The Minister of Federal Territories, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor must gazette the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (‘the Plan’).
Tonight, hundreds gathered at KLSCAH for a forum titled “Kuala Lumpur – A World Class Mess?”. With members of the crowd comprising committed members of Residents’ Associations, real estate negotiators, private developers and ordinary citizens, serious concerns were raised regarding the haphazard nature of development approval by DBKL, going against the procedural rules and guidelines stipulated under the Draft KL City Plan 2020.
The overwhelming support shown for the gazetting of the KL Draft Plan showcases the various problems KLites are afflicted with – from the grinding traffic jams, lack of public space, and overdevelopment thru wanton increase in density approvals which has severely reduced the quality of life in the city. Indeed, the plan was made to cater for 2 million residents – how will the people of Kuala Lumpur manage with the unregulated influx of foreign workers – both legal and illegal?
Tengku Adnan shirks all accountability towards the people of Kuala Lumpur, with his suggestion to use the Plan as mere guidelines without proper gazetting.
If DBKL’s past behaviour is any indication, developers and DBKL will fail to respect the existing Plan as guidelines. For 9 years since the Plan’s launch, high-density projects on steep hillslopes were wantonly approved and green areas were encroached upon.
At Taman Tiara Titiwangsa, Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan, of which Tengku Adnan is the chairperson, proposed a development for its plot of land that would raise the population density from 60 to 800 people per acre. This new population density far exceeds what is designated in the Plan. If the Minister of Federal Territories himself cannot respect the Plan as a guideline, we cannot expect developers and DBKL to do just so.
As lawyer Derek Fernandez noted, public housing is no justification for annexing green lungs or institutional zones. Indeed if the FT Minister cares for the plight of the poor, he could emulate Selangor and make it mandatory for new developments in KL to accord 30 percent for public housing.
The Plan can only effectively control development in KL if it is made a binding document. Respect for the plan begins with the FT Minister. Surely, developers will follow the authorities with credible moral leadership.
The plan remains relevant, and open to revision. But it must be gazetted. Else, the people of Kuala Lumpur are sitting ducks to the transformation of existing zones at the whim and fancy of the Mayor and the FT Minister.
Let it be clear, discarding the Plan in favour of a new and distant Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2050 leaves a longer period that our city’s development is open to exploitation.
As we have observed through the 2020 Plan, the preparation, public hearing and gazetting process can take a decade or more. While planning the future of our cityscape is essential, we assert that in the interim, all current development of buildings and land in the city of Kuala Lumpur must adhere to comprehensive guidelines that will ensure sustainable development.
The Plan is a time-sensitive and pressing imperative, and a matter of utmost public importance. As such, we demand that the Minister of Federal Territories, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor facilitate the gazetting of the Plan by:
1. Arranging a meeting with all 11 Members of Parliament representing constituencies in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur to discuss timeline and issues related to the gazetting of the KL Draft Plan;
2. Issuing an immediate moratorium on developments that DBKL officers who have been charged with corruption are involved in;
3. Organising a public hearing session to inform stakeholders that have provided feedback to improve the Plan of the Minister’s proposed changes, and to receive testimony on their views towards gazetting the Plan; and,
4. Committing to a timeline to prevent unnecessary delays in the gazetting of the Plan.
NURUL IZZAH ANWAR
Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai
TAN KOK WAI
Member of Parliament for Cheras
TAN KEE KWONG
Member of Parliament for Wangsa Maju
LIM LIP ENG
Member of Parliament for Segambut
TERESA KOK
Member of Parliament for Seputeh
FONG KUI LUN
Member of Parliament for Bukit Bintang
TAN SENG GIAW
Member of Parliament for Kepong
TIAN CHUA
Member of Parliament for Batu
