KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) said its main focus in 2025 will be the submission of the Urban Renewal Act (URA) to redevelop dilapidated urban areas.

This is at the top of the list of 122 action plans drawn up by the ministry following its three-day strategic planning meeting, according to KPKT’s statement on Monday.

The URA is intended to trigger a wave of urban renewal by lowering the barrier to purchasing super-class titles.

Currently, under section 57 of the Strata Titles Act 1985, a unanimous decision must be reached before the strata title of a subdivided building can be revoked.

The URA stipulates, among other things, that the consent threshold of strata owners is reduced to 80%.

The meeting highlighted “several key priorities, including enforcing community service penalties for waste crimes as well as the Indian settlements that came under the ministry’s purview last year,” the ministry said.

“In addition, the ministry’s aim is to develop high-level talent or subject matter experts to provide quality public services to the people. The ministry also aims to achieve global leadership in sustainable urban development by increasing its visibility at national and international levels,” the ministry added.

Further details about the 122 action plans were not disclosed in the statement.

“This year, we aim to strengthen Malaysia’s position on the world stage with the ASEAN Chair and our bid to chair the UN-Habitat General Assembly,” said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.

“The world is watching us and we have to show them what we have to offer. To take the ministry to a higher level, we must improve the quality of public service by strengthening integrity practices and encouraging honest feedback,” he added.