LETTER | Our previous article, "Were PJ residents informed of plot ratio change allowing more floor area?", explained how the 2023 change to plot ratio calculations could allow substantially larger buildings than many residents would reasonably expect. This article asks simple questions.

Hours lost in traffic. Roads that become impassable during heavy rain. Disruptions to essential services.

For thousands of Petaling Jaya residents, this is part of everyday life. These are not planning concepts. They are the consequences of a city under increasing strain.

Residents are not asking Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to stop development. They are asking for good city planning that ensures development remains sustainable.

How does the Draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan (RTPJ) 2035 (Replacement) determine how much additional development Petaling Jaya's infrastructure can sustainably support?

Good city planning

Imagine a boat designed to carry 20 passengers. One passenger boards, then another, then another. Each boards safely placed one at a time. No single passenger sinks the boat.

But unless someone knows the boat's maximum safe carrying capacity, there comes a point when just one more passenger overloads the boat, and it sinks.

Good city planning works the same way. It begins by determining how much development a city's infrastructure can safely and sustainably support before deciding how much additional growth to allow.

Every city has a limit. Sustainable planning means knowing where that limit is before approving more development.

If this assessment has been undertaken, where is it presented? Every new home, office and commercial development increases demand on roads, drainage, water supply, sewerage, electricity, public transport, schools, healthcare, emergency services and community facilities.

No single development causes chronic traffic congestion, flooding or infrastructure failures. It is the cumulative effect of approving many developments over time.

If an assessment has been undertaken to determine the level of development that Petaling Jaya's infrastructure can sustainably support, where is it presented in the Draft RTPJ (Replacement)? Was it explained to residents during the Section 12A public exhibition?

Questions continue

How was the maximum level of development that Petaling Jaya can sustainably support determined before preparing the Draft RTPJ (Replacement)?

How does the proposed level of development align with a verified carrying capacity for Petaling Jaya?

How will future development be kept within the capacity of the city's roads, drainage, utilities and public services?

Residents deserve to understand not only what is proposed, but whether Petaling Jaya's infrastructure can sustainably support it.

The state's planning vision is "To transform Selangor into a self-sustaining, prosperous, and globally competitive Smart State by ensuring inclusive digital technology, balanced urbanisation, and high-quality living."

To achieve this vision, will the State Planning Committee resolve these questions before gazettement of the Draft RTPJ (Replacement)?

"A home is supposed to be where one can come and go freely. But the traffic outside my home is often so heavy that even getting in or out can be frustrating. As residents, we simply want to know how much more development our roads can realistically support." - Richard C, Section 6, Petaling Jaya

PJ SEJAHTERA is a community advocacy group.

SUSTAINABLE PETALING JAYA ASSOCIATION (SPJA) is an NGO promoting sustainable development.

All figures and technical references in this statement are sourced from MBPJ's own planning documents, including the RTPJ (Replacement), PIPPJ 2.0, and official MBPJ presentation slides from the technical session on March 12. A summary of that session was shared with MBPJ on March 15. No corrections were received.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.