DRAFT LOCAL PLAN 2035
What is the Local Plan?
The Local Plan (Rancangan Tempatan, RT) is a physical planning document that translates the policy and strategic planning of the structural plan into a more detailed map of the land use map for the Local Planning Authority area, as outlined under Subsection 12(3), Act 172.
It details the policies and general suggestions for the development and usage of land, as well as translates and details the strategic policies of the State Structure Plan into a physical form that is more specific and practical.
The Local Plan also clarifies all suggestions by the Local Planning Authority with regards to development and land use.
In short, the RT 2035 determines the landuse and type of development in Ampang Jaya for the next 15 years. It will affect how we will live, work, relax, and play.
Your Local Plan
It is your legal right and responsibility as a stakeholder and citizen of the district under the administration of Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya, MPAJ) to secure your future here via the drafting of the Local Plan MPAJ 2035.
"Local plans serve by their consultative process of preparation as contractual agreements on the use of all land within the plan areas between the local planning authorities and the local residents and land owners. Local plans are therefore, besides being guides for development, also a basis of democratic process as a guide for developments, also a basis of democratic governance and protection of citizen rights."
- (Source: National Physical Plan)
The Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 is found to be flawed in its fundamentals.
This weakens the credibility of the local plan and diminishes its power to protect us.
This also leads to loss of opportunity for legal recourse by residents/ landowners on matters pertaining to environmentally sensitive areas, landuse, landuse limitations, development and permits to operate businesses (including eco/nature-based tourism) that is stipulated in the RT at the State tribunal and/or court of law. (eg. legal cases that referenced the RT; development on slope in Sg. Ara, Penang and Taman Rimba Kiara, K.L.)
Timeline
2021
5 February 2021: AJ Rimba contacts MPAJ regarding stakeholder participation and consultation for Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035
15 February 2021 - 9 April 2021: AJ Rimba launches a campaign to inform the stakeholders of Ampang Jaya that the Local Plan 2020 (Amendment 2) is being replaced, the drafting process of the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 is commencing, and that stakeholder participation in this process is crucial in determining the future of Ampang Jaya.
AJ Rimba prepared a list of suggestions towards the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 on Google Forms which the stakeholders could use to submit directly to MPAJ. These suggestions submitted were for MPAJ's consideration and to be included by their appointed independent planner drafting the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035.15 April 2021: AJ Rimba submits a summary of the suggestions and feedback gathered to YDP MPAJ, Tuan Mohd Fauzi bin Mohd Yatim.
Over 600 suggestion forms were collected from the Ampang Jaya community
A total of 84 suggestions compiled by AJ Rimba, with the number of supporters, was submitted to MPAJ
A total of 653 additional suggestions sourced from respondents were also submitted to MPAJ
Full list of suggestions here.
2022
7 March 2022: AJ Rimba submits suggestions for the Special Area Plan to YDP MPAJ Tuan Mohd Fauzi. No response was received. Letter here.
15 March 2022: Suggestions for the Special Area Plan were sent to Director General of PLANMalaysia, YBrs. TPr. Dri Alias bin Rameli.
14 April 2022: Response received from PLANMalaysia. MPAJ and PLANMalaysia Selangor were CC-ed in their response.
14 June 2022: A complaint was submitted to Director General of PLANMalaysia, YBrs TPr Dr Alias bin Ramlie, regarding the fundamental flaws in procedure during the preparation of the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035.
These flaws contravene the Town & Country Planning Act 1976, Act 172 and the Plan Malaysia Manual Rancangan Tempatan (Edisi 2020).
The Selangor State Secretary and PLANMalaysia Selangor were CC-ed in the complaint.
30 May 2022 - 13 July 2022: Publicity and Public Participation in the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 (Replacement) Programme
The Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 was put on public display for public participation and consultation. This was publicized on the MPAJ Website and Facebook page.
AJ Rimba members had gone to visit the Bangunan MPAJ to view the full report on display. What was displayed on the boards was not the full report. AJ Rimba members had to request the bound copies of the full report (Jilid 1, 2 and 3) of the Draft RT MPAJ 2035.
After complaints were made by AJ Rimba Collective members to PLANMalaysia Selangor, the full report was uploaded by MPAJ Planning Department on 14 June 2022, two weeks after the Draft was open to the public.
MPAJ has since removed the full report of the Draft from their website.
Full list of objections and suggestions submitted by AJ Rimba to MPAJ can be accessed here.
20 & 22 September 2022: Hearings held for general objections towards the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035
Objections heard by the Hearing and Investigation Committee.
Citizens requested at the hearings that any alterations made to the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 be made public and/or for those who had objected to examine and be consulted. This is before the State Planning Committee submits the approved draft to the State Authority for ascension (gazetted).
Hearings were minuted, and objections heard and requests by Ampang Jaya citizens were acknowledged.
2,558 stakeholders from throughout Ampang Jaya had submitted their objections. Out of the 2,558, approximately 700 stakeholders (individual residents, registered Residents Associations, recognised residents representatives of streets/residential housing areas) submitted Objections Lists prepared by AJ Rimba (with their own objections added in) to MPAJ.
AJ Rimba also explained their rationale which were backed with facts and some solutions/suggestions on the many objections made towards the content of the draft.
4 October 2022: Hearings held for objections towards proposed infrastructure in Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035
AJ Rimba reiterated the citizens’ concerns regarding the fundamental flaws with the Draft Local Plan.
