TTDI Wet Market - a "commercial zone" area ?

Thanks to ML for the info.

Write to DBKL, if it is your desire to keep our Wet Market as it is - Let it not be zoned as 'commercial' under the KL City Draft Plan.  Also write to your MP and TTDI-RA. Click on image to read.

KL City Plan may be challenged in court

Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/6/16/central/21561683&sec=central

Monday June 16, 2008

Stories by YIP YOKE TENG

The Coalition to Save Kuala Lumpur may eventually challenge the legality of the draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 in court as more residents associations and NGOs are convinced that it is fundamentally flawed.

Objection against the draft plan 2020 grows more intense with more parties recognising that it has failed to conform to the policies of low density in the National Physical Plan, National Urbanisation Plan and Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020.

However, the coalition will seek intervention from the Prime Minis-ter, the Cabinet and parliamentarians before heading to court.

Concerned ones: Panel of speakers at the KL Green Lung seminar organised by Malaysian Nature Society, (from left) Malaysian Nature Society executive director Dr Loh Chi Leong, Sri Bukit Persekutuan representative Charles Tan, Bukit Kiara representative Dr Pola Singh, MNS vice-president Datuk Dr Hashim Abdul Wahab, Bukit Sungai Puteh representative Dr Anne Munro-Kua and Bukit Gasing Joint Action Committee member Gary Yeoh.

The Malaysian Nature Society became the latest NGO to recognise the non-compliance in the aspects of low development intensity and green lung conservation.

The society, following the conclusion of the KL Green Lung seminar it organised on June 14 at Rimba Ilmu building in Universiti Malaya, is submitting a report to the Federal Territories Ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to show its stand.

The report would also point out the need to strengthen existing laws to prohibit the de-gazetting of forest reserves as past experiences showed that green lung encroachments started with the local authority doing that without public knowledge.

An e-forum would be formed to bring together people wanting to save green lungs and to save Kuala Lumpur from becoming an all-choked-up city, while expanding the network of the Coalition to Save Kuala Lumpur.

“The gazetted open spaces, recreational and sports facilities in KL in 2000 accounts for 6.52% of the total KL land use,” said the society’s vice-president, Datuk Dr Hashim Abdul Wahab, who is also the organising chairman.

“However, if we were to add in the unused green areas or ungazetted land, the figure would increase up to 36% – this will be most suitable towards reaching a world-class city status,” he added.

The seminar was attended by residents’ representatives and was received warmly.

It was learnt that the DBKL was invited to the seminar and had confirmed attendance but pulled out a day before.

Meanwhile, the coalition has prepared a letter to alert the Prime Minister and his Cabinet about the draft KL City Plan 2020’s violation of the policies in the three plans.

It was penned by the alliance’s head Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman and supported by all 22 organisations under the coalition.

“If necessary, the coalition, through the MPs, would seek to move a motion in parliament or to order a commission of inquiry into the planning of Kuala Lumpur to see if there was abuse of power,” said the coalition’s legal adviser Derek Fernandez.

The attendees opposed the draft plan’s intention to increase the city’s population by 600,000 in 12 years, calling that “a self-imposed criteria”, as it would only worsen the already serious problems of traffic, flooding, pollution and cost escalation.

They felt that the direction was fundamentally flawed as the National Physical Plan and National Urbanisation Plan had spelled out that developments should be spread across the identified conurbations, which should cover Seremban, Putrajaya and parts of Selangor in the case of the KL conurbation, to reach the ideal density of 25 people per hectare.

“Although the density in KL has exceeded that, we want the average density for the whole conurbation to be 25 people per hectare.

“KL is fully saturated, its density has to be reduced, it should not absorb the 600,000 people as the government's intention is for them to be spread across the conurbation,” he said.

He added that the National Physical Planning Council had set a target of open space coverage of 2ha per 1,000 people for KL as compared with merely 0.36ha now.

The open space coverage per 1,000 people for major cities are London (4ha), Melbourne (2ha), New York (2ha) and Toronto (2ha).

Fernandez also emphasised that DBKL officials should not use “pre-approved development” to justify their leniency towards developers as Section 24 of the Federal Territory Planning Act 1982 clearly stated that all Development Orders expire in one year.

Attendees expressed their frustration resulting from DBKL’s manner in dealing with their objections towards hillside developments, citing “the push-around treatment, officials’ false statements, empty promises and utter arrogance”.

They reckoned that new paradigms should be adopted to deal with the authorities, hence the need to further inculcate awareness and encourage involvement through ICT, as well as to be green voters. It was also unanimously agreed that an elected local government would be the remedy for many of the problems.

