A DISCOVERY OF NEW KNOWLEDGE IN URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

BRIEFING TO SARAWAK'S LOCAL AUTHORITIES ON A REVIEW STUDY ON MURNINET, MURNINETS PORTAL AND HAPPINESS INDEX STUDY AT KUCHING 15 DEC 2011.

2011-12-23T09:35:00.000+08:00

EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE: A WAY FORWARD TO HUMAN WELL-BEING

2011-12-17T13:12:00.001+08:00

Urban governance is a very important factor for economic development, political and social. Things can be done through the role of central government, state and local. At the same time, this role is formed as a result of the cooperation of governments, private sector and NGOs to ensure that development in the economic, political, and social security. Progressive city does not only focus to economic development alone, but also good governance factors contribute to the smooth progress of development in a country and a social focal point. To establish good governance are several methods used, the involvement of all, responsible, honest, efficient, fair, Effective & Efficient, and systems in accordance with the rules. For example, Malaysia introduced the 9 th Malaysia plan that outlines several methods for establishing good governance, the national integrity plan that led to five things that anti-corruption, improve the delivery of information systems, corporate governance & business ethic, the family institution and the quality of life.

The 9th and 10th Malaysia Plan is the basis of the federal government can act to change the management system of governance that will be running smoothly and is believed by stakeholders. Therefore, we can see not only economic development but through a process of urban governance is actually able to develop a city and a focal point for socializing. This is due to a planned governance will have a positive impact in the development of some sectors for economic growth, such as industrial, telecommunications, shopping malls, education, health, business, administrative and transportation center. This is an important facility to help improve the city's economic growth and help improve the quality of life.

The nearest example we can see is the city of Kuala Lumpur with a variety of equipment and facilities of a sophisticated system established by the local government for social focus to meet their needs and requirements. Indirectly when upgrading occurs, then we will find that the entry or migration of the population will increase because of the career opportunities and facilities for their comfort and quality, the role of central government policy managed by the state and implemented by local governments. If we look at career opportunities is one form that can create the culture and lifestyles of our diverse communities. When development in a town that implemented by local governments with the developer of the project, it will be of cultural assimilation. Income of the population will increase and this can change their lifestyles. Indirectly, it can help in the economic growth of a city.

In the aspects of health, the role of the federal government to ensure a lifetime of life through the RMK-9 has to be more proactive as a result of cooperation of the private sector and NGOs. Government has ensured that health law and medical facility equipment such as screening for the disease, early diagnosis. Increase preventive vaccines for diseases such as influenza B, measles and Rubella. These plan also provides provisions for adding new hospitals and renovation and upgrading of existing hospitals. This role is highlighted in order to benefit the city's drive towards a more robust economic growth on the efforts of good health governance in order to produce a community with high quality and standard of living can contribute to accelerate the growth of the urban economy.

The development of good health will form the entry and social focus of the city has the ability level of comprehensive health services. The place is in the Crown Medical Center Hospital of focus people in Indonesia, Singapore and domestic use such services. Melaka's economic growth is also based on the development of the role of health and good governance. Development of education in a city also influence factors of good governance and the social focal point. This can be seen around town in Kuala Lumpur, which has 100 centers of higher education and private sectors. Higher education ministry's policy role that Malaysia would like to upgrade the university to the University of Premier and International by bringing in foreign students from foreign countries such as Yemeni, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, China, Laos and Japan. University located in the center of Kuala Lumpur has received a lot of foreigners to improve the quality of education at the international level.

The role of local authorities such as City Hall through higher economic growth through the "Kuala Lumpur City Plan 2020, identified that the mall has a good potential to the economic and social growth as the standard of living of the rising. City Hall has given a number of shopping division is the main shopping precinct such as KLCC, Berjaya Times Square, Pavilion, Mid Valley, Garden City and the River Fund. The main sub areas such as Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Chow Kit Road, Petaling Jaya and Jalan Pasar. This growth will be the center of local and international social growth in the form of recreation and entertainment and a wide range of job opportunities. Good urban governance, the role of all parties such as government, private sector and NGOs is needed to further promote economic and social growth that a city can be developed rapidly in terms of infrastructure, education, health, and tourism.

Urban Governance & Disabled People

In the aspect of public transport system is actually able to ensure the efficient activity in the country. Public transport is also the heart of the development of a country. If we look at developed countries like Japan and the United States, we can see how a well-developed efficient public transportation system. See also how our public transport system developed today than ten years ago. Now in Malaysia there is the Light Transportation System (LRT) and Monorail a lot of help in our public transport services today. However , what means all this progress should not be shared with those who are not able to enjoy it.

The group that is none other than the class of persons with disabilities (PWDs). According to the Disabled Persons Act 2007, "Persons with Disabilities" (disabled) means "People who have long term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society". According to statistics provided by the Department of Social Welfare of the number of registered people with disabilities has increased by 12 percent in 2007 (220.250 people) compared to 2006 (197.519 people).

Groups of disabled people in wheelchairs, was a priority in public transport facilities. They needed a mechanism that can move as well as in relation to the outside world and the public. Imagine if they did not have family members who were willing to take them out, can they move or enjoy the world. Can they ride the LRT or commuter our cutting-edge? We are air-conditioned bus with comfortable seats that are hovering in the city and grand taxis either normal or a luxury? If they use public transport, most likely they are injured and may be dangerous for their lives or they may not be used directly due to obstruction from the use of a wheelchair.

There is no doubt that there are efforts from companies that provide public transport facilities to ensure that disabled-friendly services. There are buses that putting a wheel chair to show they are disabled-friendly buses. But today we can see that it is not perfect, marks his wheelchair just decorative. However, good faith efforts and the bus companies should be emulated, but its effectiveness should be reviewed. Is it because our society or the operators themselves? However, efforts should be made step by step. when viewed between public transport services in our country and countries like the United States, is still too much effort should be enhanced.

Social Welfare Department has always encouraged transport companies to provide fare concessions to people with disabilities. To date there are several transportation companies have been providing incentives to encourage transport to disabled people. Among them are Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to provide low-cost up to 50% for domestic flights, Malayan Railway (KTM) to provide concessionary fares up to 50% of all trips for all classes, transnational bus company provides 50% of concession fares and Rapid KL provides free air fares to the disabled.

According to a study conducted by the Department of Social Welfare, public transport is urgently needed by the disabled is a public vehicle that could deliver them from the point of origin to destination, for example taxi service can help them socialize and work. In 2002 there were 72.361 of taxis in Malaysia.

Unfortunately most of the taxis in our country is not the type of disabled-friendly. Sometimes they do not want to take disabled passengers because it is inconvenient but they are also a handful of to taxi driver who was kind enough to take wheelchair clients. Sometimes because of the taxi they use Proton Iswara example cause they do not want passengers in a wheelchair because of boot capacity. If the view is now different types and forms of taxis we see in the streets. Luxury cars are also made by some of the taxi fare was less than the normal taxi, with reasons for a convenient to passengers.

Unfortunately compared to the amount of money invested to buy luxury cars for executive taxi is more appropriate if the money used to buy or renovate a normal taxi wheelchair accessible (wheelchair Accessible Taxi) as found in the United Kingdom and the United States. Concerns of the taxi company operator will help the disabled who use wheelchairs. In addition there are some taxi drivers who feel the disabled is difficult. This behavior may occur due to lack of concern by the public transport operators themselves. This depends on the attitude of the driver that the passenger feels very cumbersome wheelchair for example that disabled people in wheelchairs do need others to help them enter into the wheelchair into the boot of their car..

But some, taxi drivers felt the disabled will only cause problems for them. There is also a wheelchair passenger feels inconvenience and delay. Most taxi drivers racing against time. For those with more time they have, the more passengers they can take. Particularly in the Klang Valley, the majority of taxi use NGV as fuel gas for cheaper than petrol. The gas tank or container installed in the car bonnet, given the relatively large size of the tank so there is no space to include a wheelchair.

In an effort to help the disabled, the public transport operators and government must work together in a effort to help those less fortunate this. Besides, it also can make our country a country concerned and caring. Consequently, the operators also need to see that public transport services as a social responsibility, not only concerned with bottom-line profitability. As members of society do we need to understand the needs of disabled people. It is not appropriate for us to isolate and segregate them because of the lack of it has. There are also some less responsible members of society and selfish to use the facilities provided for disabled people, for example car parks, toilets and seating.

For example, the CEO of AirAsia, which Dato'Tony Fernandes he improve aviation services after receiving protests from disabled associations due to AirAsia's services are not disabled-friendly. In a very short time he was improving services to disabled-friendly AirAsia despite huge cost. This attitude should be an example to us all. This shows a view of disabled people taken care of and respected even if there is a lack in them. Be a responsible member of society help those with disabilities. Together we build towards the social well-being of society.

CORE 6: EFFECTIVE URBAN GOVERNANCE UNDER NATIONAL URBANIZATION POLICY (NUP)

2011-12-15T15:41:00.000+08:00

NUP 27

INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BE STRENGTHENED TO IMPLEMENT THE URBAN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE

a. Restructure the institutions of urban management organizations

b. Increasing employment in all levels of local authorities include improving the technical staff of the management team and professionals

c. Referring to the benchmark and adjust the developed countries in order to determine the number of employment professionals

d. Expanding services at the local government to enable job rotation, more opportunities for promotion and transfer of officers of local authorities in the same country

e. Review and coordinate the relevant legislation the administration and urban management

f. Entered the planning of a comprehensive human resource development, including job rotation, 'job enrichment', promotion opportunities and provide ongoing training to enhance the capacity, capability and staff expertise

g. Establish a special training institutions for urban management

h. Provide leadership and management of a dynamic, robust and good performance capabilities

i. Identify new revenue sources and improve financial management

j. Implement asset management more efficient and systematic manner to ensure quality of service and extend the life span of equipment

k. Streamline regulations and procedures related to planning approval and land use

l. Expedite approval of development

m. Using information and communications technology to improve management quality and improving the provision of services by implementing electronic systems such as e-licensing ',' e-assessment ',' e-Submission 'and

n. aking innovative approaches and methods to improve the effectiveness of the procedure, control is more flexible, broader community participation and use of latest technology

NUP 28

THE PRACTICE OF GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE TO PROMOTE AN OPEN MANAGEMENT CULTURE, INTEGRITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

a. Applying the principles of corporate governance in the administration

b. Implement programs Islam Hadhari

c. National Integrity Plan (PIN)

d. Reduce bureaucracy

e. Running an efficient and strict monitoring

f. Improve delivery systems

g. Implementing effective leadership and management

h. Applying transparency

i. Managing finance and resources wisely

j. Implement 'Key Performance Indicators'

k. Prepare and adopt a code of city governance for all local authorities

l. Practicing management and work culture based on knowledge

m. mproving institutions directly involved in community activities

NUP 29
ENCOURAGED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN PLANNING AND URBAN GOVERNANCE

a. Implement the "Local Agenda 21" in the process of preparing policies, strategies and action plans of sustainable development

b. Establish a division of the local authority for coordinating and managing programs to enhance participation of local communities

c. Ensure that all local authorities established the public relations unit

d. Federal and state governments provide funding for managing Comunity Involvement Program

e. Facilitate the public to obtain information relating to planning and urban governance

f. Increasing public awareness of the cultural aspects of design and maintenance

g. Encourage community participation, private and BBK in development planning and managing the urban environment

h. JKKK move and encourage the formation of residents' associations and Neighbourhood Watch

i. Encourage private companies and NGOs to contribute to the development of community facilities

NUP 30

USE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY IN THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF URBAN SERVICES

a. Develop and use innovative technology in the planning, provision of infrastructure and utilities, and management of urban services

b. Using information and communication technology efficiently to enhance the performance of administrative services and information dissemination to the public

c. Adopt technologies that reduce waste generation

d. Promoting environmentally friendly building with the concept of 'green building' and the efficient use of energy

e. Using renewable energy resources efficiently

NATIONAL URBANISATION POLICY : TOWARDS MALAYSIA URBAN SUSTAINABILITY

2011-12-11T14:54:00.004+08:00

Introduction

The necessity of preparing the National Urbanisation Policy was emphasised in the 8th and 9th Malaysia Plans. Its formulation is crucial to improve the effectiveness of urban service quality to create safe, systematic, modern and attractive cities. Provisions of Part IIB, Section 6B (3) of the Town and Country Planning Act (Act 172) which was amended in 2001 (Act A1129) also stated the need for the Director-General of Town and Country Planning to consider the national urbanisation policy or other similar policies in preparing the draft of the National Physical Plan.

The National Urbanisation Policy requires an action plan to execute the formulated policies. The Director-General of the Peninsular Malaysia Town and Country Planning Department is responsible for preparing and ensuring the implementation of the National Urbanisation Policy. The responsibility of implementing this policy must be shouldered together by various ministries, departments and agencies entrusted with urban planning, development and service management.

Collaboration is crucial to carry out measures which are the shared responsibility of the various ministries, departments and agencies. The agencies responsible for carrying out the policies and measures in the National Urbanisation Policy must convert the policies into their respective programmes and projects. The proposed programmes and projects will have financial implications which need to be absorbed by various implementing agencies and made the basis for the annual budget and the five-year Malaysia Plans. Monitoring of policy implementation and sufficient allocation are necessary to ensure the National Urbanisation Policy is effectively executed.

Philosophy

The formulation of urbanisation policies must be based on the philosophy of a peaceful city encompassing the following:

a. Generating economic growth for prosperity of the nation that can be shared and enjoyed by all

b. Providing quality urban services, public facilities, infrastructures and utilities for the comfort and well-being of the people

c. Emphasising on security

d. Ensuring the design and quality of urban fabric are founded on the local cultures

e. Focusing on environmental preservation and conservation

f. Promoting social development and national unity

g. Encouraging the residents’ involvement in the development of their respective communities through enhancing governance for greater efficiency and effectiveness

h. Eradicating urban poverty

i. Sensitivity and innovation where it concerns technological development and advancement

Aim

Urban development must be steered towards the creation of an environment that offers peaceful community living, which requires equilibrium in physical, economic, social and environmental development aspects. To achieve this, the formulation of the National Urbanisation Policy is based on the following objectives:

“To create a visionary city with a peaceful community and living environment through sustainable urban development”

Objectives

Based on the aim above, the following six objectives were identified:

a. To develop a planned, quality, progressive and sustainable city;

b. To develop and strengthen a competitive urban economy;

c. To create a conducive environment in order to encourage social development;

d. To eradicate urban poverty;

e. To strengthen the planning, implementation and monitoring system;

f. To strengthen urban management and administrative institutions

BRIEFING TO SABAH'S LOCAL AUTHORITIES ON A REVIEW STUDY ON MURNINET, MURNINETS PORTAL AND HAPPINESS INDEX STUDY AT KOTA KINABALU 30 NOV - 2 DEC 2011

2011-12-10T09:17:00.002+08:00

HAPPINESS INDEX : A NEW METRIC OF HUMAN WELL-BEING

2011-12-10T07:56:00.001+08:00

Are we happy with our quality of life? GDP seems to be growing, but most people feel that the quality of life has become a rat race.In 2008, just as the financial crisis deepened, French President Sarkozy asked Nobel laureate Joseph Stigliz to form the Commission on the Measure of Economic Performance and Social Progress, comprising well known social thinkers and philosophers, such as Indian Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Kenneth Arrow, Turkish economist Kemal Dervis, former World Bank chief economist Francois Bourguignon and other leading Western professors to come up with fresh thinking on measuring the quality of life.

The commission report came out in late 2008, but its important conclusions and messages were perhaps overshadowed by the financial crisis. Nevertheless, as governments and companies prepare for the recovery, it is more timely than ever to think beyond GDP (gross domestic product), namely not the quantity of how much we produce or consume, but its quality.It is interesting that a French President has commissioned such a study, not the British, American or Japanese. The French don't have the macho precision engineering of the German car nor Japanese technical perfection, but you know a French car when you see one for its individualistic and sometimes idiosyncratic design, but more for its comfortable ride.You only have to look at the way Asia has rushed head long at full speed on pushing growth to realise that this may not be what the new middle class (and indeed everyone) would be caring about.

