Minister looks to Singapore as urban planning model

Malaysia may have a love-hate relationship with neighbour Singapore, but when it comes to urban planning, the island republic is a nation to learn from.

Observing this in his speech today, Housing and Urban Wellbeing Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that among others, its Housing Development Board (HDB) is something to emulate.

“Some feel that Singapore could achieve such things easier because it is a small nation.

“However, I would like to stress that each project implemented in Singapore would not have been completed well had it not been for their careful planning,” he said.

He was sharing his observations following a working trip to Singapore’s Urban Renewal Authority (URA), which is the equivalent of Malaysia’s Urban and Rural Planning Department.

He also visited the HDB, which is responsible for providing affordable housing as well as the Garden in the Bay in the Marina Bay area.

In his speech, read out by the ministry’s chief secretary Arpah Abdul Razak, Abdul Rahman also cited a report by an urban planning expert published by British daily the Guardian.

In this report, Abdul Rahman said, the expert called for the depoliticising of urban planning.

“I feel that in this context, urban planning should be reviewed and placed in the position which can give the most positive impact on the wellbeing of the people...,” he said.

Three in four Malaysians are urbanites

The minister’s speech was read out at a World Urban Planning Day 2013 celebration in Kuala Lumpur.

Abdul Rahman did not attend as he was waiting his turn to wind up the Budget 2014 debates in Parliament today.

The event was also saw awards presented to local government for various achievements including for coming up tops in the Malaysian Urban-Rural Indicator Network for Sustainable Development.

Top winners in this category were the Shah Alam City Council, Petaling Jaya City Council, Jelebu District Council, Subang Jaya Municipal Council and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.

Speaking to reporters later, the Ministry’s deputy director of development, Dahlia Rosly, said that about 70 percent of Malaysians live in urban areas.

“But urban areas only make up 25 percent of Malaysia,” she said, underscoring the congestion.

She said this matched a global phenomenon of massive rural-urban migration, which underscores the urgency and importance of urban planning.