Latest news with #PBTs
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Local authorities issue 14,834 compounds against foreign-owned businesses
KUALA LUMPUR: Local authorities have issued 14,834 compounds against business premises for offences, including illegal licence transfers to foreigners, since 2023, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said. He added that 2,880 premises were sealed, and 23 business licences revoked. 'The Ministry and PBTs have never allowed foreign nationals to apply for or own hawker licences, grocery stores, eateries, or car workshops,' Nga stressed. Speaking in Parliament, he emphasised that hiring foreigners under hawker licences is prohibited, as the government prioritises Malaysian traders. The enforcement aligns with existing policies like the Hawkers By-Laws, which restrict business licence applications to citizens. Nga confirmed that PBTs conduct regular inspections, especially in areas with high foreigner presence, and confiscate goods from unlicensed foreign traders. Licences are revoked for misuse, with stricter application conditions imposed to curb foreign-owned businesses. Responding to concerns about Malaysians acting as proxies for foreign spouses, Nga urged citizens to uphold the Rukun Negara principles. 'Submit evidence to the ministry for action,' he said. - Bernama
Barnama
2 days ago
- Business
- Barnama
PBTs Issue Nearly 15,000 Compounds Against Foreign-owned Business Premises
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 (Bernama) -- Local authorities (PBTs) have issued a total of 14,834 compounds against business premises for various offences, including the illegal transfer of licences and permits to foreigners, since 2023, said Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming. He said that the authorities have also sealed 2,880 premises and revoked 23 business licences. 'It must be stressed that the Ministry and PBTs have never allowed any foreign nationals to apply for or own hawker or small business licences, business premises, grocery stores, eateries, car workshops, or markets. 'PBTs also do not allow the hiring of foreigners as workers under hawker licences at their premises, as the MADANI Government is deeply committed to supporting Malaysians through business opportunities and ensuring the sustainability of the local traders' economy,' he said. He was responding to a question from Mohd Hasnizan Harun (PN-Hulu Selangor) regarding businesses being operated by foreigners in Malaysia, particularly in the retail sector, during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. Nga said existing policies and regulations, such as the Hawkers By-Laws and the Licensing of Trades, Businesses and Industries By-Laws, clearly stipulate that only Malaysian citizens are allowed to apply for business licences. At the same time, foreign nationals can only be hired if they hold a valid work pass or trade permit. He said PBTs carry out continuous enforcement and monitoring operations, including regular inspections of business premises and hawkers, particularly in areas with a high concentration of foreign nationals, as well as confiscating goods from foreign hawkers. Nga also said that the local authorities would revoke licences from those found to have misused their permits, stressing that the conditions for new applications and business licences have been tightened, based on each state's jurisdiction, to curb the operations of foreign-owned businesses. In response to a supplementary question from Mohd Hasnizan regarding the ruse of using Malaysian spouses as proxies to open businesses, Nga said Malaysians must act responsibly and uphold the principles of the Rukun Negara.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Why Malaysia needs a vacancy tax and how to make it work
In the world of real estate, what you don't see can hurt you. In Malaysia, what you don't see are the thousands of housing units—neatly painted, quietly lit, but ghostly empty. More than 22,000 completed homes across the country remained unsold for over nine months as of mid-2024 (NAPIC 2024). These so-called "overhang units", worth over RM14 billion, represent something far more troubling than unsold inventory—they are a silent indictment of a housing market that has drifted from real need to speculative excess. And experts are beginning to call this what it is: a market failure. Enter the idea of a vacancy tax. At first blush, it may sound like just another punitive policy. But if done right, it could become one of the most important tools in aligning Malaysia's housing market with its development goals. Much like how climate activists have pushed for carbon pricing to internalize environmental costs, a vacancy tax puts a price on housing inefficiency and speculative hoarding. It's not about punishing success or property ownership—it's about ensuring homes are built for living, not just for flipping. The proposed tax wouldn't need to come from the top. In fact, it might work better if it trickles up from the local level, through Malaysia's Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBTs). These municipal councils already have the legal tools, like the Local Government Act 1976, which empowers them to collect property assessments. With some political will and smart engineering, those assessment frameworks can be expanded to include vacancy surcharges. Think of it as a localized nudge, not a national crackdown. And here's the kicker—state-level by-laws could be passed faster than federal legislation, allowing high-vacancy states like Selangor or Penang to pilot solutions that others can emulate. That said, some level of federal coordination through KPKT may still be needed, especially in setting national standards, sharing data infrastructure, and harmonizing enforcement across jurisdictions. Malaysia wouldn't be alone in this experiment. Vancouver, Melbourne, Singapore and Paris have all taken steps to tax homes left empty or held purely for investment. These cities learned two lessons: first, vacancy taxes can work; and second, they need to be smart, clear, and enforceable. No one wants a Kafkaesque housing policy. So how do you define vacancy? In a digital age, it's not that hard—use utility consumption thresholds, absence of tenancy registrations and supplement this with transparent public digital registries. If your water and power usage fall below 10 per cent for six straight months, that's not a home—it's a hollow asset. Still, any new tax brings risk. If you get it wrong, you might push prices up or create a backlash. So the tax should be graduated—one per cent for second properties, more for third and beyond. And yes, developers may resist, but perhaps that's the kind of feedback the system needs to realign supply with demand. Offer a grace period—maybe 12 or 18 months post-completion—before taxing unsold units. That's fair. But past that, hoarding stock should carry a price. And we can't stop at taxes. Pair the stick with a few carrots. Offer rebates to owners who rent out empty units to B40 or M40 households. Set up public-private rent-toown schemes to absorb overhang units. Give developers who shift toward demandaligned, sustainable housing faster zoning approvals or density bonuses. Want to get really creative? Launch a state-level housing buyback fund, where unoccupied properties are converted into civil servant housing or refugee accommodation. But here's the real issue—Malaysia's housing market has become a mirror of its inequality. Affordable homes are being bought not by those who need them, but by those who can afford to sit on them. Speculation is no longer just a market behavior; it's a structural distortion. And like all distortions, it warps the very purpose of housing—to shelter people, build families, and grow communities. When you have nearly 20 per cent vacancy in high-growth states like Selangor and Penang (DOSM 2020), something is broken. So if we want to rebuild the Malaysian housing dream, we need to treat housing as infrastructure, not just investment. We need a market that rewards circulation, not stagnation. We need a policy environment where flipping is discouraged, not celebrated. And we need to start asking: Who are we really building for? A well-designed vacancy tax may not solve everything—but it could spark the kind of mindset shift that modern Malaysia needs: from trading homes like chips on a roulette table, to making homes livable, affordable, and equitable again. That's not just smart economics—it's nation-building.