I was impressed when one senior Asian professional economist started to talk about beauty and happiness as one measure of economic aspiration.The Stiglitz Commission started with the premise that GDP has increasingly become an inadequate measure to gauge the human sense of well-being over time in respect of its economic, environmental, and social dimensions, particularly sustainability.Thus a new metric of human well-being should capture these dimensions economic and job security, health, education, personal and work environment, a sense of equality and respect, connectivity with family and friends, a pleasant natural environment, and physical security.

There is of course a whole generation who seems to care more and more about Chanel handbags, iPhones, Chateau Lafite and all the icons of material wealth. Others are going into yoga, qigong or religion.There is the digital generation who communicate to their parents through Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, rather than talking face to face.Social change is happening when governments shake when SMSes start flying with news of another piece of social agitation. But the bulk of Asian society is still struggling with making ends meet.

In many parts of Asia, we are struggling with crumbling social infrastructure, overcrowding, environmental pollution and social disquiet.Social injustice is being expressed even in very wealthy and successful Asian cities.This month, we were stunned by the random and violent shooting of politicians and the crowd in Arizona. All of a sudden, we are reminded that in addition to our material living standards, such as income, most of us care a lot about our personal and physical security. What can governments and civil societies do? The Stiglitz Report is a very useful reminder that we should begin by measuring what people care about, not just in terms of the quantity of production or consumption, but the quality of well-being.

The report reminds us that GDP is a very narrow concept and does not measure many qualitative issues that human beings care about.For example, most people feel that official statistics, such as CPI, do not reflect their own perception of inflation. The GDP as a concept does not measure or under-count what households and civil society produce. They certainly do not incorporate any measure of inequalities, since the average per capita GDP can disguise the sense of growing disparity.

Most of all, GDP statistics do not measure at all environmental degradation or the decay of physical infrastructure around us. As Asia is going through rapid changes in demographics, urbanisation and social change, it is not surprising that the metrics that we are using to measure our economic success or failure is not up-to-date. It is as if we are driving a car whose speedometer shows that we are accelerating at 70 miles per hour, but there is no indication that we may be going into a bad neighbourhood or that the car may be falling apart.

Indeed, if we focus on speed, we may neglect the direction that we are heading towards. Speed comes before a crash. Globalisation has created huge opportunities as well as threats. Governments need to appreciate that in the global competition for talent, people can easily walk with their feet. But they will not walk if they love the city or country-side they live in. We all want a sense of liveability clean air, good health, great culture, nice people, no fear of physical security.

Well-being is a sense of community that people care for each other, a feeling of being more equal and mutual respect.We should not see strangers as another mugger, nor a policeman as a person to be feared.We want good governance in our society, most of all a caring community that looks after the poor, the weak and the under-privileged. As governments struggle with how to deliver better governance, we need to begin with better measures of social well-being than GDP. Unfortunately, the Stiglitz Report is only a beginning, by pointing out the weaknesses of GDP; but it has not operationalised how we arrive at a better measure. Now that Asia has reached the head table, one Asian government or statesperson should take the leadership of chairing a roundtable of statistical experts to arrive at a better measure of social well-being than just GDP.

Source: The Star written by Andrew Sheng, Jan 2011

MY TASKS NEED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE DECEMBER 2011

2011-12-03T12:07:00.002+08:00

‎1 down (MURNInets in K.Kinabalu) but 9 more to go.. before end Dec 2011. These will keep me busy but TQ believe and support me until I complete it. The complete tasks list need to be completed are :

a. Meeting of Department Corporate Strategic for Research and Development Division FDTCP at Hotel Impiana Morib on 4-6 Dec 2011. Paper need to be presented are The Modus Operandi for National MURNInets Operation Centre & Happiness Index Study for MURNInets;

b. Meeting of Planning and Development Committee, Ministry of Housing and Local Goverment at Putrjaya on 6 Dec 2011. Paper will be presented A Review Study on MURNInet and MURNInets Portal.

c. Seminar National Urbanization Policy : Trust 6 Effective Urban Governance at Cititel Penang at 7 Dec 2011. The seminar organised by National Physical Planning Division, FDTCP. Paper will be presented Effective Urban Governance towards City Competitiveness.

d. Meeting of Planning and Development Committee, Federal Department of Town and Coutry Planning at FDTCP on 14 Dec 2011. Paper will be presented Planning Guideline for Open Space and Recreation and Environmental Sensivite Area (ESA) for Coastal Area.

e. Briefing to Sarawak's Local Authorities on a. A Review Study on MURNInet, b. MURNInets Portal and; c. Happiness Index Study for MURNInes in Sarawak at Kuching 16 Dec 2011.

g. Seminar on National Sustainable Development Indicators at Economy Planning Unit (EPU), Putrajaya on 19 dec 2011. Paper will be presented A Review Study on MURNInet

f. Hands-On Nvivo 9.2 for MSIA at Wisma UOA Damansara Jalan Dungun on 21-23 Dec 2011

h. SPSS Data Analysis for Happiness Index Study: Case Study Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. The analysis commence from 17 until 30 Dec 2011. The analysis will involve descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics are used to reveal patterns through the analysis of numeric data. Inferential statistics are used to draw conclusions and make predictions based on the analysis of numeric data.

i. Writing an article co-author with Dr Dahlia Rosly for academic journal. Title : Happiness Index towards Sustainable and Liveable Cities in Malaysia. Planning to publish in Asian Social Science or Asian Profle before 15 Jan 2012

HAPPINESS INDEX TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AND LIVEABLE CITIES IN MALAYSIA

2011-12-01T22:52:00.008+08:00

Cities around the world are re-examining their urban assets and remaking themselves to enhance competitiveness. Liveability and vibrancy of the built environment are discussed increasingly on a global scale. Greater attention is given to quality of life. There is a growing body of research that suggests quality of life is becoming an increasingly important factor in modern business location decisions, especially among high technology and knowledge firms. The links between quality of life and the economic success of cities concluded that cities that are not liveable places are not likely to perform important economic functions in the future. Well-being creates vibrant cities and further amplifies the discussion on quality of life. On subjective well-being, including happiness and life satisfaction, and how this is influenced by the society and city in which a person lives among other factors. Is happiness an accident of individual attributes and attitudes? Can it be influenced by the conditions in which people live? If happiness is a desirable outcome, then what sort of city can people be happy in? What conditions should cities have in order to be conducive to happiness?

Today, urbanization is a primary characteristic of the new century, largely as a reflection of high rates of population growth in developing nations. The current rate and scale of urbanization today--much greater than that in the 20th century--poses a challenge not only for nations experiencing it but for the world community at large as policy makers and active citizens seek to upgrade living standards and increase access to jobs and services while protecting natural resources and reducing fossil-fuel consumption. Equitable societal progress and global environmental sustainability may well depend on how well fast-growing cities can respond to the needs and aspirations of new residents while enhancing the quality of life in rural areas to stabilize in-migration.

UK’s Office for National Statistics has embarked on an ambitious project to measure the country’s well being. The project, which has the blessings of British Prime Minister David Cameron, aims to understand its people’s quality of life, aside from using GDP as the sole yardstick to measure the growth of the country. David Cameron launched his "happiness index" on 25 November 2010 as he announced that the Government would measure people's quality of life as well as economic growth. While conceding that economic growth and job creation is his most urgent priority, Cameron said that GDP is not a complete way to evaluate a country’s progress and that his government wants to understand and construct on key areas that positively affect people’s well-being.The ONS has set up online and offline platforms to interact with people and organizations on the parameters and questions that could help measure the country’s progress. He said economic growth remained the most "urgent priority" but he wanted a better measure of how the country was doing than GDP.The key areas that matter most to people's well-being – such as health, levels of education, inequalities in income and the environment.

The quality of life for Malaysians improved through better access to healthcare, public transport, electricity and water. Measures were also taken to create a caring society and promote community well-being. Economic development was based on sustainability principles to ensure that the environment and natural resources are preserved so that growth will not come at a cost to future generations.In the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Government has explicitly state the commitment to ensure high quality of life in urban and rural areas. More than 10 years Malaysian Urban Indicators Network (MURNInet) implemented now Federal Department of Town and Country and Planning (FDTCP) think it is time systems and indicators are reviewed. This has arisen because many new sustainability issues and changes in national development policies that are not covered or considered during the early formation of the MURNInet. Happiness Index Study is a primary data collection - survey carried out jointly between local authorities and residents. The aspects taken into account – relationship with family, neighborhood and environmental atmosphere, the interaction between people, the safety of the population, the level of health facilities and the level of local authority services in their area.

A good physical environment provides the foundation for a well-ordered city that can cater to the material and post-material needs of its citizens—the necessary conditions, in other words, for physical and economic vibrancy. This could aid us most of the way to “well-being” in the Gallup behavioural economic model. To ascend the heights of engaged citizenship and brain gain, we also need the creative ballast that culture and arts can provide. Economic and mental vibrancy will depend not just on technological innovation and economic entrepreneurship, but also on artistic and cultural creativity. The challenge for us now is to overcome our constraints and expand the mental and cultural space that we have, so that everyone who wishes to can find something that keeps them engaged and energetic in their work and their community, and in that way create a vibrant city.

As discussed earlier, basic conditions have to be in place and material needs have to be met, i.e. the city has to have low corruption, safety and jobs. Once these conditions are well established, post-material factors become more important in predicting life satisfaction. For example, research has found that air pollution tends to decrease life satisfaction. In Germany, life satisfaction increased after measures were taken to lower air pollution levels. Another factor is commuting time; it was found that in the United States, people who had to commute an hour each way to work and back had lower levels of life satisfaction than those with shorter commuting times. A good deal of research has been done on the link between green space and happiness: green space has been found to help people relax, to reduce stress levels, and to help people concentrate better. Low noise is important, because people generally have higher life satisfaction when they can concentrate and work in peace. People also tend to look for cities with good jobs and a stimulating intellectual climate.Last but not least is social capital; where social capital is high, i.e. people trust each other, can work with each other despite coming from different cultures, are willing to volunteer and help their fellow members of their community, and are engaged in and care for the community, life satisfaction tends to be higher.

Further enquiry about this study kindly contact :
DR. DAHLIA ROSLY & DR. AZMIZAM ABDUL RASHID
Research and Development Division,
Federal Department of Town and Country Planning,
Ministry of Housing and Local Government,
Unit No. 50-12-2B, & 50-13-1, Wisma UOA Damansara,
No. 50, Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

email address : bpp@townplan.gov.my

MY BOOK REVIEW : A NEIGHBOURHOOD THAT NEVER CHANGES GENTRIFICATION, SOCIAL PRESERVATION, AND THE SEARCH FOR AUTHENTICITY

2011-11-14T15:04:00.005+08:00

Author : Japonica Brown-Saracino
A Neighbourhood that Never Changes : Gentrification, Social Preservation, and the Search for Authenticity
Year of Publication: February 2010

Place of Publication: Chicago, USA

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Pages: 352

ISBN: 9780226076638

Over the past several decades, numerous books and articles have appeared on the topic of gentrification. A Neighbourhood That Never Changes, however, breaks new ground by questioning the methods and assumptions of prior work in two important and refreshing ways. This book starts with the story of Mary, a Portuguese-American resident of Portuguese-American resident of Provincetown, Massachusetts who feels she is being forced out of her job, home and social network by a wave of urban regeneration. This book paints a colorful portrait of how residents new and old, from wealthy to Portuguese fishermen, think about gentrification. This book looks at four different neighbourhoods, both urban and suburban, and argues for three types of gentrifiers: the pioneer, the social preservationist, and the social homesteader.

As page 99 reveals, the book primarily attends the term of social preservationists: gentrifiers who move to live near long-timers with whom they associate “authentic” community, and who work to preserve the local social ecology. For social preservationists, who like most gentrifiers tend to be affluent, a place’s value is contingent on the presence of certain long-timers. Page 99 details preservationists’ criticism of their own participation in gentrification and affluence – a central claim of the book. This self-criticism borrows from longstanding and widespread concern about the threat affluent people pose to “authentic” people and places as well as from heightened public awareness of gentrification’s consequences. Beyond page 99 the book explores long-timers’ reactions to social preservation and why preservationists work to preserve some – but not all – long-timers.

Based on the gentrifiers’ accounts of their beliefs and behaviors, she reveals that many such individuals “deviate from the frontier and salvation ideology long held to be the sine qua non of gentrification” (p. 250). All of this is accomplished through a richly descriptive prose—“Gripping a cup of tea, Leslie fought tears as she described . . . ” (p. 100)—that is the hallmark of good ethnography, yielding a text that is both insightful and engaging. Brown-Saracino distinguishes herself from other works on gentrification in several important ways, specifically her approach and analytical focus. Furthermore, urban and cultural sociology thrive on comparative approaches, and this beautiful book will serve as an exemplar of this perspective for years to come. Newcomers to older neighborhoods are usually perceived as destructive, tearing down everything that made the place special and attractive.

In an era of rapid change, this book absorbed study reveals the unexpected ways beliefs about authenticity, place, and change play out in the social, political, and economic lives of very different neighborhoods. The last chapter of this book demonstrates how distinct ways of thinking about place and change play out in gentrifying neighbourhoods and towns. Its also offers a sophisticated reinvention of the classic community study by emphasizing how local residents interpret contemporary economic and political forces through the lens of culture and the imagination of authenticity. Brown-Saracino examined the varied residents think about gentrification and the process counters common stereotypes about the motivations of gentrifiers. This book challenges conventional wisdom, which holds gentrification to be the simple outcome of new middle-class tastes and a demand for urban living.

MALAYSIAN TOWNPLAN JOURNAL Vol 8 Issue No 01 November 2011

2011-11-13T08:46:00.007+08:00

Malaysian Townplan Journal 2011 (Malaysia's Town Planning Journal No. 1) themed `Planning in Blue', published by the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning Malaysia (JPBD) now availabe in hard copy version. A hard copy is available from 15 November 2011 during the launching of Malaysian World Planning Day Celebration at Sheraton Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. This journal tries to bring readers to appreciate river and water bodies as the Creator's Gift up to how to connect river with the people, and many more!..for details, please visit http://www.townplan.gov.my/ or http://www.%20mytownnet.%20blogspot.com.with/ RM20, the knowledge about the history and how to plan the river is yours...limited copy, first come first basis applied.Do contact us (Research and Development Division, JPBD) at 03-20816 000. Get your copy today!http://www.townplan.gov.my/devo/download/Banner%20Page/Promotion_Malaysian%20Journal%20Townplan.pdf

HEROES GET REMEMBERED BUT LEGENDS NEVER DIES!!!

2011-11-08T00:46:00.003+08:00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT URBAN PLANNING

2011-11-07T19:55:00.008+08:00

What is Urban Planning?
Urban planning known as the "physical planning" or "land use planning". In other words, it is an art and science in shaping the growth and physical development, social and economic urban areas and rural areas.Urban planning (urban, city, and town planning) incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities.Prominent features of urban planning are land use planning, zoning, environmental planning and transportation planning. Urban planning can include urban renewal, by adapting urban planning methods to existing cities suffering from decay and lack of investment. In other words, Urban planning is a mixture of science and art. It encompasses many different disciplines and brings them all under a single umbrella. The simplest definition of urban planning is that it is the organization of all elements of a town or other urban environment. However, when one thinks about all the elements that make up a town, urban planning suddenly seems complicated - and it is.

Planning Permission

Planning permission must be obtained from the Local Authority (PBT) before a development can be initiated in accordance with section 19. Application for Planning Permission shall be in such form and containing such particulars, and accompanied by the documents and plans set by local authorities as provided by section 21 (1). Section 21 (3) requires that if the application involves the erection of buildings, the Local Authority may direct the applicant to submit level details such as building sites, building height and shift back and forth.

