March 24, 2025
KUALA LUMPUR – To an outsider’s eyes, the Cantik Apartments in Kuala Lumpur could do with a makeover, with its exterior and common areas looking the worse for wear and in need of upgrading.
But for some residents of the 40-year-old four-storey block in Cheras, the prospect of redevelopment has given them sleepless nights.
The 87-unit block is one of 139 public and private properties, including 91 residential strata buildings, listed for potential redevelopment under the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040. To enable this, the government is set to table the Urban Renewal Act (URA) in July.
Mr Sukhdev Singh Cheema, a long-time resident, said he and many of his neighbours are upset that the upcoming law could force them out of the building while it is being redeveloped. They are also concerned that they will not be able to afford to live in it once it is gentrified.
“Why should the government want to redevelop this apartment block? The only thing that we need is a repainting of the facade and repairing of the external pipes,” the 61-year old retired teacher told The Straits Times. “Currently, we are paying a maintenance fee of RM80 (S$24) a month and even then some of the retired residents here cannot afford it.
“What happens when the management fee increases because there are more facilities in the new apartment block? How are the residents going to pay?”
Mr Cheema echoes the concerns of many residents in ageing flats nationwide, who like him, have poured their blood and sweat to decorate their homes and make them comfortable to live in. His father bought the 1,300 sq ft unit in 1982 for RM75,000. It is immaculate, with plastered ceilings and built-in cabinets.
The opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia has turned the URA Bill into a hot-button political issue, claiming that the move is an “underhanded” way to push lower-income earners – largely from the Malay and Indian communities – in Kuala Lumpur to the city fringes.
The party claims that current residents will not be able to afford the higher prices of the revamped housing units after the old ones are torn down.
The government has said that the Bill aims to rejuvenate old areas and improve amenities for residents in dilapidated estates. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has also said the rights of existing property owners will be protected.
At its heart, the Bill seeks to lower the consent threshold required for the collective sale of strata title properties for redevelopment to 80 per cent for buildings under 30 years old, 75 per cent for those over 30 years old, and 51 per cent for abandoned developments or buildings.
Under the current Section 57 of the Strata Titles Act 1985, any collective redevelopment or sale of such properties requires all owners to agree to it.
At Cantik Apartments, Mr Cheema’s neighbour, retired tour guide Lee Cheok Seng, told ST that he bought his home – located 12km from downtown Kuala Lumpur – three years ago for RM315,000.
“Gentrification will definitely happen once they redevelop this place. It will increase traffic flow and there will also be overpopulation. I bought this flat, my first home, because this is a quiet, well-developed area. I don’t want to move out or change homes,” said the 60-year-old.
Nevertheless, the URA Bill has found some support among property owners.
Lawyer Syed Khaled Alasrar, who owns two apartments in Kuala Lumpur, said redevelopment is necessary to keep up with the times. But he added that it must be done fairly and not marginalise poorer home owners.
“I think very old developments are an eyesore… and redevelopment is necessary to update structural, electrical and sewerage fixtures to ensure the buildings and area are safe,” he added.
Datuk Ho Hon Sang, president of the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association, told ST that redevelopment can take place only if there is interest from the building’s joint management body.
He pointed out that many dilapidated buildings can be a danger to residents as old wiring systems may be damaged and become a fire hazard, while chipped staircase landings can lead to fall injuries.
“If 80 to 85 per cent of the residents and owners in an apartment block or development want to realise the value of their property, should they be allowed to do so or not?” Mr Ho said. “Of course, there is the 15 per cent who may not want it. But then again, when you live in a strata property, it is the consent of the majority (that counts). If you are in the minority, tough luck. If the majority agrees, you will have to follow.”
The current rule of having 100 per cent of owners consenting to redevelopment or an en bloc sale has led to several prime areas in Kuala Lumpur looking rundown. They include one of the city’s earliest luxury condominiums, Desa Kudalari, which was built in 1984 and is a stone’s throw away from Malaysia’s iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
An attempt to redevelop it failed in 2016, despite the management corporation and 87 per cent of its owners agreeing to it.
Conversely, the redevelopment of the former Razak Mansion public housing in Kuala Lumpur has been widely hailed as a success story.
The RM150 million project, 1Razak Mansion, was completed in 2017. The original flat owners received the keys to their new 800 sq ft homes at no cost while long-term tenants had the option to purchase the units for RM42,000, according to The Star.
Datuk Seri Anwar, under attack from the opposition over the proposed Bill, has repeatedly stressed that the urban renewal projects will be done in consultation with home owners to get them to participate.
“Claims that the URA will displace Malays and bumiputera from urban areas or favour developers are false,” he said on March 19.
He was responding to remarks by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who on Feb 19 told reporters: “When the Bill is approved, an area will be redeveloped and those who had previously bought a house for a price of RM100,000 wouldn’t be able to afford to buy back the house at a cost of more than RM500,000.
“This is an underhanded method to move out of the cities those who can’t afford (the higher-priced units), especially Malays and Indians.”
PM Anwar has assured residents that the new units in a redeveloped estate will be set aside for them, allowing them to live in the same location.
On the affordability of the redeveloped units, he has said that compensation will be based on the “future value” of the units to help the original residents defray the cost of the new flat.
This is a departure from the current practice, where compensation, based on current values, is decided by a property consultant or the court.
For now, Mr Cheema is assured he has enough home owners on his side. He said: “There are 87 units in Cantik Apartments. At least 25 to 30 owners do not want redevelopment. This is close to 40 per cent, more than what the new law requires for us to refuse redevelopment.”