Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s special committee to be scrapped to improve transparency and speed up city planning decisions.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is taking steps to end the role of the Special One-Stop Centre Committee (OSC) at Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) as part of the governance reform agenda and efforts to strengthen integrity in the city planning system in the capital.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the decision was made based on the recommendation of Project Capital, a special task force under the Policy Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister, which found that the Special OSC had the potential to become a channel for intervention in the development decision-making process.
“The MADANI government cannot defend any structure that leaves room for interference or the perception that a decision can be influenced by factors other than the law and valid planning policies.
“That is why we want to return to the clear principles of following the Local Plan, following the law and following a transparent process,” she said in a Facebook post today.
In this regard, Hannah stressed that she would no longer call the Special OSC to convene during her term as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), and would propose to the Cabinet to consider abolishing the committee, in line with the improvement proposals submitted by Project Capital.
The move, she said, would reduce unnecessary layers of bureaucracy, speed up the decision-making process and ensure clearer accountability in the DBKL delivery system.
Hannah said clear guidelines had been created for Members of Parliament to channel complaints and suggestions to the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, besides DBKL also introducing the OSC Portal to enable stakeholders and the public to view information related to ongoing development applications processed.
At the same time, she said, DBKL has streamlined its internal standard operating procedures (SOP) so that each application is assessed based on the Kuala Lumpur Local Plan 2040.
“If all plans and documents submitted comply with the conditions and requirements set, DBKL can make a decision within as early as 21 days.
“For proposals that require further consideration, the consultation process with authorities, departments, organisations and stakeholders will be carried out in accordance with Rule 3, Federal Territories (Planning) Rules (Application for Planning Permission) (Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur) 2025,” she said.
She also stressed that there is a clear separation of powers in the Kuala Lumpur administrative system, where every development decision must be made by experienced officers based on the assessment of technical documents, reviews from relevant departments and the approved Kuala Lumpur Local Plan.
“Urban planning decisions must be made based on facts, policies and the law, and not influenced by any party,” she said.