Aggrieved by the decision of the Planning Permission

May appeal to the Appeal Board within one month from the date of the decision on him.

What is Proposed Development Report?

It is a report required to be prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 21A, Town and Country Planning Act (Amendment) Act 1995, which must be submitted together with the layout plan submitted either to the application conversion, subdivision or erect buildings where relevant. It presents the fundamentals of planning, rational rationale and justification that would strengthen the suitability of development proposals.

What is the Local Plan?

Is a detailed plan to translate the policies and proposals contained in the Structure Plan. It shows the layout of the development of large bersekil for an area that is furnished with a written statement to explain the policies and details about the development.

What is the Structure Plan?

Is to submit a written participation policies and general proposals on land use development including measures to control the physical environment, communications and traffic for the period 15 to 20 years .

What is the Development Plan?

Development Plan comprises the Structure Plan, Local Plan, Local Development Plan and Rural Plan.

What is Open Space?

Open space reserved for public use or benefit.In land use planning, urban open space is open space areas for “parks”, “green spaces”, and other open areas. The landscape of urban open spaces can range from playing fields to highly maintained environments to relatively natural landscapes. They are commonly open to public access, however, urban open spaces may be privately owned. Areas outside of city boundaries, such as state and national parks as well as open space in the countryside, are not considered urban open space. Streets, piazzas, plazas and urban squares are not always defined as urban open space in land use planning.

What is Greenfield?

Undeveloped land such as forest and agricultural land. It also includes undeveloped land located within built-up areas such as parks, recreation and open space area the. Greenfield land is a term used to describe undeveloped land in a city or rural area either used for agriculture, landscape design, or left to naturally evolve. These areas of land are usually agricultural or amenity properties being considered for urban development. Greenfield land can be unfenced open fields, urban lots or restricted closed properties kept off limits to the general public by a private or government entity. Rather than build upon greenfield land a developer may choose to re-develop brownfield or greyfield lands, areas that have been developed but left abandoned or underused.

What is the Environmentally Sensitive Areas?

One area that needs special attention or consideration before any development is allowed in or near the area.A fragile ecosystem area where the conservation or preservation of the natural environment is sustained by state controls and/or grants.In other word, Environmentally Sensitive Areas are land and water areas containing natural features or ecological functions of such significance as to warrant their protection in the best long-term interest of the people and environment.

What is a Brownfield?

Any land or premises which have been developed or used but not yet fully exploited although it has a tendency to use or set up bangunan.Its also is vacant land, idle land or land that has been defiled. Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations.In the United States urban planning jargon, a brownfield site (or simply a brownfield) is land previously used for industrial purposes or certain commercial uses. The land may be contaminated by low concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution, and has the potential to be reused once it is cleaned up. Land that is more severely contaminated and has high concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution, such as a Superfund site, does not fall under the brownfield classification. Mothballed brownfields are properties that the owners are not willing to transfer or put to productive reuse.

What is Brownfield Redevelopment?
Brownfield redevelopment is a relatively new idea of redevelopment in our country. The main factor brownfield development is a priority for brownfield development is a solution to the problem of shortage of land in the city center. brownfield redevelopment will also create many job opportunities to the unemployed. The main factor brownfield redevelopment should be encouraged because of the development will reduce the explore of the new forest because there are still brownfield sites can be developed. There are three key actor in the development of brownfield sites, they consist of property developers, Local Authorities and the purchaser. Brownfield redevelopment more popular now is because there is high demand for land in major cities such as Kuala Lumpur. The developer is not interested in developing brownfield sites because they often faced with the problem of uncertainty in the implementation of the redevelopment of this area. There was a special government agency should be established to manage the development of potential brownfield. Another important point in the research of the redevelopment of brownfield sites are special guide lines should be established for the reference of all parties involved.

What is Urban Regeneration?
Comprehensive and integrated vision and action which leads to the resolution of urban problems and which seeks to bring about a lasting improvement in the economic, physical, social and environmental condition of an area that has been subject to change. Urban regeneration does not only mean re-development per se. Due to rather destructive nature of re-development process, there have been alternative methods of re-generation practiced by planners and authorities such as refurbishment, upgrading and restoration. In other words urban regeneration is based mainly on following themes:
• the relationship between the physical condition evident in urban areas and the nature of the social and political response;
• the need to attend to matters of housing and health in urban areas;
• the desirability of linking social improvement with economic progress;
• the containment of urban growth;
• the changing role and nature of urban policy.

What is Urban Gentrification?
Urban gentrification is a general term for the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district, a related increase in rents and property values, and changes in the district's character and culture. The term is often used negatively, suggesting the displacement of poor communities by rich outsiders. But the effects of urban gentrification are complex and contradictory, and its real impact varies. Many aspects of the urban gentrification process are desirable. Who wouldn't want to see reduced crime, new investment in buildings and infrastructure, and increased economic activity in their neighborhoods? Unfortunately, the benefits of these changes are often enjoyed disproportionately by the new arrivals, while the established residents find themselves economically and socially marginalized. Urban gentrification has been the cause of painful conflict in many American cities, often along racial and economic fault lines. Neighborhood change is often viewed as a miscarriage of social justice, in which wealthy, usually white, newcomers are congratulated for "improving" a neighborhood whose poor, minority residents are displaced by skyrocketing rents and economic change.

What is Saturated Build Area?

The main areas where land use is land use of urban residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and other infrastructural facilities.

What is the Public Utilities?

Facilities are available for public use.

What is Eco-Friendly Drainage?

The concept of source control in any additions or changes in quantity and water quality control in the area developed so that it does not bring negative effects such as flooding in downstream areas.

What is the Insert Plan?

Plan showing the detailed proposals and guidelines for the development in accordance with the main land use and subjects selected for the proposed area. It is provided to support and further details are available in the county proposal Subject Plan.

What is the Subject Plan?
A plan that shows the elements of the proposal and guidelines in accordance with the main land use and sectoral subjects.

What is Transit Oriented Development?

It is a concept of development where residential and commercial areas are planned and designed to maximize the use of transit and non-motorized vehicles.Transit Oriented Development is a walkable mixed-use form ofdevelopment typically focused within 400m radius of a transit station or any public bus network. Development shall be concentrated near stations to make transit convenient for people and encourage riderships. This form of development utilises existing infrastructure, optimises use of the transit network and enhances mobility for local communities. Transit Oriented Development concept will be promoted as the basis of urban planning to ensure viability of public transportation. This will implement a more sustainable approach to urban planning in the use of land around transit stations.

What is the Integrated Public Transport?

Public transport facilities are mutually integrated with each other.

What is a Community Center?

Meeting place where people can gather for recreation, leisure and social activities.

What is Urban Sprawl?

Horizontal urban expansion uncertain or uncontrollable or beyond the municipal boundaries.Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses (e.g. stores and residential), and various design features that encourage car dependency.Urban economists have entered the debate relatively recently. They tend to examine urban sprawl as the aggregate extent of urban land use or as the average urban land use density. It has been shown that urban sprawl can increase the aggregate urban land use and lower the average land use density while at the same time lowering average commuting travel times and increasing discretionary mobility.The term urban sprawl generally has negative connotations due to the health, environmental and cultural issues associated with the phrase. Residents of sprawling neighborhoods tend to emit more pollution per person and suffer more traffic fatalities.Sprawl is controversial, with supporters claiming that consumers prefer lower density neighborhoods and that sprawl does not necessarily increase traffic.

What is New Urbanism?
New urbanism promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities. These contain housing, work places, shops, entertainment, schools, parks, and civic facilities essential to the daily lives of the residents, all within easy walking distance of each other. New urbanism promotes the increased use of trains and light rail, instead of more highways and roads. Urban living is rapidly becoming the new hip and modern way to live for people of all ages. Within the concept of New Urbanism today, there are four key ideas. The first of these is to ensure that a city is walkable. This means that no resident should need a car to get anywhere in the community and they should be no more than a five minute walk from any basic good or service. To achieve this, communities should invest in sidewalks and narrow streets.In addition to actively promoting walking, cities should also de-emphasize the car by placing garages behind homes or in alleys. There should also only be on-street parking, instead of large parking lots. Another core idea of New Urbanism is that buildings should be mixed both in their style, size, price and function. For example, a small townhouse can be placed next to a larger, single family home. Mixed-use buildings such as those containing commercial spaces with apartments over them are also ideal in this setting. Finally, a New Urbanist city should have a strong emphasis on the community. This means maintaining connections between people with high density, parks, open spaces and community gathering centers like a plaza or neighborhood square.

What is Compact City?
The Compact City or city of short distances is an urban planning and urban design concept, which promotes relatively high residential density with mixed land uses. It is based on an efficient public transport system and has an urban layout which – according to its advocates – encourages walking and cycling, low energy consumption and reduced pollution. A large resident population provides opportunities for social interaction as well as a feeling of safety in numbers and 'eyes on the street'. It is also arguably a more sustainable urban settlement type than urban sprawl because it is less dependent on the car, requiring less (and cheaper per capita) infrastructure provision. Compact City is a place that combines work and housing in a new way. So the worker becomes foreign worker leaves home and shelter as mono to become a place of interrelationships.

What is the Transit Planning Zone?

Areas within 400m of rail stations

MY MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL URBAN PLANNING ASSOCIATIONS

2011-11-01T16:36:00.029+08:00

1. Congress of New Urbanism (CNU) linked to http://www.cnu.org/user/10598

2. Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) linked to http://www.aesop-planning.eu/members/individuals/en_GB/azmizam-abdul-rashid

3. The Global Action Research Centre (The Global ARC) linked to http://www.theglobalarc.org/members/profile/145/

4. The International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) linked to http://www.isocarp.org/index.php?id=162&expertise=sector_inst_gov_multiagency_ngo

5. Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) linked to http://www.tcpa.org.uk/

6. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) linked to http://www.rtpi.org.uk/index.html

7. International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) linked to http://www.iaia.org/resources-networking/code-of-conduct.aspx

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON NATIONAL PHYSICAL PLAN

2011-10-30T19:08:00.001+08:00

What is the National Physical Plan and function?

A written statement formulating strategic policies for determining the direction of the physical development and conservation for the whole of Peninsular Malaysia. National Physical Plan should be provided through the consultation process between the Federal and State Governments as well as taking into account the current national municipal policy or other policies related. National Physical Plan is provided for Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak are not covered because the two states subject to different legislation.

National Physical Plan functions to translate the socio-economic objectives of the Five-Year Malaysia Plan and development policies until 2020, as well as sectoral objectives into spatial form to the user in terms of geographical distribution among the states, within states and between local areas.

What Legal Provisions Used in Preparation of National Physical Plan ?

Section 6B, Town and Country Planning Act, 1976 (Act 172) is the legal basis for the preparation of National Physical Plan under this act where the National Physical Plan is defined as follows:

i) Is a written statement formulating strategic policies for the purpose of directing the country's physical development and

ii) Contain other matters as may be prescribed by the National Physical Planning Council (MPFN).

This makes the National Physical Plan as a document 'statuory', although penyediannya not provided for in the gazetted.

What are the implications to the State and Federal Agencies Should Not Comply In particular National Physical Plan Policy on Preparation of Five-Year Malaysia Plan and Development Plan?

In terms of implications for the Federal Government and State Governments should not emmatuhi National Physical Plan policy is considered not to comply with the directives and policies decided by the National Physical Planning Council and not carrying out his duties as provided under Subsection 6B (5), Act 172.

In terms of implications for policy compliance National Physical Plan at the annual forecast Malaysia Plan, the National Physical Plan policies should be the basis for budget planning Malaysia Five Year Plan. If the Development Plan, particularly the Structure Plan, regardless of National Physical Plan policies, then penyediannya have violated the provisions under paragraph 7 (3) (aa), Act 172.

When the Review-2 National Physical Plan To Begin And Stage Any approve?

Review of the National Physical Plan to National Physical Plan 2 commenced on February 2, 2009. It was approved by the Cabinet on August 11, 2010 and approved by the National Physical Planning Council on August 13, 2010.

This review is provided in accordance with the provisions of Section 6B, Act 172 in relation to the requirements of National Physical Plan to reviewed every five years consistent with the Review of Five-Year Malaysia Plan . However, not all aspects of the National Physical Plan should be changed because there were some suggestions that should be maintained at the level of review. This includes areas identified as conservation and the protection of water resources. Similarly, the proposed construction of the country's other major infrastructure that requires continuous implementation. National Physical Plan has both short-term perspective to meet the socio-economic objectives contained in the Five-Year Malaysia Plan.

What are the Main Differences Between National Physical Plan and National Physical Plan 2?

Two main differences in terms of overall concept and strategy :

i. Concept Selective Concentration in the first National Physical Plan is focused on urban development in particular conurbation.

ii. Concept Concentrated Decentralisation the National Physical Plan of the 2nd suggested that not only focuses on the development of conurbation, but more balanced with a focus on the onsite-selected locations in the growth corridors.

What is the objective of the Review to National Physical Plan 2?

National Physical Plan of the 2nd goal was to "Establish a National Spatial Framework The Efficient, Equitable and Sustainable Development for All National Driving Towards Achieving Advanced Level and High-Income Countries By The Year 2020". In determining these goals, they take into account the pillars of the government including the National Key Result Areas (NKRA), Economic Transformation Programme and the 10th plan.

MY BOOK REVIEW - THE NEW URBAN FRONTIER: GENTRIFICATION AND THE REVANCHIST CITY

2011-10-25T21:00:00.012+08:00

Author : Neil Smith
Title : The New Urban Frontier : Gentrification and the Revanchist City
Year of Publication : 1996

Place of Publication : London

Publisher: Routledge, London

Pages : 262

ISBN : 041513255X

This book brings together a body of research on gentrification conducted by Neil Smith over a period of nearly 20 years. The book thus reflects developments within Marxian-oriented urban theory from the late 1970s to the late 1990sto the inclusion of aspect of ethnicity and gender and the practice of discourse analysis to reveal, and the practice of discourse analysis to reveal ways of creating frontiers. Two of the ten chapters are new, while eight are updated versions of articles and chapters previously published and often cited in the gentrification literature. The two new chapters (2 and 8) address the issues: “Is gentrification a dirty words?” and “And gentrification experiences in European cities so distinct as to merit development of theories fundamentally different from those used to explain gentrification in North American cities?”This book challenges conventional wisdom, which holds gentrification to be the simple outcome of new middle-class tastes and a demand for urban living.

It reveals gentrification as part of a much larger shift in the political economy and culture of the late twentieth century. Documenting in gritty detail the conflicts that gentrification brings to the new urban 'frontiers', the author explores the interconnections of urban policy, patterns of investment, eviction, and homelessness. The failure of liberal urban policy and the end of the 1980s financial boom have made the end-of-the-century city a darker and more dangerous place. Public policy and the private market are conspiring against minorities, working people, the poor, and the homeless as never before. In the emerging revanchist city, gentrification has become part of this policy of revenge. The reader is able to follow as the reduction and centralisation of social services makes the city both a haven and a scourge. The streets offer a means of support and network, even as local councils and retail traders lobby to `keep the city clean and safe', a semantic shift on the threadbare attempts to rationalise slum clearance.

Nevertheless, there remains much to recommend in this book. Smith writes persuasively. He has a tempo and grip of the argument which allows diverse and demanding subject material to be dealt with in a conversational manner, from the history of `socialist gentrification' in post-Communist Budapest, to scientific appraisals of urban demographics. The conclusion of The New Urban Frontier could easily accommodate a `City of Quartz'-like conclusion to configure a foreseen post-apocalyptic scenario for the West's many physically expanding, but economically declining cities. It is something of a relief that this is not the case. However, Smith draws some concerning parallels between international cases of the revanchist city in its extreme--citing the murder of homeless children in Rio de Janeiro through to the bombing in Oklahoma City--as part of a continuum.

