WELL-BEING AND HAPPINESS: TOWARDS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE NATION STATE

Twenty-five years after the Brundtland report on environment and development, and twenty years after the Rio Earth Summit, our world is still searching for the formulae which will support continuing advances in human development without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. With Rio+20 now fewer than three months away, today’s timely event offers an opportunity to engage in dialogue on the agenda for a sustainable future which can weave together the strands of economic development, social advancement, and environmental protection.

This “happiness” has nothing to do with the common use of that word to denote an ephemeral, passing mood - happy today or unhappy tomorrow due to some temporary external condition like praise or blame, gain or loss. Rather, it refers to the deep, abiding happiness that comes from living life in full harmony with the natural world, with our communities and fellow beings, and with our culture and spiritual heritage, - in short from feeling totally connected with our world. And yet our modern world, and particularly its economic system, promote precisely the reverse - a profound sense of alienation from the natural world and from each other. Cherishing self-interest and material gain, we destroy nature, degrade our natural and cultural heritage, disrespect indigenous knowledge, overwork, get stressed out, and no longer have time to enjoy each other’s company, let alone to contemplate and meditate on life’s deeper meaning. Myriad scholarly studies now show that massive gains in GDP and income have not made us happier. On the contrary, respected economists havedemonstrated empirically that deep social networks are a far better predictor of satisfaction and wellbeing than income and material gain.

The Royal Government of Bhutan is hosting this meeting in direct pursuance of UN General Assembly Resolution 65/309, which was initiated by Bhutan, co-sponsored by 68 countries, and adopted by consensus at the 109th Plenary Meeting on 19th July 2011. That resolution - titled “Happiness: towards a holistic approach to development” – states that happiness is a fundamental human goal and universal aspiration; that GDP by its nature does not reflect that goal; that unsustainable patterns of production and consumption impede sustainable development; and that a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach is needed to promote sustainability, eradicate poverty, and enhance wellbeing and happiness. That was a significant milestone for Bhutan, and I take this opportunity to congratulate the Prime Minister and his Government on this impressive achievement. Today, Bhutan is putting before us a framework for a New Economic Paradigm, based on principles of happiness and wellbeing, ecological sustainability, efficient use of resources, and fair distribution. The framework has been shaped by Bhutan’s unique experience in applying the concept of Gross National Happiness which informs all its government policies. This approach integrates inclusive economic growth with strengthening communities, protecting the environment, providing universal access to health services and education, and preserving traditional culture and heritage. To help guide its policy choices, Bhutan also created a new accounting system which measures the value of the nation’s natural, human, social, and cultural wealth, and not just its material and capital assets.

At UNDP, we have long promoted human development, based on an understanding that people are the real wealth of nations. Our vision is for development which enables people to live longer, healthier lives, to be educated, to have access to a decent standard of living, and to have the freedom to choose to live lives which they value. Our approach, like Bhutan’s, balances the material and non-material aspects of wellbeing. The vital link between sustainability and happiness in the New Economic Paradigm promoted by Bhutan resonates with what we in UNDP see as the central challenge of the 21st century: achieving sustainable human development. One of the key questions before the international community is: what could our common future look like? Bhutan is providing answers to that question. I hope this will help us move closer to a common understanding of a sustainable future, and of how to build it. In order to realise the future we all want, we must build on prior work to develop the new economy in the following areas, including but not limited to:

A) Wellbeing and Happiness

i. Promoting a dynamic culture through a common but differentiated approach that respects diverse cultural traditions;

ii. Nurturing the values, wisdom, and practice of our spiritual traditions, and harmony between them;

iii. Drawing from the wisdom of traditional and indigenous values and knowledge to develop appropriate policies;

iv. Supporting the arts and the creative commons;

v. Promoting holistic life-long learning, including vital literacies required for wellbeing, such as ecological, civic, cultural, health, nutrition, science, financial, and other literacies;

vi. Empowering women, educating girls, and ensuring equality of opportunity;

vii. Improving mental and physical health by addressing the socio-economic, behavioural, spiritual, and environmental and inter-generational determinants of health, and recognising that health is a public responsibility;

viii. Supporting local economies and strong community networks;

ix. Strengthening social supports through family, community, workplace, and other relationships;

x. Supporting the voluntary and civil society sector, and nurturing good governance;

xi. Promoting vibrant, critical, creative, and responsible media;

xii. Supporting research and dialogue on the causes and conditions of happiness.