The Star
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Four Pakatan MPs urge S'gor govt to delay car park privatisation plan, review proposal
KUALA LUMPUR: Delay the privatisation of public car parking lots in Selangor and form an independent committee to review the proposal, urge four Pakatan Harapan lawmakers. The four MPs also urged the Selangor state government to publicly disclose the terms and conditions of the Selangor Intelligent Parking (SIP) scheme and its commercial terms. The four are Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Selayang MP William Leong, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof and Subang MP Wong Chen – whose constituencies were affected by the new parking scheme. 'The proposed SIP privatisation scheme raises legal, commercial and operational concerns. 'Overall, from the disclosed but limited information of the scheme, we are concerned that the scheme appears to be in favour of private interests over the rights and benefits of our local authorities (PBT) and constituents,' says Lee, who spoke on behalf of the MPs at a press conference on Tuesday (July 22). He urged the state government to confirm whether ministerial approval was received for the scheme to be introduced, since the public parking lots fall under the jurisdiction of the Transport Ministry. Lee also claimed that the scheme sidelined input and decision-making from the PBTs. 'Under the current scheme, a private company stands to collect 50% of the revenue, Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) only 10%, while the PBTs, who remain legally responsible for parking operations, would only receive 40% of all revenue. 'On the surface, this revenue sharing scheme seems lopsided and needs further detailed disclosures,' he said. He added that the privatisation would risk maximising revenue collection and make profits, when the public parking lots are public service. 'We call for a revision of the entire scheme and urge the state government and PBTs to prioritise the Klang Valley's broader mobility needs, such as the strategic allocation of parking bays, integration with public transport, and city walkability,' Lee added. On July 15, state local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim The said that the SIP agreement is not final and its Aug 1 implementation may be delayed as state authorities are still refining details. The four PBTs involved in the first phase are Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS). Under the concession agreement, enforcement measures such as issuing compounds will come under the PBTs' purview, while the enforcement officers' salaries and emoluments will be handled by the concessionaire.
The Star
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Possible delay in parking deal
MPS, MBPJ, MBSA and MBSJ will set the policies in the privatisation of on-street parking under the SIP initiative. — Filepic THE planned Aug 1 rollout of Selangor's on-street parking privatisation exercise may be delayed if parties fail to agree on the terms. State local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said the privatisation under Selangor's Intelligent Parking (SIP) initiative hinges on final consent from all involved parties, including the four local councils involved in the first phase. While an in-principle agreement was in place, he said the finalisation of key details such as revenue sharing and contract duration was still underway and could delay the plan. 'We are currently finalising all the details. 'The Selangor state executive council may request a delay in implementation if certain parties are not agreeable to specific details,' he said. The four local councils (PBTs) involved in the first phase are Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS). Ng was speaking at a press conference to address concerns regarding Selangor's move to privatise on-street parking fee collection, enforcement and management under the SIP initiative. Ng (centre), Mohd Ramali (left) and Johary fielding questions on Selangor's move to privatise parking fee collection, enforcement and management. He said the tripartite agreement involved the PBTs as the policy-setters, Menteri Besar Incorporated's (MBI) subsidiary Rantaian Mesra Sdn Bhd as the system coordinator and a private concessionaire as the system operator. 'The agreement will streamline and centralise the on-street parking system across all PBTs in Selangor,' he said. Ng added that the move was in line with the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171). 'The implementation of on-street parking management through a concessionaire is not new in Selangor, as it has been used since 1996. 'As of June, five PBTs, including MBSA and MPS, still use the concession method,' said Ng, without explaining the difference between the SIP and the current concession agreements. He said that under the new agreement, enforcement would remain under local council jurisdiction, while the concessionaire would pay the salaries of enforcement officers and handle operational costs. 'Parking revenue will be distributed between the PBTs, Rantaian Mesra and the concessionaire based on an agreed model. 'PBTs will not bear any operational costs and can expect higher long-term revenue.' He said the concessionaire would invest RM200mil in infrastructure for SIP, including installing about 1,800 CCTV cameras across the first phase's four local councils' jurisdiction. He acknowledged that the local councils might initially see a dip in revenue, but were projected to benefit significantly after three years. Also present at the press conference at the State Secretariat building in Shah Alam were MBI Selangor general manager Mohd Ramali Abu Bakar and Selangor Deputy State Secretary (Development) Datuk Johary Anuar. At an earlier event that day, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had said that he would review the SIP initiative. 'I will look into this again since the issue has been brought up,' he said, confirming that Ng's statement on the privatisation of on-street parking were accurate. Amirudin said the state had received 26 Requests for Proposal by interested parties for the SIP and that MBI Selangor, which would oversee the concessionaire's performance, would prioritise the state's interest. 'We do not want to award it to just any party. 'In the past, some private operators were effective in collecting parking fees, while others were not,' he said.
