KUALA LUMPUR: Fines for developers and utility companies that damage any street, foot way, verandah or property belonging to local authorities or blocking pavements have been increased 100-fold.

This is the proposed fine under the Street, Drainage and Building (Amendment) Bill 2018, which was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Oct 16).

The Bill seeks to increase the minimum fine from the present RM500 to the proposed RM50,000 for the offence of taking up pavement without the prior written permission of the local authority or without other lawful authority.

The Bill also seeks to increase the minimum fine from the present RM1,000 to RM100,000 for the offence of "damaging, causing, permitting any damage to be done to any street, foot way, verandah way, works or property," belonging to the local authority or those where the public has a right of passage.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin clarified that the proposed fines are only applicable to developers and public utility companies who are guilty of damaging such properties.

"They will have to get written consent before carrying out any works that could affect such properties belonging to the local councils," she said in her winding up address on Tuesday.

She added that the quantum of fine would not be determined by the local councils but the courts when such cases are brought before it.

The Bill also seeks to introduce a provision which require developers to submit a geotechnical report for any constructions of a building involving slope higher than 10m and with a gradient more than 25 degrees.

The report will also be verified by independent engineers.

To a question by Datuk Seri Noh Omar (BN-Tanjong Karang), who asked on the overlapping of federal and state government laws on such matters, Zuraida said the amendments would require state local governments to follow federal guidelines.

Zuraida assured Opposition lawmakers that they would be invited to attend full council meetings in their respective constituencies, following complaints by several MPs that they were not invited.