B) Ecological sustainability

i. Establishing a system for effective and equitable governance and management of the natural commons, including the atmosphere, oceans, fresh water systems, and biodiversity;

ii. Investing in sustainable infrastructure, such as renewable clean energy, energy efficiency, public transit, watershed protection measures, green public spaces, clean technology, and support for green businesses;

iii. Consuming essential non-renewables, such as fossil fuels, more slowly than we develop renewable substitutes;

iv. Creating mechanisms to reduce resource depletion, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions to stay within basic planetary boundaries and resource limits, including taxes, cap and auction systems, and common asset trusts;

v. Dismantling incentives towards excessive materialistic consumption, including educating for sustainability and banning advertising to children;

vi. Moving towards sustainable agriculture to feed the earth’s population without destroying its biodiversity;

vii. Developing linked policies to balance population and consumption with the earth’s natural, social and economic capacity.

C) Fair distribution

i. Reducing systemic inequalities, both internationally and within nations, by improving the living standards of the poor, providing an adequate social safety net, limiting excess consumption and unearned income, and preventing private capture of the common wealth;

ii. Supporting, promoting, and providing incentives for systems of cooperative ownership and management of enterprises;

iii. Instituting fair trade systems that promote sustainable production methods and fair returns to producers;

iv. Transferring technology to enable lower-income nations to shift rapidly to sustainable production methods and suffer no loss of competitive advantage as they transition to a sustainable economy;

v. Establishing a system for effective and equitable governance and management of the social commons, including cultural inheritance, financial systems, and information systems;

vi. Creating fulfilling employment for all, which contributes to the common good, achieves better work-life balance, and nurtures healthy workplace relations.

D) Efficient Use of Resources

i. Using full-cost accounting measures to internalise externalities, value non-market assets and services, reform national accounting systems, and ensure that prices reflect actual social and environmental costs of production and distribution;

ii. Putting in place fiscal reforms that reward sustainable and wellbeing-enhancing actions and penalise unsustainable behaviours that diminish collective wellbeing, including ecological tax reforms with compensating mechanisms that avoid additional burdens on low-income groups;

iii. Implementing systems of cooperative investment in stewardship and payment for ecosystem services;

iv. Increasing financial and fiscal prudence by reducing speculation, ensuring equitable access to and responsible use of credit, and requiring that financial instruments and practices contribute to the public good;

v. Ensuring access to and sharing of the information required to move to a sustainable economy.

vi. Humanity must commit itself to strengthen and deepen the knowledge, political will, and action required to promote and sustain the wellbeing of all life, and to create a world in which every human being can pursue happiness.

And yet, despite valiant efforts made by individuals, communities, and certain nations, human society will continue to hurtle itself towards self-annihilation unless we come together and act in concert. The time has come for global action to build a new world economic system that is no longer based on the illusion that limitless growth is possible on our precious and finite planet, or that endless material gain promotes wellbeing. Instead, it will be a system that promotes harmony and respect for nature and for each other, that respects our ancient wisdom, traditions and protects our most vulnerable people as our own family, and that gives us time to live and enjoy our lives and to appreciate rather than destroy our world. It will be an economic system, in short, that is fully sustainable and that is rooted in true, abiding wellbeing and happiness.

