Wrong to accuse URA detractors of stoking racial fear, says Pejuang man
Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali said those who accuse opponents of the Urban Renewal Bill of stoking racial tension are 'barking up the wrong tree'.
PETALING JAYA : Accusing detractors of the proposed urban renewal law of stoking racial fear or tension is a gross misunderstanding of the bill, Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali said.
Rafique said those who made such claims were 'barking up the wrong tree', adding that in some cases, those in government had racialised the matter.
In a statement today, he said no one was against urbanisation or improving the living conditions of Malaysians of all races and creeds.
However, the proposed legislation, in its original form, was a threat that cut across every segment of society, irrespective of race.
For one, the Urban Renewal Act (URA) will empower a committee at federal and state levels to declare any space as urban renewal areas by way of a government gazette.
He said there is no known court mechanism in the bill to bring parties' grievances if one were to contest the said notification.
'Currently, anyone dissatisfied with any takeover or development can bring the matter to court.
'However, the URA bill is silent on this,' he said.
Rafique also said under the proposed law, the consent threshold is lowered, with buildings above 30 years of age subject to urban renewal if 75% of the owners agree.
While for abandoned buildings, the requirement is 50% or half of the owners consent to it.
He also said the URA mechanism does not elaborate on market value or fair compensation, but instead makes mention of value which is not less than what the owner can get before the execution of the intended urban renewal.
'To simplify and pigeon hole everyone who is against the URA bill as stoking racial fear or tension represents total failure to understand the said bill,' he said.
He said the threats posed to the people is why there is a need for a proper full study of the URA, not only by those living in People's Housing Programme (PPR) homes, but by residents in gated and guarded condominium complexes whose building is 30 years old.
'The URA, if not modified to suit the legal and lawful demands of ordinary Malaysians, will lead to a class war between the poor rakyat and the oligarchy developers,' he said.
In a letter published earlier today, Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid hit out at some quarters of the opposition for resorting to 'an all-too-familiar playbook of using race to stoke fear'.
Earlier this year, Syerleena had also questioned the intention of those opposing the proposed URA in the wake of the opposition's claims that it was a subtle move to displace the Malays and Indians.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysiakini
10 hours ago
- Malaysiakini
KJ, charismatic but dangerous
YOURSAY | 'Are there no other educated and capable leaders in Umno?' Khairy's rumoured cabinet return: Reform opportunity or political gamble? Cyclonus: Khairy Jamaluddin, better known as KJ, is an impressive intellectual (or appears to be) with lots of charisma. But this is what makes him even more dangerous. The younger crowd will trust him blindly, no matter what his agenda. Amid the 1MDB scandal, he supported jailed former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. You would think a smart guy like him could see through Najib when the rest of the civilised world could. However, KJ put loyalty to Umno and Najib above the good of all Malaysians and Malaysia. That was very disappointing and dangerous. Forget him. GreenFalcon2290: Ah, yes, KJ is known as a 'progressive and reformer'. Like Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi? Where are the voters located, urban centres or elsewhere? Are PAS voters desperate to vote for progressive, reformer candidates? How many in the Parliament are progressive and anxious to get a leader? Nice. In 2016, KJ was embroiled in a controversy surrounding a RM100 million scandal involving the Youth and Sports Ministry, where he was its minister. If the ministerial post was a certainty, would KJ make this bizarre statement that he is busy? Do you know anyone for the past 67 years who was too busy to accept a minister position? As for his remarkable qualities, they seem very common and routine for anyone working in the corporate world. Interesting? No. Milshah: Something appears to be not right. Umno should be a party where there is a good pool of educated and capable young leaders. What happened to all the educated and capable Umno leaders? I refer to another article related to the retirement age for politicians, where the young ones were supportive, but the old guard were against the idea. They (politicians) do not know when to quit and let the younger generation take over. They 'cantas' (get rid of, as in trimming a branch on a tree) potential leaders, or they do not give them opportunities to lead, as they see these young leaders as threats. I'm not talking about party central committees but division leaders as well. They want the position for life and will 'cantas' any young leaders who could take over from them. Then, when the party asks: Where are the young educated capable leaders? There is no one, comes the answer. Why? Because all of them have been 'cantas' already. FairPlay: What's so great about KJ? He is also an old wine in a new bottle, as the saying goes. He may not be as old as the others, but soon, he will fall into the group known as 'recycle'. There is no future (whatsoever) if the politics in the country keep rebranding old and recycled wine as new wine. We have 68 years of journey as a sovereign nation. Where is the nation today when compared with the tiny red dot south of the border? Headhunter: We thought he had crossed the Rubicon (point of no return) and had moved on. He is better off if he joins the likes of outgoing Economy Minister and ex-PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli, who recently resigned from his minister post. They can move to or form a new party. Umno is fundamentally rotten to the core, and nothing much can be done to revive it. The entrenched old dogs will not easily or willingly give up their lucrative positions and will not give him a free rein to 'kill their golden goose'. He will be seen as a threat, as history has