THE Federal Territories Department (JWP) is reviewing all 543 gazetted green and open spaces in Kuala Lumpur.
The exercise follows concerns that some sites have been used for commercial activities and aims to ensure they continue to serve their intended purpose.
JWP director-general Datuk Muhammad Azmi Mohd Zain said the 543 sites were gazetted as public assets for community use.
He said the Special Task Force on the Gazettement of Open and Green Spaces was compiling an inventory to ensure land use aligned with each site’s gazetted status.
The task force was set up to identify technical gaps, improve coordination among agencies and expedite gazettement-related processes.
“The task force is also preparing a comprehensive inventory of green and open spaces to ensure that land use on site is consistent with its gazetted status,” he said in a written response to StarMetro.
Muhammad Azmi said the assessment would consider each site’s current condition, function, community needs and the city’s sustainability goals.
Green spaces, he said, were vital urban assets for providing recreational areas, improving environmental quality, supporting community well-being and strengthening Kuala Lumpur’s resilience to climate change.
Responding to concerns over commercial activities such as restaurants, car showrooms and parking areas on some sites, Muhammad Azmi said certain supporting uses could be allowed, provided they were of public benefit.
“The use of such land is subject to assessment, conditions and approval by the relevant authorities, taking into account the suitability of the location, community needs and urban planning considerations.”
He added that JWP and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) were committed to ensuring government land was used responsibly while balancing the preservation of green spaces with development needs and public interest.
Asked whether the department would review its policy of allowing leases of up to 21 years on gazetted green spaces, Muhammad Azmi said land management approaches, including lease periods could be reviewed in line with current needs, sustainability policies and long-term city planning.
On transparency, he said information on all gazetted green and open spaces was available on the MyHijau platform via the Federal Territory Land and Mines Office (PTGWP) portal since Feb 5.
This has allowed the public to better understand Kuala Lumpur’s green assets while encouraging their preservation.
Muhammad Azmi said whether commercially occupied sites should still be regarded as green lungs largely depended on their function and contribution to the ecosystem.
“Green spaces serve as the city’s lungs by providing recreational areas, supporting biodiversity and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
“The government’s approach is to expand and protect green lungs, not reduce green spaces that are essential to the community.”
He said sites where the function had changed should be assessed to ensure they continued to serve their original purpose as public assets.
Muhammad Azmi said commercially used green spaces would be reviewed at the expiration of their lease, taking into account prevailing conditions, community interests, urban planning needs and the aspirations to make Kuala Lumpur a more sustainable city.
“The approach is consistent with the government’s ongoing efforts to protect strategic green spaces, including areas with ecological and recreational value,” he said.