Sustainability is the essential basis and pre-condition of such a sane economic system. But an economy exists not for mere survival but to provide the enabling conditions for human happiness and the wellbeing of all life forms. The new economy will be an economy based on a genuine vision of life’s ultimate meaning and purpose - an economy that does not cut us off from nature and community, but fosters true human potential, fulfilment, and happiness.

Futher enquiry about this article kindly contact :

 

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 : azmizam@townplan.gov.my

Sources :

a. `What is the meaning of GNH? Statement by Honorable Jigmi Y. Thinley, Prime Minister Of Bhutan at the 2nd Int’l GNH Conference, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, June 2005: http://www.gpiatlantic.org/conference/proceedings/thinley.htm.
b. “An Introduction to GNH” By Karma Ura, November 2009 ; http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/learning--‐resources/an--‐introduction--‐to--‐gnh--‐
gross--‐national--‐happiness
c. “Time for a Sustainable Economic Paradigm”(Input for the Draft Outcome Document for
Rio+20) by the Royal Government of Bhutan; http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/690Bhutan.pdf
d. Opening Address by the Honorable Prime Minister at the Workshop on “Educating for Gross National Happiness”, 7 December, 2009, Thimphu, Bhutan ; http://www.cabinet.gov.bt/images/stories/speech/gnh_workshop.pdf
e. Keynote Address by the Honorable Prime Minister at the Conference of the Junior Chamber Of Commerce of Japan, 29 August, 2009, Fukuoka, Japan http://www.cabinet.gov.bt/images/stories/speech/japanaddress.pdf
f. “The University as an Instrument of Gross National Happiness – Some Reflections” by Thakur S. Powdyel ;http://www.gpiatlantic.org/conference/papers/powdyel.pdf

CAN HAPPINESS INDEX STUDY MEASURE LIVEABLE AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES IN MALAYSIA?

INTRODUCTION

Well-being is a positive physical, social and mental state; it is not just the absence of pain, discomfort and incapacity - action of individuals, but from a host of collective goods and relationships with other people. It requires that basic needs are met, that individuals have a sense of purpose, and that they feel able to achieve important personal goals and participate in society. It is enhanced by conditions that include supportive personal relationships, involvement in empowered communities, good health, financial security, rewarding employment, and a healthy and attractive environment. Government’s role is to enable people to have fair access now and in the future to the social, economic and environmental resources needed to achieve well-being. In the fast changing world we live in today, the elements that contribute to our happiness are constantly changing but there are some evergreen or “true blue” ones that will remain come what may. The list may include whether the people have a roof over their head; the cost of living and how much does it take for a family to get by on a daily basis; freedom of expression and to pursue one's interest; and ability for the people to keep safe and thrive in their society. Recent events around the world have shown that social disparity is still a huge problem in both the developed and developing countries, and can become a source of social discord and public unrest. In the face of the high cost of living and inflated property prices, one of the immediate tasks of the Government is to pay more attention to social or public housing, and ensure that people have a roof over their heads. Providing the less-endowed populace with some basic necessities such as a home of their own is tantamount to offering them hope for a better tomorrow.

         In the fast changing world we live in today, the elements that contribute to our happiness are constantly changing but there are some evergreen or “true blue” ones that will remain come what may. The list may include whether the people have a roof over their head; the cost of living and how much does it take for a family to get by on a daily basis; freedom of expression and to pursue one's interest; and ability for the people to keep safe and thrive in their society. Recent events around the world have shown that social disparity is still a huge problem in both the developed and developing countries, and can become a source of social discord and public unrest. In the face of the high cost of living and inflated property prices, one of the immediate tasks of the Government is to pay more attention to social or public housing, and ensure that people have a roof over their heads. Providing the less-endowed populace with some basic necessities such as a home of their own is tantamount to offering them hope for a better tomorrow.