shown. Furthermore, his past grassroots supporters have moved on to find new pastures. Coward: KJ is already in Umno. In fact, despite his sacking from Umno in January 2023, he has remained in the party. He has his flaws, but overall, he is one of the more capable and less tainted leaders in Umno. As such, his return to the government is probably good news instead of bad. KJ is definitely one, if not the only, candidate who will be chosen by an Umno leader who has the party's future. However, other undeserving and definitely way worse candidates will likely edge him out because they have the ears of Umno leaders. Umno leaders are also those who are known to prioritise themselves over the party. Winning Scarecrow: Khairy must enhance his Islamic credentials before making a comeback. Anwar needs leaders who can help him accomplish his goal of making Malaysia a great Islamic state. Young Malaysians have indicated in surveys that they prefer to have leaders with a strong Islamic background like Anwar, newly minted PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and other leaders from PAS. We cannot find such leaders in Umno so far, so Khairy needs to prove that he is more Islamic than PAS leaders before being accepted again by Malaysians as their leader. The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now. These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
The Sun
13 hours ago
- The Sun
New cooperative act expected to be tabled in Parliament this December - sec-gen
BANGI: A new cooperative law to replace the current Cooperative Act 1993 (Act 502) is expected to be tabled in Parliament this December, said Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives secretary-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud. He said the ministry is introducing a new law to enable the cooperative movement to operate more effectively as a business entity and become a stronger driver of the national economy. 'Therefore, we are repealing the existing act and replacing it with a new one, which will be tabled in Parliament for the first reading in December,' he said. 'The 2026 Parliament session, scheduled for around March or April, is expected to see the second reading, with the aim of enforcing the new act by July next year,' he said during the opening of the ANGKASA-MINDA-UKM Cooperative Empowerment Forum here today. Previously, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said that his ministry was drafting the new cooperative act to replace Act 502. The Cabinet paper on the matter was presented and approved in principle on Jan 8. Khairul Dzaimee added that the ministry is actively engaging with state governments and stakeholders to ensure the new law is properly implemented in the best interests of cooperatives. He also said that the new cooperative law aims to create more responsive and dynamic cooperatives, facilitate cooperative businesses, enhance the well-being of the community, and improve cooperative governance. 'The main essence of this new act is to liberalise the cooperative movement by reducing excessive monitoring, previously focused heavily on legislation, and giving cooperatives more space to operate as business entities,' he said. Meanwhile, Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA) president Datuk Seri Abdul Fattah Abdullah expressed support for the government's efforts to enhance the cooperative ecosystem in the country. 'We want to make cooperatives a culture among Malaysians by 2050. ANGKASA (also) strongly supports the government's efforts to liberalise the laws and regulations that are being made and improve the (cooperative) ecosystem,' he said. Also present were Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Gafor and the Malaysian Inclusive, Development and Advancement Institute (MINDA-UKM) director Prof Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali.
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
New Cooperative Law Set for Parliament in December
BANGI: A new cooperative law to replace the current Cooperative Act 1993 (Act 502) is expected to be tabled in Parliament this December, said Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives secretary-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud. He said the ministry is introducing a new law to enable the cooperative movement to operate more effectively as a business entity and become a stronger driver of the national economy. 'Therefore, we are repealing the existing act and replacing it with a new one, which will be tabled in Parliament for the first reading in December,' he said. 'The 2026 Parliament session, scheduled for around March or April, is expected to see the second reading, with the aim of enforcing the new act by July next year,' he said during the opening of the ANGKASA-MINDA-UKM Cooperative Empowerment Forum here today. Previously, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said that his ministry was drafting the new cooperative act to replace Act 502. The Cabinet paper on the matter was presented and approved in principle on Jan 8. Khairul Dzaimee added that the ministry is actively engaging with state governments and stakeholders to ensure the new law is properly implemented in the best interests of cooperatives. He also said that the new cooperative law aims to create more responsive and dynamic cooperatives, facilitate cooperative businesses, enhance the well-being of the community, and improve cooperative governance. 'The main essence of this new act is to liberalise the cooperative movement by reducing excessive monitoring, previously focused heavily on legislation, and giving cooperatives more space to operate as business entities,' he said. Meanwhile, Angkatan Koperasi Kebangsaan Malaysia Berhad (ANGKASA) president Datuk Seri Abdul Fattah Abdullah expressed support for the government's efforts to enhance the cooperative ecosystem in the country. 'We want to make cooperatives a culture among Malaysians by 2050. ANGKASA (also) strongly supports the government's efforts to liberalise the laws and regulations that are being made and improve the (cooperative) ecosystem,' he said. Also present were Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Dr Abdul Halim Abdul Gafor and the Malaysian Inclusive, Development and Advancement Institute (MINDA-UKM) director Prof Tan Sri Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali.
