Latest news with #KUALALumpurCityHall
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
‘Landowners asked for commercial zoning'
Rosli: Landowners' opinions sought according to procedure. KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) says landowners of the 120-year-old Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, asked for its site to be zoned as 'main commercial'. Its City Planning Department senior deputy director Rosli Nordin said the ashram landowners and other landowners in the vicinity requested for the change in zoning status for the 0.4ha site. The site was recently zoned as 'main commercial' under Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040 while the ashram building is classified as 'Category 1 Heritage Building' under National Heritage Act 2005. 'We obtained their opinions through procedures under Rule 7 in Planning (Development) Rules 1970,' Rosli said at a conference held in Kuala Lumpur. He was responding to session moderator Charles Tan, a member of the Save Kuala Lumpur Coalition. Tan said the area was not classified as 'main commercial' in the 2020 local plan, so the recent zoning was actually a change. The conference themed 'Moving Towards a Sustainable City' was organised by Kuala Lumpur Residents Action for Sustainable Development Association and attracted about 100 attendees. It featured three panel sessions that discussed the issues of transparency and public participation in development control processes, hill land management, and urban renewal. Another heated exchange occurred during a session discussing urban renewal. Concerns were raised about the proposed Urban Renewal Act (URA), which an attendee alleged does not include homeowners and residents, and would grant too much power to the minister in charge. He also questioned the need to lower the consent threshold from 80% to 75%. In answer, Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) head of technical drafting unit Lilian Tai said URA would not grant excessive power to the minister. 'If you read through the law, the minister is not the only member of the executive committee responsible for urban renewal,' she said. She added that the government was opening up an avenue for residents to be involved in the development of URA. The attendee urged Tai and the relevant authorities to visit the 139 sites earmarked for redevelopment, to obtain residents' feedback. Tai replied that the 139 sites were only 'potential' sites for redevelopment. 'Even if the sites were already gazetted for redevelopment, the developer still needs to go through a consultation process led by the government. 'The project won't take off if it is not viable,' she explained.
The Star
19-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
DBKL mulls setting up zero-waste zones
(From third left) Maimunah, Dr Zaliha, Dr Wan Azizah and Ramlee with DBKL's strategic partners at the event. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is considering designating busy spots in the city as zero-waste zones as part of a bigger effort to reduce waste and make the capital more environmentally friendly. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said tourist hotspots were among areas to be considered under the initiative. 'We have yet to go through the details,' she said. 'We will discuss this with stakeholders, including community leaders, industry players and traders associations before coming up with the mechanism.' Dr Zaliha said this after launching the 70-page Kuala Lumpur Towards Zero Waste 2040 Roadmap at DBKL headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut. The document will serve as a framework for planning and long-term action to address waste management in the city. It was developed by DBKL based on analysis of existing policies and at local, national and international levels with input from stakeholders. The roadmap aims to reduce waste by 60%, comprising 20% organic and 40% inorganic waste, by 2040. Dr Zaliha also urged DBKL to consider introducing green community certifications and fiscal incentives for commercial premises to adopt green practices. In her speech at the launch, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the roadmap marked a shift from a linear system focused on using and disposing, to a circular economy emphasising on reducing, separating and recycling. 'Kuala Lumpur generates up to 2,300 tonnes of wastes daily, and some RM260mil is spent annually to deal with it. 'This is unsustainable and calls for a change in how we approach waste management,' she said. Separately, Dr Zaliha said Malaysia recently became the first non-European country to be accepted into the Davos Baukultur Alliance, a global initiative by the World Economic Forum aimed at promoting sustainable and culturally sensitive approaches to developing cities. She added that Kuala Lumpur had been named one of the pioneering cities in the initiative. Dr Zaliha recently delivered a speech in Venice, Italy, on how the city-planning approach currently practised in Kuala Lumpur was in line with the principles advocated by Davos Baukultur. Present at the launch were Federal Territories Department director-general (planning and development) Datuk Ramlee Yatim, Bandar Tun Razak MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan.
The Star
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Eight compounds issued to six road excavation contractors in KL
DBKL and CIDB personnel inspecting a road excavation contractor in Kuala Lumpur. — Courtesy photo KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has issued eight compounds to road excavation contractors for violating the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133). In a social media post, it said that these contractors were carrying out work in Cheras, Bandar Tun Razak, Lembah Pantai, Segambut and Bukit Bintang. 'Some of the offences are absence of road blinker lights and traffic controllers, causing obstruction on public roads as well as piling up road excavation waste in a public space,' it said. According to DBKL, the operation was conducted with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB). They inspected six contractors conducting road repairs across different locations in the city. 'Permit approvals, work procedures and other aspects were inspected to ensure the safety of workers, road users and the public as well as smooth traffic flow,' said DBKL. It added that CIDB also issued two notices to contractors who did not comply with the notice of information submission for approval to commence on-site construction works. Earlier, City Hall had also issued 35 compounds to traders who violated Act 133 around Lorong Haji Taib and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. DBKL said these traders had placed their goods in public spaces without approval, littered public areas and blocked drains with waste, affecting water flow. It added that the compounds were issued during its anti-litter enforcement operation. 'Besides taking action around Kuala Lumpur periodically, the operation also aims to instil a sense of responsibility among traders to always maintain cleanliness around their business premises. 'A clean environment can help portray a good image to visitors. 'At the same time, DBKL has also taken action and issued compounds to traders who are still causing obstruction on walkways in front of and behind their premises,' it added.
The Star
22-04-2025
- The Star
Blitz continues against illegal businesses run by foreigners in KL
KUALA Lumpur City Hall has carried out 1,066 enforcement operations against illegal businesses run by foreign traders since January. DBKL enforcement department director Mohd Muzammer Jamaluddin said that a recent operation in Brickfields resulted in action against eight premises. 'Of the eight, four premises were ordered to close immediately under the Licensing of Trades, Businesses and Industries (WPKL) by-laws 2016 and Food Act 1983," he said in a video post on DBKL's official social media page. Mohd Muzammer added that DBKL issued seven notices for various offences under the Local Government Act 1976 and Licensing of Trades by-laws. The KL Strike Force joint operation was carried out together with the Immigration Department and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry. Hazirudin Ahmad Tadjudin, from the department, added that foreign hawkers not only operate without a licence, but also do so without hygiene control. 'This is not a seasonal operation, as claimed by some parties, but a continuous one." He added that hotspot areas such as Jalan Silang, Chow Kit, Pasar Borong Selayang and Brickfields are monitored. Meanwhile, a separate operation against unlicensed hawkers in Jalan Leboh Pudu, Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin, Jalan Petaling and Jalan Sultan saw 13 seizure actions carried out. DBKL said enforcement was taken under the Licensing of Hawkers By-Laws (Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur) 2016. All items seized during these operations were sent to DBKL storage in Taman Miharja, Cheras, for documentation purposes.