          Happiness is not smiling and laughing all the time. There are many definitions of happiness, or more accurately of subjective well-being. Broadly, individuals have a high level of subjective well-being when they think and feel that their lives are going well. This includes feeling positive emotions, such as calmness, contentment, enjoyment, gratitude and love. It includes cognitive judgements that their life is worthwhile and all the ways in which individuals evaluate their life in positive ways. It does not mean that they are never sad or worried or angry, but that they do not experience chronic levels of unhappiness or stress or anxiety or other negative emotions.

WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT

World Happiness Report recently released and commissioned for the UN Conference on Happiness held in New York was compiled on the basis of survey responses received from 2005 until mid-2011 to "measure the happiness level of 156 countries".These are among the findings of the first ever World Happiness Report, commissioned for the April 2nd United Nations Conference on Happiness (mandated by the UN General Assembly). The report, published by the Earth Institute and co-edited by the institute’s director, Jeffrey Sachs, reflects a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and absence of misery as criteria for government policy. The rich Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Finland and Norway took the top three rankings in the report which suggested that nationals of richer countries tend to be happier despite the fact that wealth was not the defining factor for happiness.

     It reviews the state of happiness in the world today and shows how the new science of happiness explains personal and national variations in happiness. The report shows that, where happiness is measured by how happy people are with their lives:

• Happier countries tend to be richer countries. But more important for happiness than income are social factors like the strength of social support, the absence of corruption and the degree of personal freedom.

• Over time as living standards have risen, happiness has increased in some countries, but not in others (like for example, the United States). On average, the world has become a little happier in the last 30 years (by 0.14 times the standard deviation of happiness around the world).

• Unemployment causes as much unhappiness as bereavement or separation. At work, job security and good relationships do more for job satisfaction than high pay and convenient hours.

• Behaving well makes people happier.

• Mental health is the biggest single factor affecting happiness in any country. Yet only a quarter of mentally ill people get treatment for their condition in advanced countries and fewer in poorer countries.

• Stable family life and enduring marriages are important for the happiness of parents and children.

• In advanced countries, women are happier than men, while the position in poorer countries is mixed.

• Happiness is lowest in middle age.

BHUTAN AND HAPPINESS INDEX

Reading about Bhutan and how its much-beloved king places great value on the wellbeing and happiness of his people by inventing the Gross National Happiness index is very inspiring indeed. The fact that the people's happiness is listed as the top priority speaks volume of how much they are appreciated as individuals. Other inspiring aspects that we can take a leaf from include the emphasis on preserving the natural environment and promoting simple and non-intrusive way of living. Despite a deliberate policy to limit the number of tourists allowed to visit Bhutan, an increasing number of tourists are finding their way to Bhutan for its natural beauty and simple way of life. Their simple way of lifestyle means one can get by with less and there is less pressure to chase material wealth.

UNITED KINGDOM AND HAPPINESS INDEX
In November 2010, UK Prime Minister David Cameron announced that, to help guide national policy, the British government would begin to measure the subjective well-being of its citizens. The announcement was the latest evidence of a growing awareness among governments and economists that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and other traditional metrics of economic progress fail to measure the kind of progress that makes life better The British government’s decision to measure subjective well-being (rather than, say, objective measures of mental and physical health) underscored the growing debate about what measurements should replace the outdated focus on economic growth.

     The UK Office for National Statistics has been given the task of choosing several subjective well-being questions to be included in the Integrated Household Survey, the biggest source of social data on the UK after the census. The process has begun with a public consultation, involving both the general population and specialists, about what the focus of these questions should be.The information will allow politicians—as well as the public—to assess the effectiveness of the government’s policies in terms that really matter to people.