KL city plan: Angry retiree demands RM150 refund

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/84626

Soon Li Tsin | Jun 17, 08 6:21pm

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) took a verbal beating from a furious retiree at a briefing session today on the KL Draft City Plan 2020 (KLDCP).

Coalition To Save Kuala Lumpur

Source : http://savebukitgasing.wordpress.com/2008/06/09/coalition-to-save-kuala-lumpur-cskl/

Coalition To Save Kuala Lumpur (CSKL)

June 9, 2008 in News | Tags: Bangsar Baru Residents Association, Bangsar Baru Residents Association to for all to stand, Bukit Gasing and Federal Hill is open for development, Derek Fernandez, download KL City plan here, Draft KL City Plan (DKLCP ), Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (DKLCP), Kuala Lumpur City Hall, link to download draft KL city plan, S. Thevi, Save KL coalition, Save KL coalition gains momentum, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, the draft plan is in violation of the National Physical, volume 2 part 2 draft KL city 2020 plan | by savegasinghill

The Joint Action Committee for Bukit Gasing is very much encouraged by the response to the call by Bangsar Baru Residents Association to for all to stand up against DBKL’s attempts to inflict on Kuala Lumpur a poor structured and fundamentally flawed Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (DKLCP). ( Click on link to download Pdf if you have not seen the document: 57MB )

 

Whilst it is obvious to many that the DKLCP is not what most in Kuala Lumpur wants, the Mayor and DBKL do not seem to get it.

JAC will prepare and provide list of objections for circulation to community and RAs to submit objections to DBKL. 

We should endeavour to submit as many collective and individual objections as possible.

Update

1st meeting organized by Bangsar Baru Residents Association (BBRA) was essentially to facilitate a meeting for RAs to meet up to form a coalition. The meeting resulted in formation of the CSKL.

The BBRA meeting elected Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman as the President of CSKL. It also decided that the challenge to the Draft Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020 (DKLCP ) should be made at both the macro and micro levels. 

Macro being that of challenging the appropriateness of the current DKLCP and micro being that of submitting objections as required by the DBKL.

Derek Fernandez was also elected as legal advisor to CSKL.

Source : http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/5/26/central/21348856&sec=central

Monday May 26, 2008

Flaws in City Plan?

By BAVANI M

Will Kuala Lumpur be sustainable by 2020? Any local plan prepared must be consistent with the National Physical Plan, in addition to it being consistent with the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020. However, consultants hired by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

David Mizan: ‘There are many errors, some incomplete information and elements which contradicted existing development conditions.’

Imagine a tiny fish bowl squirming with hundreds of little fishes, each fighting for its own space to move freely and in harmony.

KLites may just find themselves living in similar conditions in 12 years, if proposals set out in the Draft City Plan is correct.

Figures contained in the Draft City Plan shows major discrepancies prompting the question – could the planners hired by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) have erred when drafting the plan? And if so was it done deliberately?

Architect David Mizan Hashim pointed out in a letter to StarMetro recently that the plan was not perfect.

He said there were many errors, some incomplete information and elements which contradicted existing development conditions.”

“By envisioning a population increase from 1.6 million today to 2.2 million by 2020 within the same physical area, it will be forced to make many controversial compromises.”

Indeed David Mizan has hit the nail on the head with that statement.

The plan has made the assumption that Kuala Lumpur’s population of 1.6 million is expected to grow to 2.2 million by 2020.

The draft goes on to justify that the only way to accommodate another 600,000 people in the city by 2020 is to increase density and that will be to intensify development.

“The draft local plan of KL is fundamentally flawed,” said local government expert and environmental lawyer Derek Fernandez.

“The fundamental flaw of the plan is that it is being prepared on the basis that it has to cater for an additional 600,000 people in the Federal Territory by 2020,” said Fernandez.

Legally binding blueprint: The NPP provides that the density of KL is to be reduced to the minimum sustainable figure of 25 people per hectare.

This, according to Fernandez, is in contrast with the policies in the National Physical Plan (NPP) which is legally binding on the Federal Territory which provides sufficient land to cater for a total population growth of 8.5 million in Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley and Seremban combined.

In case you’re not familiar, the NPP is the legally binding blueprint for sustainable development under the Federal Territory Planning Act.

Furthermore, the NPP provides that the density of KL is to be reduced to the minimum sustainable figure of 25 people per hectare.

In fact, the NPP identifies that the gross density of KL is higher than 25, nevertheless makes it mandatory that 25 figure is applicable to KL.

On the contrary, the KL plan attempts to increase the density to ridiculous figures.

