KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 25 -- A coalition of housing and residents' associations has urged the government to withdraw the proposed Urban Renewal Authority (URA) Bill from Parliament, warning that it grants excessive powers to developers at the expense of homeowners.

At a press conference at the Lawyers for Liberty headquarters, representatives from the Kuala Lumpur Residents' Alliance (KLRA Plus), the National House Buyers Association (HBA), and several residents' action groups voiced strong objections ahead of the Bill's second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday.

Lawyers for Liberty adviser N Surendran said the Bill, if passed, would undermine constitutional rights.

"If a developer secures 75 per cent agreement, the government can us...