Latest news with #KualaLumpurLocalPlan2040
The Star
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Faster approvals
(From left) Ng, Maimunah and Teo fielding questions during the event in Kuala Lumpur. — CHAN TAK KONG/The Star. DBKL aims to give its go-ahead for project plans within 21 days DEVELOPERS in Kuala Lumpur will soon see speedier approvals for their projects and applications for development orders. Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is working to improve its One-Stop Centre (OSC) processes to expedite workflow. DBKL aims to approve project plans within 21 days and issue development orders in 42 days. Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif said DBKL had received feedback from stakeholders about the slow OSC process. 'We acknowledge the concerns around the development delays, which is why we are refining the OSC to be more efficient. 'This process will involve closer coordination with 28 external agencies and eight internal departments.' Maimunah said this during an engagement session organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. She said City Hall was also working to enhance platforms for digital applications and develop a system to gather feedback. 'Feedback from small and medium enterprises, as well as property developers and consultants, are instrumental to reflect the needs of industries,' she added. On the recently gazetted Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040, Maimunah said 139 locations in Kuala Lumpur were earmarked for urban renewal projects. ― By FARID WAHAB
New Straits Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Developers target several redevelopment sites in Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR: Property developers have shown strong interest in redeveloping several of the 139 sites spanning 1,297.62 hectares across Kuala Lumpur, according to Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif. Speaking at the Resilient Cities, Sustainable Futures: Transforming Urban Landscapes through Sustainable Renewal forum here today, Maimunah revealed that of the 139 sites earmarked for redevelopment, 19 have received developer interest. She added that 13 proposals have been formally submitted to the One-Stop Centre (OSC), while two have received development orders. The remaining 105 sites have yet to attract any applications. The 139 sites identified by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and outlined in the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KL Local Plan 2040), sparked considerable interest from developers, especially with the impending Urban Redevelopment Act (URA). "For all 139 sites, I have yet to go through the details of land titles and related matters. This is where local authorities like DBKL come in, to guide and support developers. Investment cannot be a rough estimation," she said in her keynote address. Maimunah called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to realise Kuala Lumpur's urban transformation goals. At the core of her vision is a transparent, inclusive, and sustainability-focused strategy that aims to revitalise ageing parts of the city while maintaining its soul and community values. "Urban renewal is not just about tearing down 100 units to build 200. It must come with new facilities, sustainable living conditions, and most importantly, a sense of place," she said. "As discussed earlier at the forum, I agree that developers should come in last. Property owners must take the lead. If a site is zoned R3, it should stay R3. If it's residential, it should remain residential. But the development should not be cast in stone. If there is a need for some changes, you would need to go through the proper process involving public participation. This is vital for restoring public trust." "We want developers to work hand in hand with DBKL, not just on these 139 sites, but across all our work. "Let's build a better Kuala Lumpur together," she said. Appointed as mayor eight months ago, Maimunah brings decades of international urban development experience, including her time as executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), where she oversaw urbanisation in over 1,600 cities across 193 countries. "Now, I'm the mayor of just one city, but the capital of Malaysia. With all your support, do you think we can't do better? In just eight months, I've met 38 ambassadors, and they all say they love Kuala Lumpur. So why can't we do better and shift from a liveable city to a loveable one? Can we flip the script that urbanisation is bad? I believe we can." She emphasised that while urbanisation and climate change are often viewed as global challenges, they also represent opportunities for innovation. "Whenever I hear the words 'resilience' and 'sustainability', I think about urbanisation and climate change. Both are megatrends, but they have also improved our quality of life," she said. "Still, the rapid pace of urbanisation and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns demand more innovation in how we build, design, and manage our cities." The 139 sites identified by DBKL are outlined in the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KL Local Plan 2040) and sparked considerable interest from developers, especially with the impending Urban Redevelopment Act. Maimunah said that the KL Local Plan 2040, gazetted on May 28 and set to be launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 24, is a key part of the city's transformation agenda. It reflects input from over 28,000 public submissions, with 4,000 incorporated into the final document. "The roadmap is clear and transparent, but now we need to translate it into real-world outcomes," said Maimunah. "This local plan is more than just a planning document. It's our collective social contract. We did it collectively to shape a city that balances growth with care, modernisation with inclusion, and progress with sustainability. It's not just DBKL's plan... it's our plan. And now, we must focus on implementation." She expressed strong interest in modelling DBKL's urban planning strategies on Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), particularly in the rollout of the 2040 masterplan. To prepare for the upcoming Urban Renewal Act, Maimunah said DBKL will form a dedicated task taskforce to study the legislation and ensure the city is ready to support both landowners and developers through the renewal process. "DBKL is ready. We have planners, engineers, architects, and surveyors. But we're not just building structures. We're building communities. Cities aren't just buildings and roads. When you develop a piece of land, think of streets as arteries. Think of waste management. "Think of the families who will call that space home for generations," she said. She concluded with a rallying call: "Let's work hand in hand to make Kuala Lumpur not just a liveable city, but a loveable one."