Despite rhetoric of `degentrification', the boundaries demarcated by social inequality show no sign of dissolving. Smith's frequently used frontier motif is turned on its head, as the line between `savagery' and `civilisation' is no longer seen as a one-way, expansionist trajectory, but a contested battleline. Smith admits a `two-class analysis' to be problematic, yet this is where he returns in the end. So while the issues of revenge politics and urban decline certainly construct an environment of dualistic adversary at work, in the city of decline it is left to the reader to decide whether this is the same city that they have come to know. He is convincing theories about the gentrification of the inner city as an economic process propelled by urban land prices and city land speculation — not a cultural preference for living in the city.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON LEGAL AND REGULATORY PLANNING

2011-10-20T19:27:00.041+08:00

Who is responsible for urban planning?

In Peninsular Malaysia, the Central Government and State Governments are equally responsible for town and country planning, in which the Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia as a whole serves to advise on national planning policies to all ministries, government departments and semi- the Government. While the Department of Town and Country Planning function to advise the State Government and Local Authorities in their respective states.

What are the functions of the Legal and Regulatory Planning?

i) Provide technical advice on town and country planning legislation to Federal agencies, State, local planning authorities and the public;

ii) Make the promotion and spread of legal policy, urban and rural planning;

iii) To coordinate and monitor the recipient clothes Act 172, the rules, guidelines and instructions under the provisions of Act 172;

iv) Provide a verification of the development application under subsection 22 (2A) of Act 172 to National Physical Planning Council;

v) Conduct investigations and monitor the planning of development projects that have been adopted and approved by National Physical Planning Council;

vi) Review and review the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) and prepare proposed amendments to Act 172.

vii) To prepare and review the rules, guidelines and instructions under the provisions of Act 172.

Is Planning Permission in accordance with the provisions of Act 172?

Planning permission was granted permission in writing by the local planning authority (PBPT) to a person who wishes to carry out the development. The need for planning permission has been provided under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) in Part IV: Planning Control. Interpret the Act 172 planning permission as permission granted with or without conditions for carrying out the development. In general, planning permission is a procedure in which the applicant must submit an application to local planning authority to get permission before commencing any development on the land or buildings.

When planning permission period will expire?

If a development is not carried out within 12 months from the date of the planning permission granted planning permission has been granted will expire, unless extended prior to expiration.

What is the amount of fines that the wear for someone who made a mistake in connection with a promotion that is not justified?

When a person has committed an offense and liable to a fine to be imposed is five hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for not more than two years or both. However for a continuing offense charged is five thousand dollars (RM5,000) for each day the offense continues after conviction for the offense.

What type of development should be referred to National Physical Planning Council?

Under subsection 22 (2A) Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), there are three types of development that should be referred to National Physical Planning Council namely: a) Development of a municipality for a population of more than 10,000 people, or covering an area of more than 100 hectares or both; b) A development for the construction of any major infrastructure or utility, and c) a development affecting the peak or hill slopes, in areas designated as Environmentally Sensitive Areas in development plan.

For projects of national interest, need be sent for approval planning permission?

It should be. Planning permission must be obtained from the local authorities involved and for projects of national interest should be taken for advice and consideration Naional Physical Planning Council chaired by the Prime Minister.

ADVANCING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA THROUGH ALIGNING MALAYSIA PLANS & POLICY BY DR DAHLIA ROSLY

2011-10-11T15:22:00.036+08:00

National Preparation for United Nation Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 "Kick-Off Workshop Rio+20" organised by Economy Planning Unit, Prime Minister Department. The conference was held on 7-10 Oktober 2011 at Avillion Legacy Malacca. Therea are 14 papers have been presented by various expertise. Representatives from Federal Department of Town and Country Planning (FDTCP) are Dr Dahlia Rosly and Dr Azmizam Abdul Rashid. Dr Dahlia Rosly presented her paper with a title of Advancing The Sustainable Development Agenda Through Aligning Malaysia Plans & Policy.

Further enquiry about this study kindly contact :
DR. DAHLIA ROSLY & DR. AZMIZAM ABDUL RASHID
Research and Development Division,
Federal Department of Town and Country Planning,
Ministry of Housing and Local Government,
Unit No. 50-12-2B, & 50-13-1, Wisma UOA Damansara,
No. 50, Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia

email address : bpp@townplan.gov.my

MY ACADEMIC JOURNALS PUBLICATIONS FROM 2008-2011

2011-10-10T15:35:00.051+08:00

1. Empowering the Global City-Region - The Crucial Roles of Local Government published by World Applied Sciences Journal Volume 13 (Sustainable Development Impact from the Socio-Environmental Perspectives) page 82-86, 2011http://www.idosi.org/wasj/wasj13(SDISEP)11/5.pdf

2. The Efficient Urban Governance in Managing and Enhancing Competitiveness of Property Markets in Kuala Lumpur City-Region published by E-Bangi / The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Volume 5, Issue 1, page 116-131, October 2010.http://www.ukm.edu.my/e-bangi/index.php/en/component/jresearch/?view=publication&task=show&id=93

3 The Implementation of E-Government in Local Authorities Towards Enhancing Urban Governance Efficiency : Case Study Subang Jaya Municipal Council published by GEOGRAFIA - Malaysian Journal of Society and Space / The National University of Malaysia (UKM) Volume 6, Issue 1, page 1-12, January 2010. http://www.ukm.my/geografia/images/upload/1.2010-1-Azmizam%20Hamzah%20Jalal-english-3.pdf

4. Efficient Urban Governance in Managing and Enhancing Competitiveness of The Kuala Lumpur City-Region published by Asian Profile : Asia's International Journal, Volume 37, Issue 56, page 597-612 / Asian Research Service, Canada December 2009.
http://www.asianresearchservice.com/v37.htm#6

5. The Role of Efficient Urban Governance in Managing Kuala Lumpur City-Region Development published Asian Social Science, Volume 5, Issue 8, page 14-32 / Canadian Center of Science and Education, August 2009. http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/ass/article/view/3431/3109

6. Efficiency in Urban Governance Towards Sustainability and Competitiveness of City: A Case Study of Kuala Lumpur published by World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology (WASET) Paris, Issue 16 Article 79 page 443- 456, April 2008. http://www.waset.org/journals/waset/v40/v40-79.pdf

MY MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH BLOGS

2011-10-01T17:14:00.014+08:00

1. Malaysian Town Planning Researcher Network is a blog of knowledge and it allow users to exchange their ideas and sharing the information based on the present or previous research. This blog is developed by International Policy Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of Research and Development, Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia linked to http://issuu.com/anwar_townplan/docs/dr_azmizam_2011?mode=a_p

2. Academia.edu is a platform for academics to share and follow research. Academics upload their papers to share them with other academics in over 100,000 research areas. They can also follow other academics, and see new papers and other research updates from those academics in their News Feeds. Linked to http://independent.academia.edu/AZMIZAMABDULRASHID

3. ResearchGate is the largest scientific network online with over 1.2 million members. ResearchGate began when two researchers discovered first-hand that working with a friend or colleague based on the other side of the world was no easy task. The rapid evolution of technology has opened the door to change; by providing you with the right tools, we strive to facilitate scientific collaboration on a global scale.It can be tricky to get hold of the right publications; so whether you want to find something specific, discover something new or share your own work with the community, we have the tools to make it happen.

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Azmizam_Abdul_Rashid/

4. Malaysian Publications since January 2006. Refereed Journal Papers, Refereed Conference Papers, Chapters in Book, Working Papers, Theses

linked to http://malaysianpublications.blogspot.com/2010/12/azmizam-abdul-rashid-efficient-urban.html

5. Mendeley is a free reference management tool for your desktop & the web that can help dramatically increase your research productivity linked to http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/azmizam-abdul-rashid/

24 SEPTEMBER 2011 - MY GRADUATION DAY

2011-09-25T23:00:00.003+08:00

Celebration with my beloved wife, my children and family

EMPOWERING THE GLOBAL CITY-REGION - THE CRUCIAL ROLES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

2011-09-24T21:54:00.018+08:00

My new article was published at World Applied Sciences Journal Volume 13 (Sustainable Development Impact from the Socio-Environmental Perspectives), page no 82-86 ISSN 1818-4952 by IDOSI Publication 2011. Detail article can read at http://www.idosi.org/wasj/wasj13(SDISEP)11/5.pdf. This is my 7th article published in academic journal since 2008.

22 SEPTEMBER 2011 - 1 st SUPERVISORS RECOGNITION CEREMONY AND THE WEARING OF THE ROBE FOR PHD GRADUATES - 2 DAYS BEFORE MY GRADUATION DAY

2011-09-23T20:30:00.003+08:00

The ceremony organised for the first time today is to recognise and appreciate the sacrifices, guidance, advice and efforts of the supervisors in helping to produce the graduates. UKM Vice Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dato' Wira Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabudin advised us "KNOWING IS NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST APPLY. WILLING IS NOT ENOUGH, WE MUST DO". Prof Sharifah Hapsah advised the graduates to harness their ideas to create products and services and to also manage high technology projects so as to promote business development in an economy based on innovations. She said the graduates while carrying out their studies and research were guided and encouraged to use their knowledge with integrity whether in the scientific or humanities field and to come up with their thesis presenting new discoveries and findings some of which may affect the people’s lives.

17 SEPTEMBER 2011 - 7 DAYS BEFORE MY GRADUATION DAY

2011-09-17T23:17:00.000+08:00

FINALLY, IN 3 YEARS MY PHD THESIS IS COMPLETED....DR AZMIZAM ABDUL RASHID

2011-09-04T21:40:00.007+08:00

This is the best moment in my life. Finally I completed my PhD thesis in 3 years. Syukur sangat berjaya juga siapkan Ist draf tesis pada 15 Ogos 2010, 2nd draf pada 15 Oktober 2011 to my supervisors dan final submission to deanery office pada 16 Disember 2010. Berkat usaha, tumpuan sepenuhnya kepada kerja-kerja penyelidikan dan doa keluarga terutama isteri tersayang ZUL'AINI ZULKIFLI dan kedua ibubapa aku. Akhirnya aku dapat menyiapkan tesis ini tepat pada waktunya. Ucapan setinggi-tinggi terima kasih kepada kedua-dua penyelia saya Prof Madya Dr Hamzah Jusoh dan Prof Madya Dr Jalaluddin Abdul Malek yang banyak menyumbang idea untuk proses penyelidikan PhD ini . Merekla berdua tidak jemu-jemu memberi ulasan dan pandangan yang membina pada setiap bab dalam tesis ini.

       Tidak lupa juga kepada Dr Dahlia Rosly, Pengarah Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan JPBD yang sentiasa memberi semangat dan panduan semasa penyelidikan PhD dijalankan. Begitu juga dengan rakan-rakan rapat yang lain. Sekurang-kurangnya aku tidak mensia-siakan duit rakyat untuk melanjutkan pengajian PhD ini. Sekarang kena fikirkan sesuatu untuk menyumbangkan ilmu dan pengalaman ini untuk bangsa dan negara. Tesis ini disiapkan tanpa permohonan melanjutkan masa pengajian kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) untuk 4 tahun atau 5 tahun berbanding dengan rakan-rakan lain yang mengambil masa lebih dari 3 tahun hingga 4 tahun untuk menyiapkan tesis mereka.

        Ada juga rakan seangkatanku yang masih belum menyiapkan tesis PhD mereka hingga sekarang. Kenapa agaknya? Jika difikirkan semula melalui pengalaman rakan-rakan kakitangan Jabatan Kerajaan yang cuti belajar untuk melanjutkan pengajian PhD mereka walaupun sudah lebih 4 tahun di UKM. Dalam kotak fikiran mereka "Aku dapat cuti belajar ini tak adalah kena transfer ke bahagian lain atau ke jabatan negeri yang lain atau aku nak berehat secukupnya semasa cuti belajar lepas setahun baru start PhD atau nak duduk rumah jer boleh menonton rancangan TV kegemaranku atau dengan duit biasiswa ini boleh guna untuk renovate rumah".

         Aku nak bagi petua berdasarkan kepada pengalaman aku mengenai 'don't and do' dalam menjalani kehidupan sebagai pelajar PhD di UKM, pertama tanamkan dulu minat yang mendalam 'heart and soul' sebagai penyelidik dalam jiwa kita yang ingin menyambung pengajian dalam PhD. PhD adalah proses penyelidikan untuk membuktikan perkaitan sesuatu teori kepada permasalahan kajian (reseach question). Adakah perkaitan itu benar atau tidak? PhD bukanlah sesuatu penulisan berbentuk laporan kajian biasa sahaja seperti mana amalan biasa kita lakukan di jabatan. Penyelidikan PhD itu perlu dibentuk melalui analisis deskriptif and inferensi serta setiap bab itu perlu dijalinkan dengan kemas dan cantik. Kedua, buangkan sifat-sifat ego dan sombong, jangan hanya tahu mengarah itu dan ini lagaknya  seperti seorang CEO. Hormatilah penyelia kita sebagai guru, pembimbing dan sahabat kita. Ketiga, jangan sentiasa biarkan diri anda dalam keadaan selesa sebagai kakitangan kerajaan. Setiap bahan rujukan perlu dicari dan dianalisis dengan bijaksana (wisdom). Amalkan teknik 5W 1H untuk menjawab setiap persoalan dalam sumber rujukan. Jangan jadikan sumber rujukan di internet sebagai rujukan mudah untuk "cut and paste". Keempat, jangan hanya pandai bercakap seolah-olah kita tahu segalanya dan mencurahkan idea sahaja tanpa menterjemahkannya dalam bentuk penulisan yang penuh dengan "critical thinking". Kelima, sentiasa merendah diri, jangan menganggap kita yang paling pandai dalam dunia ini, sebenarnya ada orang lain yang lebih pandai dari kita. Kadang-kadang orang yang tak ambil PhD pun lagi pandai dari kita. Akhir sekali, selalulah berkongsi ilmu dengan rakan-rakan yang sama-sama menjalankan penyelidikan PhD. Jangan kedekut ilmu. Selalu membantu rakan-rakan kita yang lain dalam proses penyelidikan walaupun bidang penyelidikan PhD mereka berlainan. Saya percaya "JIKA KITA SENTIASA MEMPERMUDAHKAN URUSAN ORANG LAIN, INSYALLAH ALLAH AKAN MEMPERMUDAHKAN URUSAN KITA".

          Pengalaman yang tidak boleh dilupakan sepanjang 3 tahun di UKM adalah berpeluang menjalani program 'attachment' di Global City Network and Globalization (GaWC), Loughborough University, United Kingdom selama 3 bulan mulai 22 September 2009 hingga 24 Disember 2009. Program ini ditaja sepenuhnya oleh JPA. Pada mulanya aku berat hati nak sertai program ini takut mengganggu proses penyelidikan PhD aku. 3 bulan macam-macam benda aku boleh buat di Malaysia. Rupanya sangkaan aku meleset sama sekali. Aku berpeluang bekerjasama dan berkongsi pengalaman penyelidikan ini di bawah penyeliaan Prof Dr Peter Taylor, Prof Dr Kathy Pain dan Dr John Harrison. Banyak perkongsian ilmu bersama mereka untuk memantapkan tesis PhD aku ini. Rakan-rakan dari negara-negara lain yang sedang menjalankan penyelidikan PhD dalam bilik siswazah di GaWC juga banyak membantu aku. Pengalaman 3 bulan di sana tidak sia-sia begitu sahaja. Segala peluang yang ada untuk menambahbaik tesis aku telah gunakan sebaik mungkin.

          Di Loughborough University juga aku berpeluang membentangkan kertas kerja aku mengenai "Efficient Urban Governance Towards Economic Competitiveness in Kuala Lumpur City-Region" di Delft University, Nertherland pada 24 - 27 November 2009. Di sana juga aku berpeluang berkenalan dan berkongsi pengalaman dengan ramai rakan-rakan dari negara Eropah yang sedang menjalankan penyelidikan PhD. Terima kasih kepada Pusat Pengurusan Siswazah (PPS), UKM dan Fakulti Sains Sosial dan Kemanusiaan (FSSK) UKM yang menaja tiket penerbangan dan yuran pendaftaran seminar ini. Terima kasih kepada Prof Dr Hazita Azman dan kedua-dua penyelia aku yang banyak menyokong dan membantu menjayakan program 'attachment' ini.

