AUTOMOTIVE workshops in Selangor are being directed to relocate from residential areas to designated light industrial zones.
State local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said the relocation was aimed at easing congestion, curbing pollution and stopping operators from occupying public parking bays.
“This will be a gradual move with reminders to existing workshops to relocate.
“New applications will only be approved if the businesses are located in light industrial areas,” he told StarMetro.
Ng said some residents had complained about noise from revving engines and compressors, as well as vehicles spilling into back lanes and public parking spaces.
“One solution is to centralise workshops in light industrial zones, where layouts can be properly planned for tools, work areas and storage,” Ng added.
Existing operators, he said, had been briefed on the plans, with many complying but some remaining reluctant.
“Local councils will give workshop operators ample time to shift with an agreed deadline.
“However, if the operators are adamant and choose not to move then the council will have to impose the law,” he said, without providing details on the laws involved.
Ng added that the transition was ongoing and guided by environmental regulations, as such activities were not suitable near homes.
Meanwhile, Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) deputy mayor Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali said the Subang Jaya Draft Local Plan 2035 (Amendment 1) stipulated that vehicle workshops could only be approved in industrial areas.
He said MBSJ would not issue new licences for such activities in mixed developments.
“Seven temporary permits have been issued in Taman Puncak Jalil and Taman Lestari Perdana in Seri Kembangan, to regularise existing operations.
“MBSJ Enforcement Department has also issued 379 notices for workshops to relocate in the Subang Jaya area,” he said.
For Shah Alam, its then mayor Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim said vehicle workshops, car wash operators, tyre shops and accessory outlets must comply with the Shah Alam City Council’s (MBSA) Vehicle Service Activity Guideline.
“MBSA held a town hall session in November last year to brief operators on the guideline.
“As of July 2025, 545 workshop applications were received by MBSA.
“Of these, 177 were approved, 142 were granted temporary conditional licences, 11 were deferred and 215 rejected,” he said.
Accountant Daniel Chee, 38, welcomed the move, saying that it would reduce engine noise and prevent oil from flowing into drains.
He added that some workshops left greasy parts and tools on five-foot-ways and parking bays, posing hazards to pedestrians.
Petaling Jaya resident EL Gan, 75, said some workshops occupied many parking bays for their customers’ vehicles, causing inconvenience.
“Cars are left in back lanes or take up public parking spaces, making it difficult for motorists to find a spot,” he complained.