MALAYSIA AND HAPPINESS INDEX STUDY : FROM NATIONAL TO CITY

The current challenging economic time is a good time for reflection and we should not waste the opportunity to take stock of where we are heading as a people and a nation. Going by the adage that life begins at 50, Malaysia is still a fairly young nation and adopting more inclusive policies that mobilise the country's rich human and natural resources will be able to cushion the country from any adverse external shocks. In its place is the emphasis on personal virtues and wholesome values of integrity, honesty, generosity and empathy for other people. I believe the promoting of such values will set the foundation for wholesome community and nation building for our country. The Bhutan story must have prompted many of us to start reflecting on our journey of life, and how we have fared in terms of the happiness index. Come to think of it, since the world economy is on the verge of a double-dip scenario and there will be very low or no growth in most nations, some tweaking in national policies and priorities may be what Malaysia needs to see our country and the people through the challenging time? It may be a good idea for us to draw up a Malaysian Happiness Index to measure how our people are faring against the rest of the world.

     In Malaysia's case, the need for concerted efforts to build adequate public infrastructure and housing cannot be over-emphasised as the on-going efforts are still quite fragmented. Instead of involving so many agencies in the execution process, having a dedicated agency as the master planner to oversee the overall planning and execution of the projects will ensure a higher rate of success to benefit more people. Providing enough public housing and other social amenities should be accorded one of the top priorities along with the other economic-based initiatives under the government's Economic Transformation Programme. The sharp increase in prices of goods and services, including that of property, meant people have less disposable income and spending power. These projects will be able to wipe out the many squatters and slumps, and rejuvenate our cities. Focusing on public housing can also provide a cushion for the property market from stagnating during troubling economic times.

     If happiness could be measured via a country's economic performance in gross national product or gross domestic product, then Malaysia would be the world's 51st happiest country. In Malaysia's case, there were a number of factors that led to its 51st ranking. Materialistic prosperity of individuals may have been one thing but wealth, usually an indicator of a person's material wellbeing, was not the only crucial factor in this determination. There were factors such as a person's general disposition, the level of contentment with basic aspirations which were also taken into account. However, Malaysia was ranked 2nd in Southeast Asia, behind Singapore which emerged as the happiest in the region. On a worldwide basis, the island was ranked 33rd out of the 156 countries. Thailand was ranked 52nd, Myanmar landed at 74th position and Indonesia was 83rd.

     The report will also allow politicians—as well as the public—to assess the effectiveness of the government’s policies in terms that really matter to people. The ultimate aim of most policy is to improve lives, but without proper measures of well-being it can be difficult to assess whether this is being achieved. The success of this measurement program depends a lot on exactly how the information is attained and then used, but this announcement may have signaled the start of a Malaysia government agenda which puts well-being, rather than economic growth, at the heart of its public policy. 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.

     Malaysian Urban Indicators Network (MURNInet) can be considered the only method to measure the sustainability of cities in Malaysia. The programme can help local authorities gather information and monitoring data as well as an assessment tool and the determination of the sustainable city indicators. Through this program, each local authority can determine the level of sustainability, monitoring and improving the level of development in their respective areas. Therefore, local authorities take appropriate action to improve their services. Status of sustainability can be the foundation of the local authorities to consider a future program. The Happiness Index study was introduced as one of the indicators under the theme of quality of life that emphasizes the development of community well-being. 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. The data obtained from surveys conducted by the research team with the assistance of officers of local authorities.

CONCLUSION

What makes a liveable city? Liveability is generally defined by performance in three main areas: environmental quality, neighbourhood amenity and individual well-being. Liveability initiatives often meet environmental, economic and equity goals, which are also the elements for the transition to sustainability. Cities around the world are re-examining their urban assets and remaking attention is given to quality of life. 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. 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. Most people tend to associate happiness with feeling good, that is, with a life that offers a variety of pleasures and comforts. Some tend to associate happiness with being able to do whatever they want to do, still others associate it with achieving everything they have set out to achieve in life. 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..

