Source from: New Straits Times, Original Article
KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed commercial development Act may be incorporated into the existing Housing Development Act.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the ministry would also take into considerations feedback from the architect fraternity.
“For this matter, architects would play a more active role in enactment of laws pertaining to development.
“The Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) has given its input in the housing development Act proposal five or six years ago. We will try to incorporate it in our think tank committee on the input.
“The usual process (drafting of laws) does not include architects, but now, we will bring (architects) in to play a part to contribute towards development.
“The government has targeted one million houses in 10 years (under the National Housing Policy),” she told a press conference after launching the Kuala Lumpur Architecture Festival (KLAF) 2020 at the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) today.
PAM past president Dr Tan Loke Mun said developers have resorted to selling units with commercial titles such as serviced apartments, which has caused confusion in the market.
Earlier in her speech, Zuraida said architects could play a greater role in improving people’s living conditions, particularly those staying at low-cost housing schemes.
“Low-cost doesn’t mean that we should forego the design.
“We can see our low-cost houses, provided for the B40 (bottom 40 per cent income) group, becoming slums.
“The challenge is to change people’s mindset. With a nice design, people will be more inclined to take care of the properties,” she said.
It was reported that the ministry was in the midst of drafting a commercial development Act in an effort to standardise the monitoring and regulation of the segment.
