KUALA LUMPUR – The recent gas explosion in Putra Heights should serve as a stark wake up call for the government and developers to urgently re-evaluate the trajectory of Malaysia’s rapid, and often reckless, urban development.
Chairman of the National Housing Rental Association (NHRA), K. Prakash, warned that the incident was far from an isolated accident, in fact it’s a glaring symptom of systemic failure in urban housing planning and policy.
“This explosion has deeply traumatised residents and shaken the community’s sense of security.
“It highlights a disturbing reality where safety and quality of life are being sacrificed in the name of unchecked development,” he said in a strongly worded statement today.
Prakash pointed to the unchecked rise of high-density residential projects in areas like Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Puchong, and Shah Alam, which are suffocating the cityscape and putting immense strain on already-overburdened infrastructure.
He cited chronic issues such as illegal parking blocking emergency access, overstretched public health facilities and schools, and outdated utility systems all of which have long plagued urban communities and now pose severe hazards, including fires and explosions.
“For too long, we’ve turned a blind eye to overdevelopment.
“Projects continue to be greenlit without thorough impact studies on the surrounding support systems. This isn’t just irresponsible, it’s dangerous. It endangers lives and undermines long-term community wellbeing.”
Prakash expressed dismay over a development model overly obsessed with statistics and swift approvals, often at the expense of real community concerns and livability.
“We’re deeply frustrated with a planning approach that prioritises numbers over nuance, and speed over sustainability.
“The voices of residents are being drowned out by the sound of construction.”
He called on the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) and local authorities to listen more intently to affected communities and to implement reforms grounded in data, real needs, and public safety.
“It’s time for Malaysia to adopt a National Housing Standard, one that puts safety, sustainability, and liveability at the forefront, rather than just fixating on unit counts,” Prakash added.
“Housing isn’t merely about putting roofs over heads, it’s about creating liveable environments. We need to move beyond stacking concrete boxes in urban jungles.
“It’s about designing communities that support safe, balanced, and meaningful living.”
Prakash affirmed NHRA’s commitment to work collaboratively with the government, developers, and local communities to build a truly people-first housing ecosystem.
“The Putra Heights explosion must be a turning point. We cannot continue to let development outpace safety. This is not just a technical flaw, it’s a question of lives and the future of our cities,” he concluded. -MalayaDailyToday