Futher enquiry about this article kindly contact :

 

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 : azmizam@townplan.gov.my

THE ROLE OF EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE TO ENHANCE URBAN LIVEABILITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

There is no doubt that the lives of cities and of the businesses located in them are inextricably intertwined. But how closely linked are cities' economic growth and their liveability? A survey of urban professionals conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that the idea of liveability has a number of different components. Jobs and cost of living, public transport and roads, safety and security and culture and nightlife all rank highly among our respondents' list of factors contributing to a city's attractiveness as a place to live and work.

In the first report in this series, we spelled out the strategies policymakers need to adopt in order to maintain and improve liveability for citizens. Some of the key steps include providing a good public transport system, getting a bigger say in planning policy, taking a more sensitive approach to urban design and handing over more control of public services to citizens. This second report explores the relationship between business performance and liveability in cities, and highlights some of the ways in which business and policymakers are working together to make cities more liveable.

Whatever the type of challenge being faced by an individual city, improving liveability can only help to strengthen its attractiveness for residents, workers and potential investors. But coming up with a realistic and effective strategy for boosting economic growth is a hugely difficult challenge, particularly when wider economic forces are working in the opposite direction. History has shown that long-term shifts in patterns of trade across the globe and the introduction of new technologies or production methods can undermine the industries upon which some cities were built. Declining cities in the former manufacturing heartlands of the north of England and in the "rust belt" of the United States provide powerful evidence of this. And, try as they might, policymakers have frequently found it agonisingly difficult to hold back the tide of change.

Even in those cities where economic growth is occurring, the challenge of enabling this can be enormously complex. Often the problem is that those people already living in high growth areas resent the changes associated with it and try to block the developments and investments—in housing and transport, for example—that are needed to facilitate growth. Rather than blocking growth altogether, however, these kinds of obstructions frequently lead to congestion and affordability problems as more and more people and businesses try to cram into houses, offices and trains that were simply not designed to meet such high levels of demand.

It is important to look at liveability—a misunderstood and often misused term—but equally important to understand that for citizens and companies, there is a clear hierarchy of needs. What is clear from our research is that what business primarily wants from city leadership is policy that helps to stimulate job creation, followed by basic liveability factors such as good infrastructure, schools and so on.Mayors and civic leaders can occasionally be beguiled by the "softer" aspects of liveability. Opera houses, parks and other assets associated with liveability are all important components of great cities' brands, but getting the basics right first helps cities to compete globally on a more equal footing. Among the key findings of our research are:

Jobs take precedence over liveability when people are choosing where to locate. Our survey shows that the main reason for urban professionals to move to a city is its jobs market and cost of living. Moreover, respondents say that their organisation's main benefit in being located in their city is its access to talent and labour. But with workforces increasingly prepared to relocate for the best opportunities, there is a question mark over policymakers' ability to develop local skill levels and encourage skilled workers to remain in their city.

Deliver the housing needed to meet demand. As we spelled out in our first report, rising house prices are often seen as a sign of a city's economic success. One important challenge for policymakers who are looking for ways to help maintain their city's economic growth is to make sure that there is enough housing to meet demand in economically dynamic areas. Failure to do so can result in housing affordability problems, dissuading talent from moving from low-performing to high-performing areas. This is not simply an issue for policymakers. As Todd Sinai of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business points out, "in a city that's more expensive, the first thing that has to happen is that workers need to get paid more".

Open the door to foreign investment. In difficult economic times, policymakers are often pressured into favouring support for local businesses over foreign companies. But such strategies are not necessarily the right way forward, according to our survey—only 15% of respondents see that as a priority for their civic leaders, as opposed to almost one-third who would prefer it if multinationals were encouraged to set up shop in their city, in order to make it more competitive for business. The presence of multinational companies in a city can raise its image elsewhere, and branding can play a big role in the business life of a city. More than one-half of respondents regard their city's international profile and good reputation as important benefits to their organisation's decision to locate there, and nearly three-quarters believe their city's image helps it to attract important industries.

