National Physical Plan Case Study

Question 2

The National Physical Plan of Malaysia is not really a land use planning to the FAO guidelines. Explain.

i) The Objective of National Physical Plan

The National Physical Plan (NPP) sets out the national strategic spatial planning policies and measures taken to implement them in respect to the general direction and broad pattern of the land use and physical development and conservation in Peninsular Malaysia . It is the physical interpretation of the five years National Economic Plan of the country. The plan is essentially necessary to assist the function of the National Physical Planning Council in promoting within the framework of the national policy, town and country as an efficient instrument for the improvement of the physical

This means that any development of land and buildings, require planning approval from the Local Planning Authority. Planning permission will be granted if the development is in conformity with the statutory Local Plan, such as technical agencies requirements and public objections. The planning system is however continuously evolving to respond positively to new emerging trends and changes, such as increasing demand for more public engagements and appropriate spatial adaptations to combat climate change, to face the wider uncertainties of the 21st century.

ii) Perspectives from FAO

From my reading through Guidelines for land use planning (FAO ,1993) there will be a process of land use planning when we need a change, need an improvement and need a quite different pattern of land use dictated by changing circumstances. This decision making process will implemented when ;

• the need of changes or to prevent unwanted changes must be accepted by the people involved

• there must be the political will and ability to put the plan into effect.

Where these conditions are not met, and yet problems are pressing, it may be appropriate to mount an awareness campaign or set up demonstration areas with the aim of creating the conditions necessary for effective planning. Does this concept used in

Another issue is the NPP set up based on “bottom up planning” or “top down planning”?. As I go through the NPP its seem that all the policies and strategies plan was formulated by the top management of our country. Thus in FAO it would be nice if its starting at the local level: bottom-up planning "Bottom-up" planning is initiated at the local level and involves active participation by the local community. The experience and local knowledge of the land users and local technical staff are mobilized to identify development priorities and to draw up and implement plans. Some of the advantages people will be more enthusiastic about a plan seen as their own, and they will be more willing to participate in its implementation and monitoring, more popular awareness of land-use problems and opportunities, plans can pay close attention to local constraints, whether these are related to natural resources or socio-economic problems, better information is fed upwards for higher levels of planning . An effective national physical planning system should necessarily involve both top-down and bottom-up approaches and it is also crucial that the national spatial policies are incorporated into and integrated with the other sectoral policies, strategies and programmes. While the NPP sets out the general directions and priorities of the overall physical development of the nation, the Regional, State Structure and Local Plans will in turn provide significant more detailed strategic thrusts and