URBAN RENEWAL BILL:

A HUMAN CENTRIC FUTURE FOR MALAYSIA’S CITIES

Written by Gs. Dr. Junainah Abu Kasim

Image: KPKT / PLANMalaysia — Sesi Diskusi Ilmiah RUU PSB, Putrajaya (29 Oktober 2025)

Cities are more than buildings and roads; they are living places filled with memories, families, struggles, and aspirations. That sentiment came through strongly in the recent discussion on Malaysia’s proposed Urban Renewal Bill. Rather than viewing cities purely through the lens of profit, construction, and master plans, the Bill positions people, especially long-time urban communities, at the heart of transformation.

For decades, we have seen ageing flats, neglected public housing, and declining neighbourhood facilities slowly erode the quality of life in older parts of our cities. Many residents have lived in these areas for generations; they have raised children there, built relationships with neighbours, and formed their identity around these spaces. Urban renewal, therefore, is not a cold engineering exercise. At its core, it is about dignity, belonging, and ensuring that ordinary Malaysians are not left behind as the city evolves.

This Bill acknowledges that. It does not treat homeowners as obstacles, nor communities as collateral. Instead, it places consent and consultation as a non-negotiable foundation. Owners must agree on the majority, and in some cases, everyone. People are promised the right to return to their neighbourhoods in better homes, without having to pay for the privilege. Temporary living arrangements are covered, and protections for Malay Reserve and Bumiputera units are maintained. These are not small commitments; they signal a clear moral stance: development should not push people out, but it should lift them.

Malaysia’s decision to avoid the “en-bloc” model used in some major global cities, where residents can be pressured into giving up their homes, speaks volumes. We have chosen the slower, more consultative, more humane route. That may not be the easiest way, but it is the right one for a multicultural nation built on shared community values.

At the same time, the Bill is not naïve about the complexities involved. Governance structures are clearly laid out. State governments retain authority over land. Local councils remain in charge of planning and technical approvals. Developers do not get to dictate the terms; they are participants, not masters. If implemented with integrity, this framework sets a strong foundation to ensure fairness and accountability.

Image: KPKT / PLANMalaysia — Sesi Diskusi Ilmiah RUU PSB, Putrajaya (29 Oktober 2025)

According to PLANMalaysia’s assessment, there are 534 identified sites nationwide with potential for the Urban Renewal Programme. These sites consist predominantly of high-rise housing (125 locations) and commercial premises (112 locations), followed by government quarters, mixed-use complexes, older residential areas, public institutions, and selected public housing schemes.

The findings also highlight that a significant portion of these buildings has aged between 10 to more than 30 years, with 194 sites exceeding 30 years of age, signalling the growing structural, safety and liveability challenges within maturing urban communities. While a portion of locations remain occupied, many are recorded as deteriorated or abandoned, reflecting socioeconomic decline and safety concerns in certain precincts.

Geographically, the map shows that these areas are distributed across Peninsular Malaysia, concentrated in major urban centres, reinforcing the reality that urban ageing is no longer an isolated challenge, but a widespread national planning priority.

This evidence not only demonstrates the breadth of renewal needs but underscores why a comprehensive legal and policy framework, such as the proposed Urban Renewal Bill, is timely and necessary to address ageing housing stock, safeguard community wellbeing, and revitalise Malaysia’s urban landscape in a structured and equitable manner.

From a researcher’s perspective, what excites me most is the long-term implications. Urban renewal is not just demolish-and-rebuild. It opens a much broader conversation about liveability, climate resilience, social equity, and heritage identity. We now have a chance to rethink how Malaysian cities should feel greener, cooler, more walkable, more connected, and more community-oriented. This Bill could become the start of a new chapter where research, policy, and lived experience converge to create cities that are scientifically sound and emotionally meaningful.

Researchers, planners, architects, social scientists and community organisations all have space at this table. The work ahead requires more than contractors and cranes; it needs data, empathy, and honest dialogue with residents. Good cities are rarely built by policy alone; they grow through collaboration, trust, and listening.

Malaysia is often described as being at a crossroads. In this case, I prefer to think of us as standing at a starting line, ready to reshape our urban future with compassion and foresight. If we stay true to the principles in this Bill, we have the opportunity to set a regional benchmark in people-first urban renewal. Not merely taller skylines — but deeper roots and stronger communities.

“In the end, a great city is not measured by its towers, but by whether the families who built its history can continue to build their future there”.

Additional reading:

  https://www.planmalaysia.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/1343?mid=755

Tarikh Input: 17/11/2025 | Kemaskini: 17/11/2025 | marini