Malaysiakini
08-06-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Preserve Vivekananda Ashram, the soul of Brickfields
COMMENT | The fate of the iconic Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, hangs on a precarious balance. Despite its designation as a national heritage site in 2016, following a concerted campaign by civil society and concerned citizens, the Ashram has now been rezoned as 'main commercial' under the latest Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040. Property developers have long eyed the site. Have they been given fresh hope? This rezoning poses a direct threat to one of the city's most important spiritual and cultural landmarks.
The Star
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Rezoning row raises questions on stewardship
THE more than two-decades saga of Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the principle of stewardship. Its key application in governance is that stewards are entrusted to discharge responsibilities in an accountable and transparent manner. Officials exercise power on behalf of an entity; they are custodians of its resources and not owners. This trust must extend to all stakeholders – not just shareholders or members – but also to the broader community with a legitimate interest. According to a report in StarMetro on May 26, 2025, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said the landowners of the 120-year-old Vivekananda Ashram had requested its site be zoned as 'main commercial'. With the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KLLP 2040) now gazetted and due to come into force on June 11, the key players involved in the ashram's rezoning must reflect on the cardinal principle of stewardship. The Vivekananda Ashrama Kuala Lumpur was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in 1934. Its core mission is described as 'involved in educational, spiritual, cultural and welfare activities'. There had been public appeals to rezone the site for educational and welfare use – appeals entirely in line with the organisation's stated purpose. The board of trustees' 2014 plan to build a 23-storey tower over the heritage site triggered public backlash and led to the building's heritage gazettement in 2016. The fact that this gazettement was challenged by the trustees and that they have now accepted 'main commercial' zoning speaks volumes. Even so, the ashram remains a cherished institution with deep intergenerational significance to the wider community. The 876 objections submitted from across the country and abroad, as well as the high participation in the public hearing, reflect this. DBKL's decision to rezone the 0.4ha heritage site is surprising. The agency had access to detailed presentations during the public hearing and subsequent submissions from the Save Vivekananda Ashram Brickfields community. Yet, it appears to have treated the board as just another landowner, without weighing the broader implications of its stewardship responsibilities. Was the entire community engagement process merely a performative exercise? It would be a welcome surprise if DBKL reconsidered its decision and rezoned the site as 'public facilities' before June 11. Is that too much to ask of those who govern a 'City for All'? The community must continue playing its stewardship role. Section 17 of the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982 [Act 267] provides a mechanism to alter the gazetted KLLP 2040. This avenue remains open for the board to submit an application to rezone the site as 'Public Facilities'. Meanwhile, the community must remain vigilant. Any proposed commercial development should be monitored to ensure full compliance with National Heritage Department guidelines and that all necessary approvals are obtained. At a minimum, the trustees should share their plans and adopt a more inclusive stewardship model. No matter how dwarfed the ashram may become by future soulless structures, its legacy as a monument to the contributions of Malaysia's pioneer generation will endure. Jayanath Appudurai Kuala Lumpur
The Star
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Desecration risks in rezoning Vivekananda Ashram
The status of Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields has changed from mixed development to main commercial in successive Kuala Lumpur local plans. — Filepic A NATIONAL heritage group has raised concerns over the rezoning of the century-old Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields under the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 (KLLP 2040). Badan Warisan Malaysia (BWM) president Lim Wei-Ling said the ashram building was 'at real risk of being desecrated'. 'Gazetted in 2016, it is an important heritage building of historical and cultural significance, together with the site on which it sits in Brickfields. 'The rezoning and classification also pose an alarming risk of not having a sufficient buffer zone around the building. 'While we agree on the need for development, this should happen within reason and land around heritage sites should not be prone to overdevelopment,' she said in a media statement. Lim was responding to a StarMetro report on May 26, 'Vivekananda Ashram at a crossroads' where stakeholders highlighted an inconsistency in the revised draft of the KLLP 2040. While the ashram is classified as a Category 1 Heritage Building under the National Heritage Act 2005, the 0.4ha site is now zoned as 'main commercial', raising concerns that it could be overshadowed by future development. In the earlier draft of KLLP 2020, the land surrounding the ashram was designated for facilities, utilities and infrastructure within a heritage zone. By the time the KLLP 2020 plan was gazetted, the zoning had changed to 'mixed development'. Lim also expressed support for stronger provisions in the KLLP 2040 to protect heritage sites from development. 'Sites like Vivekananda Ashram, which are surrounded by skyscrapers, are in jeopardy of being lost and demolished within Kuala Lumpur. 'These small and meaningful heritage sites are part of the diverse historical references that define Kuala Lumpur. 'They should be celebrated and protected as part of Warisan Kuala Lumpur, an initiative launched recently by our Prime Minister,' said Lim. She stressed that authorities should offer greater protection to heritage buildings and sites in support of that vision. When contacted, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif said in the case of the ashram, 'if a proposal is submitted and follows the local plan, we can look into the sensitive design around the site.' 'There are mechanisms in place to protect the heritage building,' she said. On concerns that stakeholder input was not considered in the amended KLLP 2040, Maimunah said that when she assumed office in August, the local plan study was already nearing completion after public participation. 'The committee presented me with the outcomes and proposed amendments in October. 'Proposals that align with the plan will be approved while those that do not, will be rejected,' she said.
