MIXED reactions were received on the Government’s decision to scrap the draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (DKLCP2020) from both sides of the political divide with Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar planning to file an emergency motion in Parliament next week.
She said she was left with no choice but to fight the decision by Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor through an emergency motion.
“Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Federal Territories Ministry failed to get the draft plan approved after a long decade.
“In the mean time, the people of Kuala Lumpur must endure deliberate approvals of development, which is inconsistent with the rulings stipulated under the current draft plan,” she said.
She was commenting on Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz’s statement that DBKL was now holding discussions for the draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2050 (DKLCP2050), following the failure to gazette the much-debated DKLCP2020.
The first draft plan was initially scheduled to be gazetted in 2012 but was delayed to Feb 28, 2013, as a result of objections and land usage issues that emerged.
Nurul Izzah questioned why the draft plan was not approved immediately after the public hearing.
Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai said if Nurul Izzah’s motion was approved by the Speaker, he would take part in the debate to support it.
“The people are unhappy the Government did not apologise for not implementing the 2020 draft plan,” he said, adding that about RM30mil of taxpayers’ money was used to formulate the draft.
“The Government had ignored the fact that a city plan is vital for transparency and certainty in the city planning process to ensure Kuala Lumpur becomes a liveable city,” he added.
Setiawangsa MP Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Zahari said the move to review the draft plan was fair and refined to reflect the changing needs of the city.
“Going ahead with DKLCP2020 will not make a difference as it expires in three years,” he said, adding that the 2050 city plan must include projects that benefit the public such as affordable housing, transportation and green spaces.
Ahmad Fauzi stressed that studies for the new plan must be done thoroughly and serve as a road map for the city’s development.
Planning and local government law expert Derek Fernandez said the scrapping of the draft plan resulted in development approvals that went against DBKL’s proposal.
He added that as per Section 108 of the Interpretation Act 1967 the draft plan has to be passed promptly after a public hearing.
“Why did DBKL let it go ungazetted for so long, only to turn around and say 2020 is only three years away? They can still gazette the plan now and revise it in three years,” he said.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok questioned why the original plan could not be gazetted.
“Why can’t the plan be gazetted and be used as a continued guide until the new plan is ready?
She added that the reason of rise of land cost cited by the mayor was not convincing and unacceptable.
“In fact, the failure to gazette it has contributed to the rise of land cost in Kuala Lumpur in the past few years as developers have been allowed to carry out high density development,” she said.
