on “market value” should RM5 million but what will happen if on this piece of land the developer who develops this piece of land into a twenty storeys high building can make RM20 million?

Is the RM5 million on this piece of property an adequate compensation to the property owner?

Therefore, this Urban Renewal Act, could be subjected to abuse by interested parties to enrich themselves at the expense of property owners.

If this Urban Renewal Act is passed, old or aging shophouses like in Padungan, Carpenter and Ewe Hai Streets, Main Bazaar and along Green Road in Kuching may become likely targets to unscrupulous developers and people on the corridors or power. There are many old or worn-out buildings in Sarawak that could become easy targets too.

VOON LEE SHAN
President,
Parti Bumi Kenyalang

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