Apabila aku kembali ke Malaysia, aku rasa lebih yakin dengan tesis aku ini yang boleh dianggap sebagai tesis PhD dan bersedia untuk viva. Aku telah melalui proses penyelidikan bermula pada 28 Disember 2008 - 26 Disember 2010. Pada 27 Disember 2010 aku mula lapor diri di JPBD dan 4 Januari 2011 aku ditempatkan di Bahagian Penyelidikan dan Pembangunan JPBD. Sekarang ini aku telah bergelar DR AZMIZAM BIN ABDUL RASHID.Walau bagaimana aku sentiasa berdoa kepada Allah s.w.t semoga aku dijauhi dengan sifat-sifat sombong dan riak. Aku takut kenikmatan yang dikurniakan oleh Allah s.w.t akan ditarik dengan sekelip mata.

MY LATEST CV

2011-07-30T08:47:00.002+08:00

MyTOWNnet RESEARCHERS DIRECTORY
http://issuu.com/anwar_townplan/docs/dr_azmizam_2011?mode=a_p

MALAYSIAN TOWN PLANNING RESEARCH NETWORK

2011-07-29T23:10:00.021+08:00

Research and Development Division, Federal Department of Town and Country Planning has created a Malaysian Town Planning Research Network (MyTOWNnet) website. MyTOWNnet aims to increase knowledge exchange between planning educators, researchers and practitioners. Its purpose is to:

1. Highlight current and proposed research in planning education and practice;

2. Develop international communication in research and educational activity;

3. Promote the exchange of information;

4. Explore new methods of planning education and knowledge development;

5. Encourage the examination of planning theory against practice;

6. Provide a sounding board for futures thinking and innovation; and

7. Support new planning researchers.

MyTOWNnet is open to anyone with an active role in planning and related to policy making, research and education. The website address is http://mytownnet.blogspot.com/. The network will promote Think Tank and Research Capacity Development to act as sounding boards to allows urban and regional policy makers, researcher and practitioners to get feedback and advice on key issues around urban/rural futures, strategic research and policy issues. Therefore, MyTOWNnet encouraging the investment in knowledge and sharing of information within government and the academic community.

VISITING LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN SABAH AND SARAWAK 19 - 22 JULY 2011 - DATA COLLECTION FOR MURNInet TEST RUN

2011-07-22T08:55:00.003+08:00

Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara Puan Maggie and her MURNInet team. Thank you for your support.

Fruitful discussion to enhance MURNInet Portal and indicators.

Mr Jafri of DBKU ....Mr Chairman of the meeting. Thank you for your supporting and hospitality.

Our dedicated team leader Puan Shinie flying with MASWING to Sandakan. Our next mission to meet Puan Faridah of Majlis Perbandaran Sandakan

Me and Faisal master MURNInet Portal

Our core team posing with MASWING

Sandakan Town view from MASWING

Azizi, one of our group member

Our team ready to the next mission Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu

PLANNING GUIDELINE FOR GATED AND GUARDED NEIGHBOURHOOD PRESENTED BY DR DAHLIA ROSLY, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION, FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING - 14 JULY 2011

2011-07-14T17:08:00.010+08:00

PRESENTATION FOR CURRENT LEGAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES ON LAND DEVELOPMENT IN MALAYSIA AT DEWAN TAN SRI ABDUL KADIR YUSOF ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OF CHAMBERS, PUTRAJAYA

MY BATTLEFIELD...PHD VIVA 30 JUNE 2011

2011-06-30T14:53:00.005+08:00

30 minutes before the viva....ready with facts and figure to defend my thesis

The battlefield scenario in Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, UKM Meeting Room

My supervisors will not with me during my viva presentation

Ready to defend my thesis

My slides presentation and draft thesis

My slides presentation

30 minutes before my presentation, my supervisions will discuss with the external examiner

Associate Profesor Dr Hamzah Jusoh and Associate Prof Dr Jalaluddin Abdul Malek their sitting arrangement

My school chairman and external examiner (Prof Dato' Ghani Salleh from University Science Malaysia (USM)sitting arrangement

Associate Profesor Dr Esiah @ Aishah Mohammd is representing my school chairman

WHO IS CARRY MORE RESPONSILITY WHILE STUDY LEAVE DOING PHD....HUSBAND OR WIFE

2011-03-16T13:36:00.000+08:00

HUSBAND DOING PHD

1. .......BUT WIFE WORKING AT PRIVATE SECTOR....no assistance...
or
2. ........BUT WIFE WORKING AT PRIVATE SECTOR.....assistance by maid
or
3.........BUT WIFE WORKING AT GOVERNMENT SECTOR.....no assistance
or
4.........BUT WIFE WORKING AT GOVERNMENT SECTOR...assistance by maid
or
5.........BUT WIFE IS FULL HOUSEWIVE.....

20 FEB 2011 - HI TEA WITH OUR PRIME MINISTER

2011-02-20T20:50:00.000+08:00

HI-TEA WITH OUR PRIME MINISTER AND HIS ONLINE FRIENDS

2011-02-19T10:57:00.007+08:00

After the success of the tea event last March 2010, our Prime Minister pleased to host a gathering with online friends. I was invited to come and meet other fellow Malaysians and participate in a dialogue session with him. I very honour that his read my blog and have a chance to meet him. Thank Dato' Seri. Event Details:

Date: 20 February 2011 (SUNDAY)
Time: 4 - 6 pm
Location: Seri Perdana, Putrajaya

His message to me via email :

"I know you who had received invitations for last November’s event were disappointed with the postponement, but you’ll be happy to know that you are automatically invited to this teatime get-together. You received an invitation and respond promptly as invitations are limited. I’m quite excited about all these plans and look forward to meeting you and as many of my fellow Malaysians in 2011"

..................................Najib Tun Razak

MY PHD VIVA....VIVA IS A BATTLEFIELD?

2011-02-03T07:14:00.001+08:00

Preparing for the PhD viva

There are two ways of considering the PhD viva voce interview:

•The viva provides the researcher with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the end of a successful research project, receiving the acclaim of experts within the field.

•The viva is the last (and possibly biggest) hurdle that needs to be overcome in the race towards successful completion.

The checklist below suggests ways that will enable you to begin to distance yourself from position and work steadily towards position. The viva should indeed be an experience which is memorable for positive reasons, and regarded as an opportunityrather than a threat. Too often this is not the case.

If the prospect of the viva fills you with alarm, bear in mind that there are a number of things that you can do before the day and on the day which can be of great help.

Before the viva:

1. Think back to your upgrading interview

Although this may seem very distant in time, it is a valuable preparation for the final viva. What kind of written comments were recorded at the time? What do you remember learning from the experience?

2. Practice the viva itself

Some supervisors are willing to organize mock vivas for research students who feel that this will be of great benefit. Ideally, these should be conducted by academics who you do not know very well, but with a strong connection to your field of study.

3. Develop your oral presentation skills

Giving conference or research seminar presentations can provide an excellent preparation for the viva, enabling you to develop a range of skills including the ability to deal with unexpected questions. They can also provide a boost to your confidence allowing you to approach the viva with a more positive attitude.

4. Find recordings of viva interviews

These are difficult but not impossible to find. One recently-uploaded example can be found on the Preparing for your Viva webpage.

5. Talk to PhD students who have recently undergone a viva

Talking to people who have recently undergone their viva can be very beneficial. Although experiences can differ greatly, it is useful to learn more about the type of questions that may be asked, different examining styles and to be warned about possible pitfalls.

6. Research the academic history of your examiners

In moderation, of course. Although examiners will not expect or welcome constant references to their own work, if you have some familiarity with their contribution to the

field this can help you to understand how they themselves regard the main issues emerging from your work.

7. Familiarize yourself with your own work

Read through your thesis carefully and make sure you are familiar with key arguments, findings and sources. Annotate the chapters using ‘post-it’ stickers or some other means so that you will immediately be able to access a particular section when required during the viva.

Strategies that will help on the day:

• Listen to all questions carefully and check that you fully understand what is expected of you. If you are not sure, do not hesitate to seek clarification.

• Answer questions clearly and concisely. If you don’t know the answer, say so.Do not be tempted to go off the point to show off your knowledge on related issues – this will irritate rather than impress. Resist also the temptation to deliver memorized answers.

• Stay connected to your written text, using arguments and evidence from within the thesis to strengthen the points that you make.

• Be prepared to take the initiative. If you think key points are being missed, point them out. ‘Defending a thesis’ does not mean a adopting a purely defensive role.

• Respond to criticisms robustly if you think that they are unjustified, but have the confidence to agree if an examiner identifies a known weak area in your research. Your honesty in this respect will be much appreciated.

sources : Learning and Teaching Unit, SOAS, University of London 2008

MY NEW OFFICE...WISMA UOA DAMANSARA

2011-02-01T23:28:00.005+08:00

OUR NEW ADDRESS
DIVISION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT,
DEPARTMENT OF TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING,
(MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT)
LEVEL 12-13WISMA UOA DAMANSARA I,
50 JALAN DUNGUN,
50490 KUALA LUMPUR

27 DECEMBER 2010 - BACK TO WORK AFTER 3 YEARS ON STUDY LEAVE

2011-01-10T08:59:00.000+08:00

I find it useful to maintain contact with JPBD and my colleagues throughout my study leave. This will help to sustain my interest in going back to work and will make my eventual return much easier. There are many ways of keeping in touch - reading the my latest department news via website, scanning reports of conferences and training events and browsing news updates on the company website. It's also a good idea to accept social invitations and develop my network of colleagues, both inside and outside the organisation.

When it's time to return, try to organise a re-entry period, which might involve covering for holidays or working part-time for a while. I could also ask for a nominated member of staff to act as a mentor during my crucial early days back in harness. It's also important to arrange a meeting with a few senior officers to discuss how my role may have changed since I were last at work and how I can best use the skills and personal qualities I have acquired while on study leave.

WHY UKM IS MY SECOND HOME? I REALLY MISS UKM.....

2011-01-05T22:10:00.001+08:00

UKM'S LECTURERS: WHO ARE FRIENDS, MENTOR AND TEACHER...THANK YOU

2011-01-03T21:00:00.002+08:00

Associate Professor Dr Kadir Ariffin - Quality Management and Workers Safety

Our Dean Prof Dr Mastura - GIS and Landuse Management

Associate Professor Dr Noorahmah - Women and Entrepreneurship

Associate Professor Dr Juneinah Sulehah - Women Participation in Local Economic

Associate Professor Encik Hadi Harman Shah - Spatial Urban Planning and SPSS Application

Dr Fatimahwati (middle) - Psychology in Human Resource and Dr Rozainee (right) - Psychology Methods and Techniques

Associate Professor Dr Aishah Mohamad - Cultural , Social Anthropology and Research Methodology

Dr Habibah Ahmad - Family Holiday and Ecology Tourism

Associate Professor Dr Hamzah Jusoh (My Supervision) - Global City and City-Region in Globalization

Associate Professor Dr Hair Awang (left) - Local Economic in Rural Planning and SPSS Method

Prof Dr Safar (right) - Journalism and Media Communication

Associate Professor Dr Jalaluddin Abdul Malek - Intelligent City and Network Society

Associate Professor Dr Faridah Ibrahim (left) - Journalism and Media & Dr Wan Amiza (right) - Censorship in media electronic

Associate Professor Puan Asmah Bee (left) - Health Psychological + Associate Professor Dr Rozmie Ismail (centre) - Youth Psychology and Coodinator of The Youth Empowerment Centre, UKM (PERKASA)

Associate Professor Dr Yusof Hj Husain (left) - Project Management in Urban Planning and Encik Asmadi Mohamad (right) from Jabatan Khidmat Negara

Associate Professor Dr Hazita Azman - Linguistic and English Literature (our former deputy dean of FSSK)

Our Faculty Dean

GOODBYE 2010.....WELCOME 2011

2010-12-31T23:00:00.004+08:00

GOOD BYE 2010

WELCOME 2011

New year is an wonderful occasion, when we welcome something new in our lives and at the same time, forget about all the bad memories, which the passing year gave us.

MY FRIENDS IN UKM....THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

2010-12-29T20:00:00.004+08:00

The Committee of International Postgraduates Festival 2009

Dafrizal - Framing Theory, Agenda Setting, Media and Terrorism

Novitri - The Quality of Life in Fishmen Village

Norhayati - The Quality of Life Kidney Patients

Razali - Kyoto and Governance on Environmental Issues

Me - Efficient Urban Governance and City Competitiveness

Thank you guys we shared our knowledge

From left (back): Dafrizal, Me and Razali. Front from left Novitri and Norhayati

Norhayati and Razali

Novitri from Padang, Indonesia

Norhayati - Lecturer from Faculty of Health Sciences, UKM

Razali from INTAN and Jalil From JPA

Amir from UKM and Rafidah from Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat

Dr Yuna (Post doctorate student) and Noryahati

Dafrizal

Me and Dafrizal

2nd DAY IN JPBD

2010-12-28T16:25:00.003+08:00

7.30 am - Reached JPBD. Met Puan Shamsaini, Dr Zainah, Datin Noraini and Cik Shabby at car park area. Thank you wish me welcome back and good luck for my up coming viva;

8.00 am - Like yesterday....2nd day in Library...updated my blog and facebook;

10.00 am - Sent message to my friends to inform them I am in JPBD... Received message from Dr Alias wanted to meet me at mamak stall;

10.10 am - Coincidentally, I met Dr Dahlia. Me, Dr Dahlia and Dr Alias shared our experience doing PhD with 'nescafe and teh tarik';

10.45 am - Back to my station....updated my email and read newspapers

1.00 pm - Zohor pray ....Bukit Aman Mosque

2.15 pm - Back to my station....updated my email, blog, facebook and read an articles on viva presentation

5.00 pm - Punch card....drive back home

NEW CHAPTER WILL BEGIN...WELCOME HOME TO JPBD

2010-12-27T10:48:00.004+08:00

7.45am - Meeting with Cik Nurul of JPA. However 8.45am only managed to met Cik Nurul and get a letter from her. Cik Nurul requested my assessment report on my supervisors and UKM. I will give her next week;

9.15am - Drive from Putrajaya to JPBD HQ Jalan Cenderasari to meet Encik Mokhtar. Heavy traffic jam...errrrk

9.50am - Reached JPBD HQ and met Encik Mokhtar. Gave him all relevent documents. He informed that he unable to locate me which division in JPBD. Tuan Syed need to discuss with my YBhg Dato' KP. Unfortunately Dato' KP on leave. He will back on 3 Jan 2011. For a moment, my station is JPBD's library. That's mean I will be in library for 5 days.

10am - Nice place...cosy and quite. New image. Lot of new newspapers, books and magazines. Just read them... occupied my time...

1.15pm - Zohor pray... Bukit Aman Mosque

2.00pm - Continue read newspapers and JPBD bulletin 2007 - 2010.

5.00pm - Punch card...go home

TOMORROW CHECKLIST......27 DECEMBER 2010

2010-12-26T16:23:00.003+08:00

THINGS NEED TO DO AND BRING....Report Duty

Meeting with Public Services Department (JPA) ...Officer of Unit of Tranning in Services....Cik Nurul
Letter from JPA for JPBD
Meeting with Officer of Human Resource Division at Federal Department of Town and Country Planning (JPBD)...Encik Mokhtar
Performance appraisal report and my progress assessment for academic year 2010
A copy of certificate of seminar paper presenter in 2008-2010
Pass card
Name tag
.....................

26 DECEMBER 2010 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...1 DAY TO GO...LET'S THE MEMORIES LEFT BEHIND

2010-12-26T15:30:00.005+08:00

A room to accommodate FSSK's PhD Student....