The plan identifies areas that are expected to increase in population with the highest being in Bukit Jalil-Seputeh followed by the city centre and Sentul Menjalara Strategic Zones.

The report goes on to say that the increase will require more than 150,000 homes in the next 12 years.

The plan is clearly not following the development strategies stated in the NPP and instead of decreasing density; it is in fact increasing it.

It would seem that the City Plan is in direct conflict with the national planning policies.

While paying lip service to the NPP by referring to it in Volume 1, fails to grasp and apply the essence of its principles on sustainable development in KL.

Tan: ‘KL must go through a major rejuvenation’

That is the reduction of densities to 25 people per hectare, increase in public open space to 2ha per 1,000 people, and spreading out the development and population density equally along the Klang Valley, Seremban and KL conurbation.

Increases in densities beyond the sustainable limits have already been exceeded. In KL, some believe this is the source of problem of poor quality of life, traffic jams, flooding, loss of green areas, lack of space, pollution, congestion and even unemployment.

One indicator of non-sustainable development is the amount of public recreation space available. Everyone requires open space and the criterion set in the NPP is 20 sq metres per person.

Not only does the local plan violates this, it arbitrarily imposes a 11sq metre per person by 2020, and even has the audacity to suggest 23% of this has got to be made up of private open spaces because there is not enough public land.

In the same note, public land in Bukit Gasing and Federal Hill is open for development – thereby increasing density here.

The total area in KL is 242sq km and the present population in KL is 1.62mil. Therefore the average density is already 68 people per hectare, which exceeds the required 25 per hectare.

“If this fundamental flaw is not remedied by cancelling all increase in plot ratio and density, and in fact taking back land to meet minimum sustainability requirements, KL will be doomed and we can expect loss of quality of life and anger among its population,” Fernandez said.

People should come forward and demand that average density for the whole of FT as 25 per hectare and that standard policies be complied to safeguard their future.

But despite the plan’s imperfections, David Mizan is confident that if the city is able to provide easy accessibility, enough open space, and maintain adequate green areas KL will be able to sustain a large population.

“If all these basic necessities are provided for, and if everything is done properly why not” he said.

Real Estate and Housing Developer’s Association’s (Rehda) KL branch secretary Tan Ching Meng agrees with David Mizan on that point and believes that sustainable development is the only way out to maintain the environment.

“KL must go thorough a major rejuvenation and in order to do that old businesses such as factories, industries and old buildings need to be relocated out,” said Tan.

“Once you do this than the city can accommodate more people and it would seem that the local plan is striving to do this under the Brown field development programme,” he said, adding despite its flaws the local plan has some good things to offer.

KL Draft local Plan

The draft KL local Plan is currently being presented for public feedback & comments & it has been quite widely publicized in the media. 

A dedicated team of  TTDI RA Exco members has been studying this Local Plan (as of 15 May) with special focus on TTDI & it's neighborhood.  A big THANK YOU to the TTDI RA Exco members for being so proactive  in contributing to the betterment of TTDI. 

FYI - this dedicated team of  TTDI RA Exco members has been researching & understanding the proposals in KL Draft Plan, evaluating the impacts, visiting the relevant Govt Agencies to clarify details, and drafting up a list of issues for the purpose of submitting an official objection to DBKL as soon as possible.

On Sunday, 15 June 2008, 11.00am, the TTDI-RA conducted a forum session @ Pusat Komuniti TTDI Meeting Room to present it's findings to TTDI residents with the objective of  seeking feedback. TTDI-RA plans to be submit an official collective feedback to the DBKL on the Local Plan. This however does not preclude each individual TTDI resident from submitting their own feedback or comments. 

If you should have any constructive feedback or comments, please share it with everyone here.

About TTDI, Kuala Lumpur

Taman Tun Dr Ismail is a main township in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Situated on the border of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, it is within the vicinity of Bandar Utama, Damansara Utama, and Mutiara Damansara, (developed suburbs of Petaling Jaya in the state of Selangor). It is also neighbouring Bukit Kiara and Sri Hartamas as well as within easy access to Bangsar and Damansara Heights. This township is in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur with Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as its local authority. It is mostly an upper class residential area with some commercial development.

The commonly used appellation is "Taman Tun" or "TTDI". "Taman" means "park" in the Malay language while "Tun" is the most senior federal title awarded by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to the most deserving figure who has highly contributed to the nation ."Tun Dr Ismail" was Malaysia's first ambassador to the United States and a Malaysian representative to the United Nations, before becoming Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taman_Tun_Dr_Ismail