KLANG VALLEY 2 : SUSTAINABILITY OR COMPETITIVENESS?

The scenario and excess development from the Klang Valley, comprising the four districts in Selangor, that is, Petaling, Gombak, Hulu Langat and Wilayah Persekutuan, have led to development pressure in the south of Selangor, comprising the districts of Sepang and Kuala Langat. These two districts therefore may be combined form the Klang Valley 2 Region, if the development of the area is planned early and implemented in stages, taking into account Environmentally Sensitive Areas, the sustainable development concept, the potential in the Multimedia Super Corridor and the overspill of development from Putrajaya. The spatial development concept, based on the “Multiple Strands Development Corridor” shows that the intensive and comprehensive development which occurred during the 8th MP, will continue in the 9th MP. The intensive development is due to the State Government’s decision that the high rate of economic growth must be maintained in Selangor in an effort to make the state developed and advanced.

The Klang Valley 2 Region Project is the State Government’s alternative to support the increasingly rapid development in the city. It covers the area of Sepang and Kuala Langat, and the existence of this project will indirectly lead to development of the rural areas as well as reducing the density of city population, which resulted from increasingly rapid and expanding development.Within this timeframe, the State Government has no intention of developing new townships other than the Klang Valley 2, concentrating on the Morib-Kelanang Coastal area, Sepang Gold Coast, and the Kuala Langat Flood Mitigation Project. In addition, the State Government will cooperate with the Federal Government to increase the development potential in the Multimedia Super Corridor area and to exploit the potential arising from the excess development of KLIA and Cyberjaya in the Klang Valley 2. In the National Physical Plan, the Klang Valley 2 Region has been identified as part of the National Growth Conurbation or the Kuala Lumpur Conurbation which is proposed to be the National Growth Zone.

The Conurbation covers an area of 504,000 hectare including the corridor from the Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Shah Alam, Klang, Nilai, Seremban, and Kuala Selangor to Port Dickson.With an area of 142 thousand hectare, the Klang Valley 2 Region represents around one fourth of the Kuala Lumpur Conurbation and from this, 65% has been categorised as suitable for development. In this context, the Klang Valley 2 Region will play an important rolein generating economic development and distributing its benefits to the surrounding areas, by strengthening the intra and inter-regional economic network, and the development of skilled and high quality human resources, appropriate with the economic activities which are directly or indirectly generated.

Realising the importance of the Klang Valley 2 Region in its future development, the Selangor State Government has given special attention to synchronised all types of appropriate development without any subsequent negative effects. In relation thereto, the State Government on the 19th July 2005 had in principle considered and agreed to implement the proposal of the Klang Valley 2 Region, which covers the districts of Sepang and Kuala Langat, to be carried out by the administration of the State Government.

The Districts of Klang Valley 2 Region are governed by two Local Authorities, being:

· The Sepang Municipal Council for the district of Sepang

· The Kuala Langat District Council for the district of Kuala

The Klang Valley 2 Region covers two areas in the south of Selangor, which are the districts of Sepang and Kuala Langat. Both these districts have been directly affected by the excess development in Kuala Lumpur and Klang and are the focus of investment. The implementation of mega projects both within and around the area, such as the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC), the Federal Administration Centre in Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, KLIA and others have made the planning of the Klang Valley 2 Region critical in the context of the future of the state of Selangor and the country. This is because these two affected districts will be the new areas for the expansion of the present Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Region- Klang Valley. The existence of sophisticated infrastructure in MSC and KLIA has provided new strength to these areas to develop and compete.