Policy

Malaysia Moves Closer To A Residential Tenancy Law Malaysia’s Housing and Local Government Ministry is finalising the proposed Residential Tenancy Bill, which is intended to create clearer rights and responsibilities for both tenants and landlords. Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said the legislation is designed to support a fairer rental market and provide a...

Are Kuala Lumpur’s 139 Redevelopment Areas A Real Pipeline? The debate surrounding Kuala Lumpur’s 139 potential redevelopment areas has moved beyond whether the city needs urban renewal. The more important question is how many of these locations are realistically capable of being redeveloped. Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has repeatedly referred to 139 areas identified...

Does Malaysia’s Stamp Duty System Need Stronger Valuation Safeguards? Malaysia’s move towards stamp duty self-assessment is a meaningful step in modernising property transaction administration. Under the new framework, taxpayers or their appointed agents take greater responsibility for determining the applicable duty, submitting the relevant instrument and completing payment through the digital...

Malaysia’s Proposed OTP Clause Could Change The Pre-SPA Buying Stage The proposed introduction of an “Option to Purchase” clause under Malaysia’s new Real Property Development Act could become one of the more meaningful changes to the country’s new property buying process. For homebuyers, the issue is not only legal wording. It touches the sensitive period between choosing a unit, paying a...

Malaysia’s proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA) has emerged as one of the most debated pieces of draft legislation in recent years. Intended to accelerate the redevelopment of ageing or under-utilised urban areas, the Act sits at the intersection of urban planning, property rights and long-term investor confidence. While much of the public discourse has focused on Malaysian homeowners, the implications...

Malaysia Rejects En-Bloc Sale Model to Protect Community Rights in Urban Renewal Malaysia has taken a firm stance against the en-bloc sale model commonly practised in countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia, choosing instead a people-first redevelopment framework designed to prevent forced relocation, gentrification and loss of community identity. PLANMalaysia’s deputy director general...

Budi95 Fuel Subsidy Programme Rolls Out with MyKad Verification The Malaysian government is set to launch its Budi Madani RON95 programme (Budi95) this Saturday, September 27, 2025, ushering in a new era of targeted fuel subsidies. Under the initiative, MyKad readers will be installed at all petrol stations and pump terminals, allowing eligible recipients to access RON95 petrol at a subsidised price of...

Urban Renewal Bill 2025: Safer Cities and Property Market Transformation The Urban Renewal Bill 2025 is shaping up to be one of Malaysia’s most significant pieces of legislation for urban development. Announced by the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT), the Bill introduces new rules to address the challenges of ageing housing stock, dilapidated neighbourhoods, and stalled redevelopment...

Urban Renewal Act: A New Framework for Malaysian Cities and KL Property Cities evolve. Buildings age, infrastructure decays, and once-thriving neighborhoods fall into neglect. Malaysia’s Urban Renewal Act (URA) has been proposed as a solution to these challenges — aiming to modernize dilapidated areas, unlock stalled redevelopment projects, and make cities more liveable. For Kuala Lumpur especially,...

Malaysia to Tighten Rules for Short-Term Rental Operators Short-term rental accommodation (STRA) providers in Malaysia—covering platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and other short-stay operators—will soon be required to obtain a business licence from their local authority before registering as tourist accommodation premises. Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing confirmed that...