Enlist the help of the commercial sector. Respondents to our survey consider that it is the public sector that should shoulder most responsibility for services such as public transport and the maintenance of parks and schools. But the business sector already plays a key role in developing cities' liveability, supporting culture, sporting events, healthcare facilities, transport infrastructure and environmental initiatives. As civic leaders face tighter budgets they should be prepared to take the initiative in asking business for more help. The cost to the city of London's ambitious cycle hire scheme, for example, would have been far greater without a substantial investment from Barclays, a bank. Of course, in engaging in philanthropic endeavours an organisation's ambition may largely be to generate brand awareness. But Londoners, for their part, have shown that they are prepared to become two-wheeled advertisements for Barclays in exchange for a more convenient journey around town.

Focus on the basics of urban life – transport, roads, houses, schools and safety. When a city secures a major sporting event such as the Olympic Games, is it a boon for business? Urban professionals don't think so. They think it is far more important to get the basics right by improving public transport and roads, providing better schools and improving safety. CEOs such as FedEx's Fred Smith agree. "Ultimately, you have to have both good economics and good quality of life—they feed each other," he says.

MUTIARA KATA CELIK MATA DAN CELIK MINDA PROF DR MUHAYA MOHAMAD

HAMPIR SETIAP SABTU DAN AHAD SELEPAS SEMBAHYANG SUBUH, CUBA MENILAI DIRI, CELIKKAN MINDA DAN HATI MELALUI KOLEKSI AUDIO RADIO IKIM CERAMAH MOTIVASI ISLAM ITU INDAH OLEH PROF. DR. MUHAYA MOHAMAD. INI YANG SEMPAT DICATIT UNTUK DIKONGSI BERSAMA.

1. KITA TIDAK BOLEH DAPAT KERJA YANG LEBIH BAIK DENGAN MUDAH TETAPI JIKA KITA BEKERJA DENGAN LEBIH BAIK, INSYAALLAH KERJA YANG LEBIH BAIK AKAN DATANG

2. 3 PERKARA SUSAH KITA NAK LAKUKAN. a. BAIK PADA ORANG YANG TIDAK BAIK PADA KITA. b. JAGA NAMA ORANG YANG SEDANG DI UMPAT, c. AKUI KESILAPAN SENDIRI...

3. KITA AKAN DILAYAN SEBAGAIMANA KITA MELAYAN ORANG LAIN . JIKA NEGATIF KITA DAPAT ITU FEEDBACK. PERBETULKAN DIRI KITA DAN BERHENTI MENYALAHKAN DAN CARI KESALAHAN ORANG...

4. LAYAN MANUSIA SEPERTI MANA MEREKA INGIN DILAYAN. LAYAN MANUSIA MACAM MANA KITA INGIN DILAYAN. LAGI RAMAI KAWAN LAGI MURAH REZEKI...

5. CARILAH KEBAHAGIAAN KITA DENGAN MEMBERI KEBAHAGIAAN PADA ORANG LAIN...INSYALLAH KEBAHAGIAN ITU AKAN DATANG SENDIRI TANPA KITA SEDARI.

6. HIDUP INI ADALAH DIY... "DO IT YOURSELF...!!!"

7. NAK JADI ISTERI YANG DISAYANGI SUAMI, JADILAH WANITA YANG EKSKLUSIF.. YANG HANYA SUAMI DAPAT MELIHAT KECANTIKAN KITA SENDIRI...

8. JANGAN KERANA MENCARI HARTA DUNIA YANG SEDIKIT, KITA MENJUAL AKHIRAT...

9. BERKAWAN DENGAN ORG YANG BODOH... DENGAN BERGADUH DENGAN ORANG YANG BAIK... LEBIH BAIK BERGADUH DENGAN ORANG YANG BAIK...

10. ORANG YANG HEBAT AKAN MEMBUATKAN ORANG LAIN MERASA HEBAT.. TETAPI ORANG YANG KECIL AKAN SUKA MENGECIL-GECILKAN ORANG LAIN... ORANG YANG SUKA MEMBUKA KEAIBAN ORANG LAIN, SUKA MENCARI KESALAHAN ORANG LAIN, SEBENARNYA MEMPUNYAI BANYAK KEAIBAN SENDIRI...