Memories,

Light the corners of my mind

Misty water-colored memories

Of the way we were

Scattered pictures,

Of the smiles we left behind

Smiles we gave to one another

For the way we were

Can it be that it was all so simple then?

Or has time re-written every line?

If we had the chance to do it all again

Tell me, would we? Could we?

Mem'ries, may be beautiful and yet

What's too painful to remember

We simply choose to forget

So it's the laughter

We will remember

Whenever we remember...

The way we were...

List names of my friends

My workstation - laptop, dairy and notebooks

View of workstation

My valuable and importants stuffs....laptops, books and important references

A place where I think to write...how to make research in progress

Thank you to our Dean faculty to provide us this room. Without this room and station in here...I think I unable to complete my research on time.....

Books and relevance references that I bought from Loughborough University and our local universities...

Me...outside look happy but inside only ALLAH knows

A whiteboard where I placed my important notes and flow of my thesis. Checklist of my progress without this I may be lost in the middle of my journey.......Sorry guys not space for you all....

The alley of FSSK...where the popular spot in the faculty.

My name.....my workplace...

FINAL COUNTDOWN...2 DAYS MORE TO GO...UNFORGETTABLE

2010-12-25T11:04:00.003+08:00

UKM...unforgettable

Unforgettable, that's what you are

Unforgettable though near or far
Like a song of love that clings to me
How the thought of you does things to me
Never before has someone been more

Unforgettable in every way and day

And forever more, that's how you'll stand

That's why, UKM, it's incredible

That's why you so unforgettable

Thinks that I am unforgettable too

24 DECEMBER 2010 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...3 DAYS MORE TO GO...so fast I am going to leave UKM

2010-12-24T10:57:00.002+08:00

In 3 years I spend my life in UKM from 7.30am until 6.30 pm every weekday. In the evening I spend my time to do research in my room from 9.00 pm -12.00 midnight. There is new schedule need reform...

FINAL COUNTDOWN...4 DAYS MORE TO GO...URBAN PLANNER IS NOT FIREMEN

2010-12-23T10:52:00.006+08:00

Today (may be) is my last breakfast with my second supervisor Dr Jalal. So many things we discussed on current social issues, urban planning and UKM's Distinguished Professor...Prof Dr Shamsul Amri. The most interesting topic we discussed is about Urban Planner is not Firemen. In personal views, today or tomorrow or in future, I don't want public see urban planner is like firemen. If something happened to the city or country such as landslides, traffic jam, pollution, flash flood, social issues, urban decay etc, urban planner will be called to overcome that particular problems.

Just like firemen a rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations. There are five issues commonly discussed to overcome the problems such as Prevention, Self-preservation, Rescue, development control (fire control), Planning Structure (structure fires) and HAZMAT (Hazard Material).

However today others technical departments such JPS, JKR, JAS, LLM and local authrorities had acknowledge and appreciated the role Federal Department of Town and Country Planning ( FDTCP) in national development. The establishment and enforcement of Town Planning Act 172, National Physical Plan, National Urbanization Policy, Safe city etc have proved the contribution of FDTCP to implement the Economic Transformation Programmes in the context of sustainable development. I hope FDTCP still contribute, play significant role and relevant to national development.

The next 4 days.... for every beginning there is an ending, with every ending there is a new beginning........

22 DECEMBER 2010 THE FINAL COUNTDOWN...5 DAYS MORE TO GO...

2010-12-22T15:26:00.010+08:00

Today, I attended postgraduates proposal presentation organised by PPSPP. There were 5 presenters, 4 from Indonesian students and 1 from Iranian student. I still remember the situation and had been through this moment 3 years ago. I know what is their feeling. Feel like butterfly in our stomach. Upon from my presentation I know what is PhD, proposal, problems statement, research questions, methodology and research findings. Don't make our own definition that problems statement is research questions. My assumption that there is different between academic and government officers thinking.....Hope you will find the anwers.

I like Dr June comments on today overall presentation : YOU AS A PHD STUDENT SHOULD TAKE SERIOUSLY ON YOUR RESEARCH. THIS IS NOT YOUR DEPARTMENT PROGRESS REPORT OR EMPIRICAL DATA PRESENTATION. THIS IS AN ACADEMIC PRESENTATION. THINK OUT OF THE BOX. YOU SHOULD WIDEN YOUR PROBLEMS STATEMENT PERSPECTIVES AND KNOWLEDGE. YOU MUST ALWAYS READING VARIOUS MATERIALS SUCH AS LATEST JOURNALS, PAPERS PROCEEDING AND BOOKS. BUT NOT JUST CUT AND PASTE PUT IN YOUR PROPOSAL OR REPORT. YOU MUST WISELY CRITIC AND ANALYSE THE CONTENT OF THAT PARTICULAR ARTICLES. FURTHERMORE, WHAT IS THE CONTRIBUTION OF THIS THEORY TO YOUR RESEARCH. PLEASE RESPECT YOUR FRIENDS, LISTEN WHAT HE / SHE PRESENT. DON'T TALK OR MAKE NOISE WITH YOUR FRIENDS. FINALLY, PLEASE IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH OR MALAY LANGUAGE.....Thank you Dr June for your advices.

MY PHD ABSTRACT

2010-12-19T13:16:00.011+08:00

THE EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE TO ENHANCE ECONOMY COMPETITIVENESS IN KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION

ABSTRACT

In the context of globalization, urban governance is increasingly faced with complex challenges. The Local Authority (LA) as the governance institution is ensconced in bureaucracy is not spared from the issues of inefficiency in dealing with stakeholders. This issue became the main research question to be addressed in this thesis. Inefficient urban governance can affect the economic competitiveness in the city-region. This thesis investigates the extent how elements of efficient urban governance (EUG) can contribute to the enhancement of economic competitiveness in city-region (ECCR) and which of these elements can affect ECCR? This study aims to develop a clear understanding of the role of EUG at LA level, and its relationship with the ECCR. In the case of Kuala Lumpur city-region, the study also investigates which LA has achieved the best position in EUG. The theoretical framework of the KGB in city-region has been used to investigate the relationship between EUG and ECCR. The studies focus mainly to the stakeholders of Kuala Lumpur city-region on their perception in the implementation of EUG by LA. This involved 6 main LAs such as DBKL, MBPJ, MBSA, MPSJ, MPK and MPSp with 315 respondents representing various stakeholders. One of the findings in inferential data analysis shows that 10 elements of EUG contributed 89.6 percent to the enhancement of ECCR. This multiple regression analysis also shows the significant relationship between EUG with economic competitiveness in Kuala Lumpur city-region. However, only five elements are the best predictors to the ECCR such as administration and the effectiveness of LA services, public feedback, a strategic vision, transparency and equality. Meanwhile, analysis of the indicators measuring EUG in LAs show that MBPJ achieved the highest score of 0.75 compared with five other LAs. Generally the results indicate that LA no longer plays the role of a government body that provides services and infrastructure only. In fact the results suggest that LA should focus on urban governance to enhance efficiency in providing services to stakeholders.

KEEFISIENAN GOVERNANS BANDAR DALAM MENINGKATKAN DAYA PERSAINGAN EKONOMI WILAYAH-BANDAR RAYA KUALA LUMPUR

ABSTRAK

Dalam konteks globalisasi, governans bandar berdepan dengan pelbagai cabaran yang semakin kompleks. Peranan pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) sebagai institusi governans sentiasa dikaitkan dengan pelbagai karenah birokrasi dalam penyediaan perkhidmatan yang tidak efisien yang menimbulkan masalah kepada stakeholders. Isu ini menjadi persoalan penyelidikan utama dalam tesis ini. Ketidakefisienan governans bandar boleh menjejaskan daya saing sesebuah wilayah-bandar raya. Sejauhmanakah elemen keefisienan governans bandar (KGB) mempengaruhi daya persaingan ekonomi (DPE) sesebuah wilayah-bandar raya dan elemen manakah yang mempengaruhinya? Kajian ini bertujuan membentuk satu pemahaman yang jelas mengenai peranan KGB di peringkat PBT dan hubungkaitnya dengan peningkatan DPE di wilayah-bandar raya. Berdasarkan kes wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur, kajian ini juga mengenalpasti PBT yang mempunyai kedudukan KGB yang paling baik. Penyelidikan ini berdasarkan kepada kerangka teoritikal KGB wilayah-bandar raya untuk menilai hubungkait dengan DPE. Kajian ini juga dijalankan berdasarkan persepsi stakeholders wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur mengenai KGB yang diamalkan oleh PBT. Ini melibatkan 6 PBT utama iaitu DBKL, MBPJ, MBSA, MPSJ, MPK dan MPSp dengan 315 responden yang mewakili beberapa stakeholders. Antara penemuan utama analisis data inferensi kajian ini, menunjukkan bahawa 10 elemen KGB menyumbang sebanyak 89.6 peratus kepada DPE di wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur. Keputusan analisis regresi pelbagai ini menunjukkan terdapat hubungan signifikan antara KGB dengan DPE wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur. Hanya 5 elemen sahaja yang menjadi peramal terbaik kepada DPE wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur iaitu keberkesanan pentadbiran dan perkhidmatan PBT, maklumbalas awam, wawasan strategik, ketelusan dan kesamarataan. Analisis indeks penunjuk pengukuran KGB PBT di wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur menunjukkan MBPJ mencapai skor tertinggi iaitu 0.75 berbanding dengan lima PBT yang lain. Keputusan kajian juga mendapati peranan PBT tidak lagi dianggap sebagai badan kerajaan yang memberi perkhidmatan dan menyediakan infrastruktur semata-mata. PBT sepatutnya lebih memberi tumpuan kepada governans bandar untuk meningkatkan keefisienan dalam memberi perkhidmatan kepada stakeholders.

16 DECEMBER 2010 MY SUBMISSION DAY FOR 7 COPIES OF DRAFT FINAL PHD THESIS

2010-12-17T09:00:00.013+08:00

THIS IS IT....my submission day for 7 copies of my draft final thesis to Deanery Office Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK). I have been informed by an officer of School of Social, Development and the Environment (PPSPP) that my thesis abstract notice application have been tabled and approved in FSSK meeting on 1 December 2010. However, my Dean FSSK will submit and table to UKM Senate on January 2011 for the approval of external and internal examiners. I hope the Senate Committee will agree with the names suggested by my supervisors and PPSPP Chairman.

Unfortunately until today they did not reveal any name who are my examiners? It is secret, just wait and see. If the Senate approved, FSSK will submit a copy of my thesis to the examiners for their reading, checking, verifying and justifying the quality of my thesis at least one month. If the Senate not approved the names of the examiners, PPSPP and FSSK will find other examiners and table again to FSSK and UKM Senate Meeting in February 2011. That's mean I will sit for my viva presentation in May 2011.

I hope and pray to Allah that I can sit for my viva presentation end of February or March 2011. Wish me for the best.

Malaysian Publications: Azmizam Abdul Rashid, JPBD - The Efficient Urban G...

2010-12-16T23:20:00.002+08:00

Kindly please visit this blog to read the collection of my published articles journal since 2009....Malaysian Publications: Azmizam Abdul Rashid, JPBD - The Efficient Urban G...: "AZMIZAM ABDUL RASHID, HAMZAH JUSOH, HABIBAH AHMAD (2010) The Efficient Urban Governance In Managing And Enhancing Competitiveness Of Property Market in Kuala Lumpur City-Region..."

WHY GREATER KUALA LUMPUR NOT KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION?

2010-12-16T10:45:00.092+08:00

The aspiration for Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley (Greater KL/KV) is to drive rapid growth parallel with upgrading the city's liveability, according to the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP)'s A Roadmap for Malaysia. For this National Key Economic Area (NKEA), the Greater KL/KV extends beyond the boundaries of Kuala Lumpur. It is defined as an area covered by 10 municipalities, each governed by local authorities - Kuala Lumpur City Council (DBKL), Perbadanan Putrajaya, Shah Alam City Council (MBSA), Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Klang Municipal Council (MPK), Kajang Municipal Council, Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), Selayang Municipal Council, Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) and Sepang District Council.

In 2010, the Greater KL/KV population was estimated at six million and it contributed about RM263 billion to the nation's Gross National Income (GNI), proving that Greater KL/KV was indeed the engine of the nation's economic growth and hence designated as a NKEA. Greater KL/KV is a unique NKEA as it has a geographical focus rather than the industry focus of the other 11 NKEA's. According to the ETP, Greater KL/KV was selected as a NKEA to reflect four important dynamics, the first one -- that urbanization is a driver of GNI growth, where urbanization was one of the most important drivers of economic growth in any country.

Secondly, the Primary City Matters Most -- that Greater KL/KV dominates Malaysia's urban economy and by a large margin and over the next decade, Greater KL/KV was targeted to grow in population by five percent per year and achieve GNI growth of 10 per cent a year. The third dynamics is that Urban Productivity Does Matter -- that the challenge for Greater KL/KV was to harness the power of urbanization while shaping it to maximise urban productivity to simultaneously pursue efficiency and liveability. Finally a great city needs to be a liveable city -- because while urbanising intensively, Greater KL/KV must also focus on improving liveability and among challenges for Greater KL/KV according to the ETP are stiff competition from neighbouring cities because liveability lags compared to many other Asian cities, public transport remains inadequate and natural assets remain untapped.

ETP has also outlined nine Entry Point Projects (EPP) as pivotal towards achieving the aspiration by 2020 and the economic aspirations for Greater KL/KV was to raise its GNI contribution by 2.5 times, from RM258 billion to approximately RM650 billion per year. The EPP's aim is to attract 100 of the world's most dynamic companies within priority sectors, attracting the right mix of internal and external talent and connecting to Singapore via a high speed rail system. Other EPP are to build an integrated urban mass rapid transit system, revitalizing the Klang River into a heritage and commercial centre, greening greater KL/KV to ensure every resident enjoys sufficient green space, creating iconic places and attractions, creating a comprehensive pedestrian network and developing an efficient solid waste management ecosystem.The successful implementation of the nine EPP will lead to additional business opportunities within Greater KL/KV that will continue to enhance Greater KL/KV's liveability and generate incremental GNI.

Greater KL/KV will need to house one million new residents by 2020, and the current projected housing supply was expected to be sufficient to meet demand.Since the challenge of Greater KL/KV NKEA is a monumental one, it will require a significant amount of funding and that will be achieved via a public-private partnership model. Across the 12 NKEA, Greater KL/KV has the largest public sector funding requirement of RM58 billion or 34 per cent of the total investment requirement and for all the nine EPP, a detailed implementation plan has been developed. There are only three roles above the EPP, the Prime Minister as ultimate sponsor, a Greater KL/KV Steering Committee and a Greater KL/KV Corporation that would act as Secretariat to the Steering Committee. The Greater KL/KV aspiration can be summarized as 20-20 by 2020 --- that is, to be the only city that simultaneously achieves a top 20 ranking in city economic growth as defined by city gross domestic product growth rates while being among the global top-20 most liveable cities by 2020. The KL/KV will pursue both growth and liveability

sources : Economic Transformation Programme Report by Performance Management and Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), Prime Minister's Department, 2010 and BERNAMA, 2010

Comments :

In my opinion the terminology of Greater Kuala Lumpur has been adopted from the term of Greater London which had been used well before 1965. Particularly to refer to the area covered by the Metropolitan Police District (such as in the 1901 census), the area of the Metropolitan Water Board (favoured by the London County Council for statistics), the London Passenger Transport Area. The area defined by the Registrar General as the Greater London Conurbation. The administrative area was officially created in 1965 and covers the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs (including the City of Westminster). It covers 1572 km2 (607 square miles) and had a 2006 mid-year estimated population of 7,512,400.

