MANAGING a city requires a plan and in a large one like Kuala Lumpur (KL), also the capital of Malaysia, it can get quite complicated and very detailed.
This week's Know Your Council column takes a look at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) departments, staffed by some 600 to 700 people, undertaking this mammoth task.
All the departments listed here are directly under the purview of DBKL deputy director-general Datuk Mahadi Che Ngah.
Physical Planning Department
The most basic of plans in any city is the structure and local plans, which this department prepares, updates and implements. The current city structure plan, gazetted in 2004, details the goals, strategies and planning policies leading the city to world class status by 2020.
The local plan, which outlines the implementation plan to achieve the structure plan, is in the process of being gazetted.
Many projects in the public eye have separate units under this department including Greater Kuala Lumpur, River of Life, Kampung Baru and Local Agenda 21.
As of early this year, the department also looks into protecting local values, architectural heritage and urban character through planning. The current department director is Nurazizi Mokhtar.
Urban Planning Department
This department started under the Engineering Department in the 1960s, became its own department in the 1970s, merged with another division from the Architect's Department to become the Building Control and Planning Department in the 1980s before finally becoming what it is today after a restructuring exercise in 2005.
Led by Sahrom Ujang, the department's main function is to encourage and arrange for development while ensuring it is in line with City Hall's policies and strategic plan as well as the Federal Territories Act 1982.
It is also in charge of the One-Stop-Centre, assessing planning applications and even providing planning guidelines to protect public interest.
Urban Design and Building Department
Prior to the 2005 restructuring exercise, the functions of this department had been merged with those of urban planning within a single department called the Building Control and Planning Department.
Before that, it was a division under the Architect Department since the 1950s.
The main function of this department, led by Mohd Saleh Kos, is to control the design, construction and maintenance of buildings to ensure it is safe, comfortable to use and habitable.
They regularly deal with illegal building constructions, inhabited buildings left to ruin and failure to comply with safety guidelines at construction sites.
Recently, they have also started scheduled inspections for structural integrity and stability of buildings exceeding five storeys and over 10 years old.
Infrastructure Planning Department
Established in 2011, this fairly new department led by Wan Seng deals with approvals for various structures and facilities in the city.
These have been divided into three general categories, namely urban transportation, drainage and river management as well as civil works that include land works, roads and traffic lights.
It has three functions, which is to plan road infrastructure, measuring for engineering, land acquisition and application, utilities and geospatial works and also implement planning and controlling development for the mentioned categories.
Economy Planning and Development Coordination Department
As per its name, this department under Datuk Syed Afendy Ali Syed Abid Ali coordinates development project planning, development allocation preparation and financial resources distribution to the project implementing departments.
It also coordinates privatisation and joint venture projects.
Among its responsibilities is to monitor the progress of various projects and submit progress reports for direct-aided projects to the Federal Territories Ministry.
As such, it is also the department that is responsible for ensuring the various projects planned and approved in the annual budget and Malaysia Plan are implemented.
Among the projects it handles are infrastructure-based, commercial centres, markets, hawker centres and public recreational facilities as well as make provision for public amenities and facilities.
Source : http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/11/15/Behind-the-scenes-of-KL-Overview-of-DBKL-departments-responsible-for-managing-the-capital-city/
