A RECENT federal warning highlighted how gaps between planning documents and development decisions can expose local authorities to serious legal and financial consequences.
The message was clear: when planning is unclear or incomplete, taxpayers ultimately bear the cost.
Thus, the planning framework for Petaling Jaya must be clear, complete and internally aligned.
Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has completed its “early publicity” stage for its draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan (RTPJ) 2035 (Replacement), under Section 12A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172).
The end of the early publicity period marked the end of formal public submissions at this stage.
If this early publicity stage was intended to gather meaningful public feedback, the public would have needed to be able to see the full picture.
RTPJ 2035 (Replacement) combines RTPJ 1 and RTPJ 2 together with several past amendments.
However, the MBPJ exhibition materials did not clearly show:
• What has been retained from the earlier plans
• What has changed
• Whether development intensity has increased
• How all past amendments affected the city’s future growth
When a new plan replaces old ones, stakeholders should be able to clearly see what is different.
Without that clarity, it is impossible to judge the real scale of future development.
The draft refers to plot ratios such as 1:4. Most residents would understand this to mean that a building can be four times the size of the land it sits on.
But under current rules – which have changed how plot ratio is calculated – a project described as “1:4” could end up being noticeably larger than people expect.
In simple terms, the actual building size can be bigger.
Bigger buildings mean more apartments or offices.
More apartments and offices mean more people.
More people mean more traffic, more demand on roads and drains and more pressure on public facilities.
If plot ratio is meant to limit how big developments can be, residents deserve to clearly understand what that number now really allows.
RTPJ 2035 (Replacement) includes areas that are covered by special area plans, but the detailed rules for those areas are not shown in the document itself.
At the same time, Section 52 – the city centre and administrative hub – is undergoing a separate redevelopment process.
These developments can significantly affect:
• How dense buildings can be
• How many people live and work in an area
• Traffic levels
• The strain on existing infrastructure such as roads, drains and public facilities
Without seeing these details in the main plan, residents would have difficulty understanding the true scale of change that could occur or how it may affect their daily lives and in the long term.
Planning only works when every major piece is visible and counted together.
Meaningful public participation requires clarity.
Section 12A of Act 172 requires the planning authority to allow the public to give informed feedback before a local plan is finalised.
That only works if people can clearly understand:
• How much development is being planned
• What limits are being set
• How infrastructure will cope
• How different planning tools fit together
If these elements are unclear, public participation becomes guesswork.
If the full structure is not visible at MBPJ’s exhibition, the public is being asked to comment without being shown the complete picture.
This is not about opposing growth. It is about calling for responsible planning.
Federal experience has shown that when planning documents and development decisions do not align clearly, problems surface later – sometimes with serious consequences.
RTPJ 2035 (Replacement), existing special area plans for Sections 13, 19, 51 and 51, as well as redevelopment initiatives such as that for Section 52 must operate as one coherent framework.
Strong planning is not complicated. It should be clear.
MBPJ should ensure planning clarity now to avoid uncertainty later.
PJ Sejahtera and Persatuan Petaling Jaya Lestari call for clear and comprehensive disclosure of the full development implications of RTPJ 2035 (Replacement), so that stakeholders can fully understand its impact before further decisions are made.
PJ SEJAHTERA and PERSATUAN PETALING JAYA LESTARI