According to Tewdwr-Jones and McNeill (2000), the term ‘city-region’ has been in use since about 1950 by urbanists, economists and landuse planners and refers to a strategic and political level of administration and policy-making, extending beyond the administrative boundaries of single urban local government authorities to include urban and/or semi-urban hinterlands. This definition includes a range of institutions and agencies representing local and regional governance that possess an interest in urban and/or economic development matters that, together form a strategic level of policy-making intended to formulate or implement policies on a broader metropolitan scale.

In 1996 , The New Local Government Network (NLGN) in United Kingdom also proposed the creation of city- regions as part of on-going reform efforts, while a report released by the Institute for Public Policy Research’s (IPPR) Centre for Cities proposed the creation of four large city-regions based on Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Greater Manchester. Edinburgh and it's hinterland strong economy (Forth Valley, Fife, West Lothian, Midlothian and East Lothian) means it has been named a one of Europe's fasting growing city-regions.

Furthermore in 2001, the term of city-region has been used concurrent with the era of globalization. Allen J. Scott (ed.) (2001) with his book Global City-Regions: Trends, Theory Policy has gave a new meaning of City-region as a function of command and control centers of the global economy. City-region is a nodal points that function as organizing centers for the inter dependent skein of material, financial, and cultural flows that together sustain contemporary globalization. Research on city-region is founded on two key observations. First, the worldwide distribution of economic activity necessitates strategic control functions that are found in a limited number of locations: globalization in its various guises has led to increased geographical complexity, which calls for some control points to ensure the smooth functioning of the global system. In other words, city-region contain a disproportionate quantity of strategic agents in the global system (e.g., headquarters of multinational corporations and international institutions, and specialized and inter nationalized business firms), and this functional concentration mirrors the deepening of processes of global integration and interdependence.

Second, the exercise of this strategic control is ac complished through the capacity of these world/global city agents to network across space. From the 1970s on ward, two distinct advanced technologies, computers and communications, combined to create a new enabling infrastructure for global organization. As it became more pervasive and sophisticated, this global infrastructure implied that spatial organization became increasingly conceptualized through networks (in which interaction is defined by simultaneity) to the detriment of territoriality (in which interaction is defined by proximity). Envisaging city-region in the context of a ‘network society’ particularly gained momentum in the 1990s, when in fluential authors like Manuel Castells asserted that globalization processes are basically all about transnational processes operating through numerous networks.

In 2006, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a number of studies on city-regions, including an assessment profile of the Newcastle-Gateshead city region and a review of numerous city regions across the world. Therefore, there are many reasons why city-region could become a valuable alternative in stead of Greater Kuala Lumpur to the current system and why Kuala Lumpur city-region worth a closer and further examination, including:

• New Localism: devolution of power to a more appropriate level

• The economic case: Kuala Lumpur city-region in the context of global competitiveness and regional disparities

• Urban governance system works for Kuala Lumpur city-region , why not elsewhere?

• Continuing issue of democratic deficit at regional level

• Low levels of public engagement

• Efficiency - Need for more strategic service delivery solutions in planning, transport,

waste, housing etc.

13 DAYS MORE TO GO......BYE !!! BYE UKM THANK YOU

2010-12-14T10:46:00.003+08:00

ALWAYS THE END OF A JOURNEY, A NEW JOURNEY WILL BEGIN....I will finish my PhD research soon but there is (may be) a new chapter of my career. Alhamdulliah, thank you to Allah, I'm managed to complete my research in 3 years since Dec 2007. Thank you to Assoc Prof Dr Hamzah Jusoh and Assoc Prof Dr Jalaluddin Abdul Malek to assist and encourage me to complete this research. I faced a various colours and challenged experiences in my battle to discover a new knowledge on urban planning. Thank you to my wife and my 5 loving children who always understand and support me from the beginning I commence my PhD research.

Now I have to think new planning and strategies to build up my career in the future. I will use my previous experiences and knowledge to share with my friends. I hope will sit my viva presentation in February 2011.

MY ABSTRACT ARTICLE FOR INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHY UNION (IGU) BOOK 2009

2010-12-12T08:41:00.003+08:00

I am submitted my draft article with a title of THE EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE IN MANAGING MARGINALIZED SOCIETY WITHIN KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION to Assoc Prof Dr Jamalunlaili Abdullah from UiTM and Emeritus Professor Walter Leimgruber from University of Fribourg Switzerland, book editors of PLANNING FOR CHANGE: RESPONSES TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION. This book will be published and lauched in May 2011.

The publication of the book is conjuction with the International Geography Union (IGU) Conference 2009 with the theme of Critical Issues of Marginalization in A Globalising World and in The South in Particular which held in Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying UiTM 6-8 July 2009 . Below is my draft abstract for the above article.

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses on the preliminary study on the concept of efficient urban governance (EUG) in managing marginalized society within city-region. The analysis of marginalized areas and peoples demonstrates that as a consequence of global, regional and localized forces marginal regions worldwide are under-going significant changes due to the volatility of external and internal political, social and economic processes which impact on them. The process of globalization is having profound positive and negative effects, on nations, regions, localities, people and communities. Development equality has been a major issue in the country’s latest development agenda. The issue is more obvious in city-region due to its role as an engine of growth economy development. Now, with its sights set on attaining the economic level of a fully developed nation by 2020, Malaysia must focus on securing a credible share of the lead sectors of the globalised economy. Kuala Lumpur city-region (KLCR), which is the most developed region in the country and an important catalyst towards national economic growth. How well do urban governance responsible to efficiency and effectiveness of local authorities in city-region? What kind of EUG is required to achieve equal and earning opportunities among marginalized society within city-region? The world today needs a new, comprehensive and holistic model of urban governance that involves all sectors (government, business, civil and other marginalized societies) as equal partners in development. EUG which integrates all sectors including public, private and other social organizations in a participatory decision making. EUG is characterized by sustainability, subsidiarity, equity, transparency and accountability, civic engagement and citizenship and security. In line with this, the importance EUG would make Malaysia more sustainable and well-being to facilitate the achievement of the nation’s development goals. Therefore, KLCR will manage and govern efficiently.

Keywords: Development equality, sustainable, efficient urban governance, marginalized society

MY NEW RESEARCH MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

2010-12-10T23:19:00.002+08:00

Mendeley Desktop is a free reference management tool for my desktop and the web that can help dramatically increase my research productivity, collaborate with others online, and discover the latest research.

CRACK MY HEAD TO THINK AND WRITE

2010-11-23T16:04:00.006+08:00

1st Article

Try hard beyond my limit to write an article with 5,000 words for the book PLANNING FOR CHANGE: RESPONSES TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC MARGINALIZATION under International Geographical Union (IGU). The book will be published under UiTM and will be ready in the market early March 2011. The topic for the article is THE EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE IN MANAGING MARGINALIZED SOCIETY OF KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION. My dateline submission to Dr Jamal before 10 December 2010. However need to submit to my co-author Associate Prof Dr Hamzah Jusoh before 5 December 2010. Think....think.. how to make the article interesting to read....!!!!!!

Related site : http://www.conferencealerts.com/seeconf.mv?q=ca1m0ihh

2nd Article

The dateline to submit an abstract to WORLD PLANNING SCHOOLS CONGRESS 2011 is 30th November 2010. My topic is THE CONTRIBUTION OF EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE INDEX TO ENHANCE DEVELOPMENT EQUALITY IN KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION. However need to submit to my co-author Associate Prof Dr Hamzah Jusoh before 29 November 2010. Prior to that in March 2010, I had to prepare for the full article for submission to WPSC 2011 committee. Think....think.. how to make the article and the concept of efficient urban governance can contribute to urban planning knowledge. Hello!! Perth Here We Come!!!!!!!!!!!

Related site : http://www.wpsc2011.com.au/index.html

MY THIRD DRAFT PHD THESIS.....AFTER REVIEWED MY SECOND DRAFT

2010-11-18T21:33:00.003+08:00

MY NEW JOURNAL PUBLICATION....E-BANGI JOURNAL OF FSSK, UKM 18 NOVEMBER 2010

2010-11-18T11:20:00.003+08:00

JILID 5, BILANGAN 1, 116-131, 2010.ISBN: 1823-884x

THE EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE IN MANAGING AND ENHANCING COMPETITIVENESS OF PROPERTY MARKETS IN KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION

(Keefisienan Governans Bandar Dalam Mengurus dan Memperkasakan Daya Persaingan Pasaran Hartanah di Wilayah-Bandar Raya Kuala Lumpur)

Azmizam Abdul Rashid, Hamzah Jusoh & Habibah Ahmad

ABSTRACT

This article discusses on the preliminary study of efficient urban governance (EUG) towards enhancing competitiveness of the property market especially shopping complexes and office sectors in city-region economy. City-region competitiveness has been a major issue in the country’s latest development agenda. The study was carried out in 2009 and based on latest information Kuala Lumpur Cily Plan 2020 and National Property Information Centre (NAPIC) 2009. The issue is more obvious in city-region due to its role as an engine of growth economy development. Now, with its sights set on attaining the economic level of a fully developed nation by 2020, Malaysia must focus on securing a credible share of the lead sectors of the globalised economy. Kuala Lumpur city-region (KLCR) is the most developed region in the country and an important catalyst towards national economic growth. How well do urban governance responsible to efficiency of local authorities (LAs) in city-region? Did EUG can enhance competitiveness property market within city-region? The main challenge of enhancing competitiveness of property sector in city-region is the implementation of efficient urban governance by LAs. The world today needs a new, comprehensive and holistic model of urban governance that involves all sectors (government, business and the civil society) as equal partners in development. Urban governance which integrates all sectors including public, private and other social organisations in participatory decision making. EUG is characterized by sustainability, subsidiarity, equity, transparency and accountability, civic engagement and citizenship and security. In line with this, the importance EUG would make property market more competitive and attractive to investors and facilitate the achievement of the nation’s development goals.

Keywords: efficient urban governance, competitiveness, property market, city-region

ABSTRAK

Artikel ini membahas tentang kajian awal keefisienan governans bandar (KGB) terhadap pemerkasaan daya persaingan pasaran hartanah khususnya sektor bangunan pusat membeli-belah dan pejabat dalam ekonomi wilayah-bandar raya. Persaingan wilayah-bandar raya telah menjadi isu utama dalam agenda pembangunan terkini negara. Kajian ini telah dijalankan pada tahun 2009 dan berdasarkan kepada analisis laporan Pelan Tempatan Bandar Raya Kuala Lumpur 2020 dan Pusat Maklumat Hartanah Negara 2009 (NAPIC). Isu ini lebih jelas di wilayah-bandar raya kerana peranannya sebagai enjin pembangunan pertumbuhan ekonomi. Pada masa kini, dengan dasar yang ditetapkan untuk pencapaian tahap ekonomi sepenuhnya menjelang tahun 2020, Malaysia perlu memberi fokus dalam sektor-sektor utama ekonomi global. Wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur (WBKL) adalah wilayah yang paling membangunkan dan pemangkin penting kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi negara. Bagaimana governans bandar menentukan keefisienan pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT) di wilayah-bandar raya? Adakah KGB mampu meningkatkan daya persaingan pasaran hartanah di dalam wilayah-bandar raya? Cabaran utama dalam meningkatkan daya persaingan sektor hartanah di WBKL adalah perlaksanaan KGB oleh PBT. Dunia hari ini memerlukan model baru, komprehensif dan holistik governans yang melibatkan semua sektor (kerajaan, perniagaan dan masyarakat sivil) sebagai rakan setara dalam pembangunan. Governans bandar yang mengintegrasikan semua sektor termasuk organisasi sosial masyarakat, swasta dan lain-lain dalam membuat keputusan bersama. KGB selaras dengan kemapanan, subsidiari, keadilan, ketelusan, akauntabiliti, penglibatan awam, kewarganegaraan dan keselamatan. Seiring dengan hal ini, pentingnya KGB akan membuat pasaran hartanah lebih berdaya saing dan menarik bagi pelabur dan memudahkan pencapaian tujuan pembangunan negara.

Katakunci: Keefisienan governans bandar, daya persaingan, pasaran hartanah, wilayah-bandar raya

Full Article : http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/e-bangi/papers/2010/hamzah010.pdf

42 DAYS MORE TO GO - THE END OF MY JOURNEY

2010-11-15T22:59:00.003+08:00

MY SECOND DRAFT PHD THESIS......AFTER REVIEWED BY FIRST DRAFT

2010-10-15T21:22:00.000+08:00

Still lot of amendments need to be done....try to relate my research question with research finding??????. My conclusion is not good enough......

JAMUAN HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI PELAJAR-PELAJAR PHD BERSAMA DEKAN DAN PENSYARAH FSSK 5 OKTOBER 2010

2010-10-05T21:11:00.006+08:00

MY FIRST DRAFT PHD THESIS.....COMBINED THE WHOLE CHAPTER TO SEE THEIR RELATIONSHIP

2010-09-30T21:11:00.002+08:00

Finally I managed to complete my first draft...but still lot of changes, organizing data, collabration finding with research question and analysis of literature review.... Lot of things need to be done....

THE SUBMISSION OF NOTICE THESIS ABSTRACT TO PPSPP AND FSSK OFFICE

2010-09-27T20:43:00.002+08:00

In order to fulfill faculty requirement, I need to submit my notice thesis abstract to PPSPP's office and faculty 's office three months before my final thesis submission. This will expidite faculty to appoint external and internal examiners to approve and justify my thesis. Who are they? Professor from USM, UIAM, UTM, UiTM or UM.........??????

KEEFISIENAN GOVERNANS BANDAR DALAM MENINGKATKAN DAYA PERSAINGAN EKONOMI WILAYAH-BANDAR RAYA KUALA LUMPUR

AZMIZAM BIN ABDUL RASHID (P 43282)

ABSTRAK

Dalam menghadapi proses globalisasi, governans bandar berdepan dengan pelbagai cabaran yang semakin kompleks. Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT) merupakan institusi governans yang tidak terlepas daripada isu ketidakefisienan apabila berurusan dengan stakeholders. Berdasarkan peranan PBT yang semakin mencabar, institusi ini sentiasa dikaitkan dengan pelbagai karenah birokrasi, yang menimbulkan pelbagai masalah kepada orang ramai dan penyediaan perkhidmatan yang tidak efisien. Isu ini menjadi persoalan kajian dalam tesis ini. Ketidakefisienan governans bandar boleh menjejaskan daya saing sesebuah wilayah-bandar raya, terutama sekali dalam konteks globalisasi. Sejauhmanakah elemen keefisienan governans bandar (KGB) mempengaruhi daya persaingan ekonomi (DPE) sesebuah wilayah-bandar raya dan elemen manakah yang mempengaruhinya? Berdasarkan kes wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur, kajian ini juga akan menilai PBT manakah yang mempunyai kedudukan KGB yang paling baik? Kajian ini bertujuan membentuk satu pemahaman yang jelas berkenaan KGB, dan hubungkaitnya dengan peningkatan DPE wilayah-bandar raya. Kajian ini melibatkan 6 PBT utama di wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur iaitu DBKL, MBPJ, MBSA, MPSJ, MPK dan MPSp melibatkan 315 responden yang mewakili beberapa stakeholders. KGB sebagai pembolehubah bebas dan DPE sebagai pembolehubah bersandar telah digunakan untuk menilai hubungan antara KGB dan DPE melalui ujian analisis regresi pelbagai. Antara penemuan utama kajian, 10 elemen KGB menyumbang sebanyak 89.6 peratus kepada DPE wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur Ini menunjukkan terdapat hubungan signifikan antara KGB dengan DPE wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur. Namun begitu hanya 5 elemen sahaja yang menjadi peramal terbaik kepada DPE wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur iaitu keberkesanan pentadbiran dan perkhidmatan PBT, maklumbalas awam, wawasan strategik, ketelusan dan kesamarataan. Analisis indeks penunjuk pengukuran KGB PBT di wilayah-bandar raya Kuala Lumpur menunjukkan MBPJ mencapai skor tertinggi iaitu 0.75 berbanding dengan lima PBT yang lain. Kesimpulan kajian mendapati peranan PBT tidak lagi dianggap sebagai badan kerajaan yang memberi perkhidmatan dan menyediakan infrastruktur semata-mata. PBT sepatutnya lebih memberi tumpuan meningkatkan KGB dalam memberi perkhidmatan kepada stakeholders. Secara langsung, DPE sesebuah wilayah-bandar raya dapat dipertingkatkan.

EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE TOWARDS ENHANCING ECONOMY COMPETITIVENESS IN KUALA LUMPUR CITY-REGION

AZMIZAM BIN ABDUL RASHID (P 43282)

ABSTRACT

With the advent of globalization, urban governance is increasingly faced with complex challenges. The Local Authority (LA) as the governance institution is not spared from the issues of inefficiency in dealing with stakeholders. Inefficient urban governance can affect the economic competitiveness in the city-region, especially in the context of globalization. As the LA is ensconced in bureaucracy, this thesis investigates the extent how elements of efficient urban governance (EUG) can contribute to the enhancement of economic competitiveness in city-region (ECCR) and which of these elements can affect ECCR. In the case of Kuala Lumpur city-region, the studies also investigate which LA has achieved the EUG? This study aims to develop a clear understanding of the role of EUG, and its relationship with the ECCR. The study involved six main LAs in the Kuala Lumpur city-region such as DBKL, MBPJ, MBSA, MPSJ, MPK and MPSP involving 315 respondents representing various stakeholders. Element of EUG has been used as independent variables and ECCR as dependent variables in order to investigate their relationship by using multiple regression analysis. One of the findings shows that 10 elements of EUG contributed 89.6 percent to the enhancement of ECCR. There is a significant relationship between EUG with economic competitiveness in Kuala Lumpur city-region. However, only five elements are the best predictors to the ECCR such as administration and the effectiveness of LA services, public feedback, a strategic vision, transparency and equality. Meanwhile, analysis of the indicators measuring EUG in local authority areas shows that MBPJ achieved the highest score of 0.75 compared with five other LAs. The results indicate that the role of LA is no longer considered a government body providing services and infrastructure only but should focus more on urban governance to improve efficiency in providing services to stakeholders which can directly enhance the economic competitiveness in city-region.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI 2010

2010-09-11T17:00:00.002+08:00

MY THESIS PHD PROGRESS PRESENTATION ON 26 AUGUST 2010

2010-08-26T22:14:00.003+08:00

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mobile Phone | Social web & media phone

2010-04-15T08:48:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Mobile Phone Social web & media phone

CIVIL SOCIETY IN THE CONTEXT OF URBAN REGIME THEORY

2010-04-12T13:00:00.001+08:00

But what, actually, we mean by the urban regime? According to Stone (1989), the regime is an informal yet relatively stable group with access to institutional resources, and which has a significant impact on urban policy and management. It is not a coherent organisation or association, but an informal group of influential persons who derive their power from different sources, who share some policy objectives like that of promoting the growth in their city, and who can gain some economic, political or social rewards from their involvement. The regime is formed as an informal basis for coordination and without an all encompassing structure of command. (Stoker 1995, 59; Anttiroiko 1996a, 66)

An important point to be made here is the view that the politics in different cities seem to be dominated by various types of governing coalitions or regimes. There are pluralist regimes in which strong political leaders bring together a mixed set of private actors. Elitist regimes are run primarily by cohesive business elite. Corporatist regimes, which we may assume to be relevant in the context of Northern countries, combine both strong political leaders and a relatively unified business elite. And lastly, there is a category labelled as the hyperpluralist regime in which any governing coalitions can hardly be identified. One assumption is, that the direction of change within urban governance is towards more pluralist models, though new elites which are able to manage with the informational mode of development may emerge. (Stoker 1995, 62)

The social complexity is central to this perspective. The urban policy is dependent on institutional arrangements, business interest mediation, and some degree of popular control. What is essential is the fact that all the key institutions and actors are involved in an extremely complex web of relationships. The social control and effective management is limited to particular aspects of local development and policy choices. This, in turn, limits the capacity of local government as an agency of authority at local level. Other kinds of limits are determined by the higher levels of government. This is to say that the autonomy of Finnish cities is constrained by two principal factors, those of limited economic resources and local economic conditions, on the one hand, and the political control of the state authorities and European Union, on the other hand. (cf. Gurr & King 1987, 56) This makes it easier to understand why in most of the western countries there can be said to be two groups which dominate the urban regimes, the business elite provided it has structured itself to have a single voice, and the political force which operates within wider institutional and corporatist setting (cf. Stoker 1995, 63). The social complexity, thus, shapes not only local authorities and city management but also the governing coalitions within the urban setting.

IS URBAN GOVERNANCE ORIGINALLY FROM URBAN REGIME THEORY?

2010-04-09T13:00:00.003+08:00

The study of urban regimes brings to center stage the issue of how to think about power. In Regime Politics (1989), I drew the distinction between "power over" and "power to" as a way of differentiating a social-production model of power from a social-control model. Over the past few years, as I have sought to understand the politics of social reform in the U.S., reform in urban education in particular, that distinction continues to strike me as critical. Yet, to make such a distinction is not a matter of endorsing one conception of power over the other, but of understanding how each fits into a larger political picture. It is important to see that in everyday political reality the two understandings of power are intertwined. Though conceptually different from "power over," for reasons spelled out below, "power to" has a domination or "over" aspect that should not be ignored in the study of urban regimes. After all, regimes are not neutral mechanisms through which policy is made. Instead, they are arrangements that facilitate action on some issues more readily than upon others

Originally urban regime theory focused on urban politics abstracted from historical epochs connected to changes in the structure of the world economic system. The theory appears to have gained a dominant position in the American literature on local politics precisely because it dispenses with the stalled debates on conventionally conceptualised tensions like those between elite hegemony and pluralist interest group politics, between economic determinism and political machination, and between structural determinants and local choices. It provides a conceptual framework that views these, on the one hand, as false dualisms and, on the other hand, as theoretically driven historical and/or empirical questions. Urban growth coalitions are viewed as only one of the political coalitions that may arise in cities. In addition, it is assumed that they need to be hegemonic for an extended period of time to be considered a corporate controlled regime. Respectively, entrepreneurialism is viewed as only one of the possible leadership approaches that local politicians and government bureaucracies can pursue. Thus, regime theory asks how and under what conditions do different types of governing coalitions emerge, consolidate and become hegemonic, and how they devolve and transform. The recent transference of urban regime theory to contexts outside of the United States as well as its use in comparative cross-national research attests to its dominant position in urban political scholarship. (Lauria 1995) Our primary intention is to apply this theory to the urban governance in the context of restructuring the corporatist 'post-welfare society'. This is a significant aspect to be taken into account when applying the theory to the Nordic cities and their governance relations.

According to Stoker (1995, 54), regime theory holds substantial promise for understanding variety of responses to urban change. It emphasizes the interdependence of governmental and non-governmental forces in meeting economic and social challenges. This is why it pays attention to the problem of cooperation and co-ordination between government, business community, and the third sector or civil society. Some regime theorists, Clarence Stone (1989) in particular, argue that cities are able to accomplish important public purposes by assembling coalitions of political, business and community elites. This has some important implications. It questions the elitist argument that if actual decision-making appears to be democratic, important issues will be effectively kept off the agenda by the real wielders of community power (Wolman 1996, 168-169). It may, indeed, be said that local politics has its relevance and that it can make a difference, though many academics who have studied the impacts of global economic restructuring and the changes in urban governments are pessimist about the ability of local government to shape its own destiny in the face of sweeping changes. (Wolman 1996, 172) In this the regime theory differs from elite theory: any group is unlikely to be able to exercise comprehensive control in a complex world (Stoker 1995, 59).

One of the attractive features of regime theory is that it addresses the questions which are widely discussed within more conventional approaches such as neo-pluralism. In short, the regime theory tries to shed light to following type of questions (Stoker 1995, 57):

1. What are the implications of social complexity for local politics?

2. What does the systemic advantage of certain interests imply for the nature of urban politics and policy?

3. What forms of power dominate modern systems of urban governance?

4. What roles are there for democratic politics and, for example, disadvantaged groups?

APRIL 2010 - MY PHD THESIS PROPOSED PROGRESS CHART

2010-04-07T22:18:00.008+08:00

NOTES

One segment of the pie chart represent 1 hour

Red colour - sleeping / resting hour

Yellow colour - time spend for my family

Green colour - time spend for my research

Purple colour - public holiday

ARE WE ABSORBED TO ICT FACILITIES OR ICT FACILITIES ABSORBED US?

2010-03-07T09:00:00.003+08:00

Last Thursday, I read a few PhD theses, not a recent theses but theses wrote in 15 - 20 years ago. I wondered how they are managed and searched for the latest information. I imagined how they used typewriter and hand writing to keep their information in their note books (I mean not a laptop). However they can complete their thesis on time.

Today in the world of IT, we are as a PhD student has an advanced facility to search latest information related to our research and managed your information. I noticed every university students, undergraduate and postgraduate have laptop or desktop. There are so many search engine such as Yahoo, Google etc to assist us to search and download information on university, government and company website, latest journals, book review, newspaper online and etc. However why we cannot complete our thesis on time. Is it the research methodology is too complicated or there are so many university's requirement to fulfill? ICT should expedite our research not make our research difficult to complete.

Furthermore, ICT also absorbed us to spend more time to search and download irrelevant information to our research. I used a word absorbed because we spend so much time unnecessary to :

a) searching information for entertainment... gossip, films, song, movie stars etc;

b) reply email;

c) Yahoo messenger (YM)

c) read, update and reply facebook;

d) read and update blog;

e) read and update twitter;

f) You Tube;

g) Download movies and songs; etc

One of my friends said.. facebook make our networking widen and meet new friends. Did I need this? You tube..you will not miss anything, watching video etc. Email...exchange information so easily. The above entertainment and social websites really attracted us until we forget that we have more important thing to do. How much we spend our time to update our facebook or reply our email or download movies or song in laptop? What ever it is...up to you to assess which one good and bad. We should wisely think which one more important...complete our research or entertain ourself....

MARCH 2010 - MY THESIS PROPOSE PROGRESS TARGET

2010-03-05T09:00:00.001+08:00

HOW MUCH DID I SPEND MY TIME FOR MY PHD RESEARCH?

2010-03-02T21:49:00.019+08:00

Last week I and a few friends discussed about our research progress. One of my friends asked me, in a day how much did I spend my time on my research. When I look my daily timetable and calendar dairy for February 2010, I summarised under one table. And I found out that I spend about 11 - 12 hours a day for my research. Figure below shows the result of daily activities for February 2010. Did I spend my time more to family or less to my research? Should I balance my time for my family and research? How much I spend my time on research for coming month...Mac, April, May...etc? Should I sleep less than 5 hours, so I can spend my time on my phd research. However my brain need rest. I need to complete my phd research on time....

NOTES

One segment of the pie chart represent 1 hour

Red colour - sleeping / resting hour

Yellow colour - time spend for my family

Green colour - time spend for my research

Purple colour - public holiday

POSITIONING KUALA LUMPUR CITY REGION IN THE GLOBAL CITIES NETWORK: ANALYSING MALAYSIAN URBAN GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES IN THE MILLENNIUM ERA

2010-02-28T15:06:00.001+08:00

In the age of globalization, it was argued that major cities in the region should be positioned in the global city system, in order for these cities and their immediate regions are effectively developed. As the urban and regional economic prospects increase reliance on the participation in the fast moving international and global economy, cities that are unable to adapt to these globalchanges and requirements would be marginalized. The marginalisation of major cities from the mainstream of global development will affect their progress and in most cases be determined by exogenous forces. At the same time, the emergence of new global economic and informational societies has created a new form of spatial development, the global cities. Such status was achieved only when a city and its region becomes a major center of international finance, transnational corporate headquarters, related high-level and specialized services, information processing and advanced telecommunications, a city with an international command and control functions (Sassen, 1991).

To what extend the above criteria and indicators really described the position of cities in underdeveloped and developing economies? It is the intention of the paper to deal with such a question, with particular reference to the city of Kuala Lumpur. Although Kuala Lumpur has substantially part of the international economy for the past three decades, it was argued that the city exercises little of the global or even regional control functions that world cities proposes. For this reason, the authors argued that Kuala Lumpur and possibly other cities in the rapidly developing economies be positioned in a different setting, and with different criteria and indicators, as compared to the existing global cities. Regional disparity has long been recognized in Malaysian development scenario, particularly between the more-developed western region and the less-developed eastern and northern regions in Peninsular Malaysia.

All the Five Year Malaysia Plans, starting from the Third Malaysia Plan (1976-1980) have placed special emphasis on the objectives and strategies of regional development. However in the decade of nineties, in conjunction with globalisation era, the direction of Malaysian development plans have been changed, towards becoming more competitive in the global economy. To some extend after 30 years, the issue of regional disparity is remains unsolved, and yet new emphasis on global competition has been dominated in development strategies and plans. However, analysing from the current achievement of national development, the position of Kuala Lumpur in the global cities network still unsignificant, reflecting the uneffectiveness of the strategies toward strengthening Malaysian competitivenes in global era.

Malaysian's Development Vision, particularly toward achieving the status of developed country in the year 2020. Affirmative action as a policy response to ethnic riots is a fairly unusual, indeed unfashionable, policy response, partly because inequality and conflict have a complex and much debated relationship. General vertical income inequality, measured as the gap between poor and rich, has not been found to have a statistically significant relationship with the onset of civil unrest or conflict (Collier & Hoeffler, 2000; Fearon & Laitin, 2003). And yet, an accumulating body of evidence suggests that horizontal inequality, inequalities between identity or ascriptive groups on the multiple and inter-related planes of the political, the socio-economic, and the cultural, may be politically explosive (Stewart, 2001).

These links between ethnicity, inequality and conflict among ethnic groups using a multidimensional approach, with a view to identifying those policies which might work in other situations of ethnic conflict. Taking Malaysia as the model for my research, I investigate and measure to what extent inequalities between ascriptive groups have fallen in that country between 1970 and 2000, a period during which various affirmative action policies were applied in fields ranging from education and government employment to business. Horizontal inequality in the key indicator of income is re-assessed. In addition, changes in access by ethnic group to educational opportunities; the distribution of employment by sector and by occupation; urbanisation and housing distribuition; ownership of household assets such as houses and cars; and infant, toddler and maternal mortality rates are all considered individually, while a multi-dimensional index of socio-economic inequality is subsequently constructed for comparison purposes.

CONGRATULATION TO MY FRIENDS WHO ARE HONOURED WITH PHD DEGREE 2009-2010

2010-02-21T08:30:00.009+08:00

While I am in Loughborough University, I have met a few Malaysian students who pursue their PhD in the Loughborough University. Last year in 2009, Najib Salleh had completed his PhD. This year I had received a good news that Farrie Akma Othman also completed her PhD. The completion of their journey in discovering a new knowledge had inspired and motivated me to keep going with my research. CONGRATULATION TO DR NAJIB SALLEH AND DR FARRIE AKMA OTHMAN....Thank you to your lovely family and friends for their support and encouragement...

DR FARRIE AKMA OTHMAN

DR NAJIB SALLEH

FEBRUARY 2010 - MY THESIS PROGRESS..PROPOSAL CHART

2010-02-19T12:45:00.005+08:00

I am now reviewing my chapter 2...literature review. Based on my discussion with my supervisor and lectures in Loughborough University, the content of my literature review should consist the evolution of urban governace from good urban governance to efficient urban governance. This must relate to why efficient urban governance is so importance in the context of globalization issues. Based on my reading , latest journal, the role of city stakeholders in urban governance is so significant. They are actully determine the successful development of the city.According to Harrison (2009) the success of implementation of urban governance in certain states is not just focus to capital city but the whole of city-region of the state. This is due to the role of city-region as command and control function. I must prove that the efficient urban governance has the vital role and colleration to the competitiveness of the city-region.