DBKL plan for expedited approvals sparks concern
KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has come under fire over its move to expedite the approval process for building plans and applications for development orders.
StarMetro had on June 13 reported that DBKL was working to improve its One-Stop Centre (OSC) to speed up workflow.
Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif had said that DBKL aimed to approve building plans in 21 days and development orders in 42.
'This process will involve closer coordination with 28 external agencies and eight internal departments,' she was quoted as saying.
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Save Kuala Lumpur chairman Datuk M. Ali said the move gave the public the impression that DBKL favoured developers.
'City Hall appears to be making the OSC process more efficient for developers, but what about Kuala Lumpur residents?
'To ensure transparency, DBKL should also make the OSC portal accessible to the public,' said Ali, adding that this would allow the public to find out about potential developments happening around them.
Adrihazim: Faster approvals risk further strain on infrastructure.
Friends of Bukit Dinding chairman Adrihazim Abdul Rashid said expediting approvals for development projects risked putting further strain on the environment and infrastructure in the capital.
'While it might be good for developers, it may have the opposite impact on those affected by the projects.
'Do we really need faster project approvals when infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur can barely keep up with development?' asked Adrihazim.
Yee: Site visits crucial to ensure City Hall gets full picture of a project's impact.
Maimunah had also said that DBKL was working on enhancing platforms for digital applications, but community activist Yee Poh Ping has raised some concerns.
'Site visits to assess the full impact of a project on surrounding areas must be done before approvals are issued.
'This is to avoid over-reliance on technical reports that are submitted online, which may not reflect the situation in and around the project site,' he said.
On the recently gazetted Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040, the mayor had said 139 locations in Kuala Lumpur were earmarked for urban renewal projects.
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