AJ Rimba proceeded to raise concerns and objections with regards to proposed infrastructure under the Draft Local Plan (Proposed infrastructure developments: MRT3 and KL NODE).
3 November 2022: Complaint submitted to the Selangor State Secretary, YB Dato’ Haris bin Kasim, regarding the fundamental flaws in the Draft Local Plan, and objections against the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035. The Director and Acting Director of PLANMalaysia Selangor were CC-ed in the complaint email.
2023
3 February 2023: AJ Rimba emailed to MPAJ to enquire on the status of the Draft Local Plan 2035 expressing that no form of official response has been received (6) months since the hearing for all AJ Rimba’s representations (objections/suggestions)
Email available here.2 March 2023: The State Planning Committee passed the Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035.
Note. AJ Rimba were not made aware about this despite the several official queries made to MPAJ.
31 March 2023: MPAJ Planning director responded to AJ Rimba’s email (03 Feb 2023) which stated;
“The JKSTP meeting held has agreed to give feedback on the results to the residents who had attended the hearing after the Draft RT is brought to the State Government Meeting (MMKN) later.”
The Draft RT MPAJ 2035 (Replacement) is currently at the stage of final draft RT preparation following the publicity and public participation campaign in 2022.
The MPAJ Town Planning Department has held several Focus Group Discussions with relevant stakeholders since 2021 and all feedback and objections received were taken into consideration for the current process of improving and upgrading the Draft Local Plan report.
Based on Section 13, Act 172, the involvement of the public and stakeholders is only at the stage of reviewing the Draft Local Plan during the period of the publicity programme. All relevant objections and suggestions have been considered during the meeting of the Hearing and Investigations Committee, who will then raise the objections and suggestions to the State Planning Committee. The decision of the Hearing and Investigations Committee Meeting does not need to be referred back to the public before being brought to the State Planning Committee because the process would involve additional time and costs. The Hearing and Investigations Committee Meeting held has agreed to give feedback to residents who attended the meeting after the Draft Local Plan has been brought to the State Executive Council.
28 November 2023: AJ Rimba sent an email to the YDP Dr. Ani (who was appointed in January 2023) to enquire on the status of the DRT MPAJ 2035 and to also inform her of the Collective and stakeholder’s participation throughout the drafting process.
2024
11 January 2024: AJ Rimba Collective sent a second email to YDP Dr. Ani regarding the same as above as we still had not received a response on the status of the draft.
22 February 2024: An email was sent, to JPBD Selangor Director (TPr. Tuan Kamarulzaman bin Ibrahim) to enquire on the status of the DRT MPAJ 2035.
27 February 2024: JPBD Selangor responded to AJ Rimba to inform that the State Planning Committee (SPC) had passed the DRT MPAJ 2035 (Replacement) after receiving a recommendation from the Hearing and Investigative Committee (JKSTP). MPAJ to immediately ascend the finalised Draft for the State Authority’s (PBN) approval for its gazettement.
3 May 2024: MPAJ Planning organized a meeting with AJ Rimba and TrEES (NGO) to inform of the decision by JKSTP regarding the objections to the draft. AJ Rimba raised four main concerns on the fundamental flaws found in the draft which had been recommended by JKSTP and passed by the SPC:
a. Environmentally Sensitive Area map not included in draft.
b. High intensity development across AJ which will allow for increased plot ratio (circular by the State in February 2023) for new developments.
c. The proposed alignment of KL NODE; and MRT3 alignment and its stations. The State has not conducted an SIA and not approved both projects finalised plans.
d. Verification of process on zoning landuse conversions of Open Space to Residential for land lots that are allocated as Open Space/ Green Space for Taman Tun Abdul Razak masterplan.
Requested MPAJ delay the DRT MPAJ 2035 gazettement and to resolve these valid concerns first.
13 May 2024: AJ Rimba emailed to the MPAJ planning director (Pn. Zuraina Said) to reiterate the points made at the meeting on 3 May 2024 for MPAJ’s action. AJ Rimba requested for the ascension of the said Draft for gazettement to be delayed.
The Yang Di Pertua (YDP) of MPAJ, Director of JPBD Selangor and the Director General of PLAN Malaysia were also copied into the email.
At this point of preparing this timeline information (5 November 2024), AJ Rimba Collective has NOT received any official response and verification on the issues brought up with regards to the DRT MPAJ 2035 (Replacement).
Key Information
The gazetted Local Plan (Rancangan Tempatan, RT) is a statutory document.
The Local Plan and its drafting must adhere to the Town & Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) and be in accordance with the Local Plan Manual set by PLAN Malaysia.
The Local Plan is required to be the most detailed in its content (for each 'small planning block' of a 'planning block' within a district/mukim) of the three statutory planning documents in its hierarchical order.
Planning documents in order of hierarchy:
National Physical Plan
State Structure Plan
Local Plan and Special Area Plan
The Draft Local Plan MPAJ 2035 is divided into three sections:
Volume 1 - Written Statement and Proposal Map / Strategy
(Jilid 1 - Penyataan Bertulis dan Peta Cadangan / Strategi)Volume 2 - Planning Control
(Jilid 2 - Kawalan Perancangan)Volume 3 - Management and Implementation
(Jilid 3 - Pengurusan dan Pelaksanaan)
Letters of Contact with MPAJ
RESOURCES
Act 172: Town and Country Planning Act 1976
Agenda 21, United Nations Conference on Environment & Development 1992
RT2020, Rancangan Tempatan MPAJ 2020
Introduction to Local Agenda 21 MPAJ (Bahasa Version only)