KUALA Lumpur’s population is expected to grow by 1.05% annually and reach 2.25 million by 2040. These figures include new births and migration of people from other states to the city. Out of the total population, working adults will comprise 60% while retirees and children will make up the rest. Currently, Kuala Lumpur has 1.9 million residents. Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said this figure reflected only the number of residents. “In the day, the city is host to some four million who travel from outside KL, like the suburbs in Selangor, for work,” he said. Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) executive director (Planning) Nurazizi Mokhtar said population growth was the key criteria when drafting the development plan for the city. “Among our chief concerns are the increase in traffic, the need for affordable housing and improved public facilities. “We also need to ensure that there are enough job opportunities to support the increased population,” he said. Nurazizi said it was important for DBKL to pay close attention to population growth to ensure it could deliver services accordingly. He said DBKL complied with the Federal Territory (Planning) Act 1982 (Act 267) in drafting the Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2040 (KLCP2040). Nurazizi explained that the act was unique, because it applied to Kuala Lumpur only, unlike other states in the peninsula which relied on the Town and Country Planning Act 1976. “Unlike other peninsular states which are governed by their respective state governments and local assemblymen, Kuala Lumpur falls under the direct purview of Federal Territories Ministry. “Thus, the administrative structure of DBKL as a local government is different from that of local councils in other states,” he said. Nurazizi said KLCP2040 comprised the structure plan and local plan. “The structure plan outlines the objectives and proposals for development, land use, environment, social aspects and traffic management. “Meanwhile, the local plan outlines the detailed proposal for specific sites in the city.” Nurazizi said that once the first draft of the local plan was completed, it would be opened to public scrutiny. “The public is invited to raise objections and provide input on the draft. “These include individuals, residents associations, non-governmental organisations, businesses and government agencies, among others. “A special advisory board comprising former civil servants and prominent figures will then review the input and submit a recommendation to the mayor to amend the draft.” Members of the special committee are appointed by the Federal Territories Minister. Nurazizi said 20 offer letters had been sent to appoint new members for the advisory board, of which 13 had accepted. “Based on the board’s recommendation, the mayor will then submit the amended draft to the ministry to be gazetted.” He added that when drafting the previous local plan in 2008, DBKL received 62,224 objections including matters related to traffic, public facilities and housing. “DBKL held 138 public hearings to collect input and five local inquiries were conducted to investigate some matters. “The objection period was also extended for nine months, from Sept 4, 2008 to May 29, 2009. “DBKL was committed to incorporating public input in the draft,” said Nurazizi. He said public participation in the planning was crucial because it gave stakeholders a sense of belonging to the city. “KLites can be directly involved in the city’s planning and development,” he added. However, objections must be made in written form. The public can view and provide feedback and suggestions on the first KLCP2020 draft until Dec 2 at the City Planning Department at Level 13 of DBKL’s headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut. Feedback and suggestions can be sent to DBKL at klmycity2040@gmail.com DBKL is currently seeking community feedback for The Draft Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 via public engagements, focus group discussions and town hall sessions. The public can also email their views to klmycity2040@gmail.com and visit the Kuala Lumpur Development Plan website: http://dbkl.gov.my/klmycity2040 or go to the Facebook page “Pelan Pembangunan Kuala Lumpur 2040.”