Sustainable and inclusive urban planning

URBAN planning services began in Malaysia in 1921 with the appointment of Charles Reade, a South Australian Government town planner who was lent to Malaya first, on a temporary basis and then regularly until 1929 to focus on hygiene and health issues in the Sanitary Board.

After several years, the first Town Planning Enactment 1923, introducing the general Town Plans and replanning and redistributing lots in Kuala Lumpur and other towns in the Federated Malaysian States was enacted.

Then, the Town Planning Enactment 1927 was introduced to replace the 1923 Enactment, to enhance the Town Plan- ning Services and Sanitary Board.

Town and Country Planning was then streamlined through the Town and Country Planning Act, 1976 (Act 172) together with the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171).

With various developments over the decade, the act was significantly amended in 1995 (Act A933) to include provisions relating to the planning and preservation of trees and at the same time, recognising the Town Planner Act 1995 (Act 538) which officially recognised the profession of town planners in the country.

Act 172 was significantly amended again in 2001, providing for the establishment of the National Physical Planning Council chaired by the Prime Minister.

The latest amendment to Act 172 in 2017, provides for the preparation of the Social Impact Assessment report for high-impact projects.

The urban and rural planning system, together with Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171) provides for close collaboration between urban planners as a tool to assist local authorities in implementing and facilitating development based on hierarchical systems at