Extend feedback period for Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 till June, says Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur
Stakeholders in Malaysia's federal capital have shown great interest in understanding the content and proposals in the draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040.
While the April 1 deadline to submit feedback has been extended to April 15, civil society group Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur hopes the Federal Territories Minister and Kuala Lumpur City Hall will consider extending it to June 1, to ensure people’s views are truly heard.
Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur chairman Datuk M. Ali said approximately 200 people recently took part in training sessions organised by the group, held on March 16, 17, and 20.
“It was good to see many showing interest in the local plan. We had many participants from various places. Besides Bangsar and Taman Tun Dr Ismail, others who took part included those from Sungai Besi, Chan Sow Lin, Ampang, and Brickfields.
Ali said the briefings for each session lasted about three hours. Besides Ali, others who led the sessions were members and volunteers from Selamatkan Kuala Lumpur – Charles Tan, Abdul Hafiz Abu Bakar, and Peter Leong.
“We guided the participants on how to read the maps and understand the colour schemes in the plan, which identify certain designated zones. It all may seem confusing for the uninitiated,” Ali said.
He said there were also concerns raised on the status of several parcels of land, including the Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields and a plot of institutional land in Taman Tun Dr Ismail near the Bukit Kiara Park, one of which has been marked as a major commercial site and the other, a commercial site, in the draft local plan.
In 2016, the National Heritage Department gazetted the Vivekananda building with a heritage status.
As for the land in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Ali questioned how the zoning for one piece of land in a square of institutional land could be changed to commercial.
While Kuala Lumpur City Hall had extended the feedback period for the local plan from April 1 to April 15, Ali feels stakeholders need more time.
“We are concerned about this development and this is why we would like to appeal for the feedback period to be extended until June 1.
“The draft local plan was launched just before Chinese New Year, in the midst of the annual school holiday. This was followed by Ramadan, and soon, it will be Aidilfitri. The people need more time to go through and understand the plan,” he said.
Ali hoped that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Dr Zaliha Mustafa, and City Hall will consider this request.
“To have a meaningful and effective rakyat-oriented plan, it would be sensible to provide a longer duration to enable participation by the rakyat,” he added.
Launched on Jan 30, the draft Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040, was put up for public display on Jan 31. The plan outlines the development for specific areas in the city. Once gazetted, it will become applicable for the next 20 years, or until a new replacement plan is adopted.
The plan can be viewed and purchased at Menara DBKL 1 at Jalan Raja Laut and Menara DBKL 3 at Jalan Raja Abdullah, or at ppkl.dbkl.gov.my
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