11. JANGAN KEJAR CITA-CITA... TAPI KEJARLAH MAKNA KEHIDUPAN SUPAYA HIDUP KITA LEBIH BERMAKNA...

12. SESIAPA YANG TAKUT PADA ALLAH, TAKKAN TAKUT PADA APA-APA YANG LAIN... TETAPI SESIAPA YANG TAK TAKUT PADA ALLAH, DIA AKAN TAKUT PADA BANYAK PERKARA...

13. ORANG YANG BIJAK, DIA TIDAK REAKTIF.. TETAPI PRODUKTIF...

14. ORANG YANG SELALU KATA TIDAK ADA MASA SEBENARNYA ADALAH ORANG YANG TIDAK TAHU MENGURUSKAN MASA...

15. JANGAN ADA SINDROM KITA RASA KITA 'BUDGET BAGUS'

16. SIAPA PANDANG DUNIA, AKHIRAT DIA TIDAK AKAN NAMPAK... TETAPI SIAPA YANG KEJAR AKHIRAT, DUNIA AKAN KEJAR DIA...

17. WE DON'T INTERACT WITH THE WORLD BUT WE INTERACT WITH OUR INTERPRETATION OF THE WORLD. SO IF WE INTERPRET IN POSITIVE MANNER WE HAVE A POSITIVE RESULT IN OUR LIFE..

18. ORANG YANG SIHAT ROHANINYA, SIHAT EMOSINYA, SIHAT BADANNYA...

19. ORANG YANG KENYANG DENGAN KASIH SAYANG ALLAH TIDAK PERLU KASIH SAYANG MANUSIA...

20. ORANG YANG BAHAGIA DENGAN ALLAH AKAN BAHAGIA DENGAN MANUSIA...

21. KITA ADA PILIHANRAYA SETIAP HARI... IMAN KE NAFSU.. DOSA KE PAHALA.. SYURGA KE NERAKA... TAAT KE MAKSIAT.. ALLAH REDHA KE ALLAH MURKA...

22. MEMBERI NASIHAT MUDAH TAPI TERIMA NASIHAT PAYAH TERUTAMA BAGI MEREKA YANG MEMPUNYAI KEDUDUKAN DI DUNIA...

23. NILAI KITA AKAN TURUN BILA KITA SIBUKKAN DIRI DENGAN BENDA YANG TAK BERFAEDAH ATAU MAKSIAT...

24. MANUSIA DIHORMATI DENGAN AKAL. ORANG DITIPU KERANA TIDAK PERNAH BERFIKIR. ORANG YANG BIJAK AKAN MEMASTIKAN APA DIA BUAT ADALAH JALAN SELAMAT...

THE FIFTH ESTATE – A SPACE FOR ACADEMIA OR INTELLECTUAL LEADERSHIP?

The Razak School of Government (RSOG) had introduced the Chief Secretary Annual Lecture Series in 2011. This event is a platform for the academia (public and private higher institutions) in Malaysia to interact with senior officials from the Public sector. It provides both sides, including the students the opportunity to offer their insights in the building of a competitive Malaysia.  This event is targeted for the academics, public and private sector as well as the NGOs. I and Dr Alias Rameli (Federal Department of Town and Country Planning) have a chance to attend Chief Secretary Annual Lecture Series on 20 Mac 2012 at Dewan Perdana,Putrajaya International Conference Centre (PICC).The theme for this Inaugural Lecture is “The Fifth Estate– A Space for Academia?”. When I was driving to PICC and entering the Perdana Hall PICC, I  was wondering what is actually the Fifth Estate? Why the Fifth Estate? Before the Fifth Estate, what is First Estate? Second Estate? Third Estate? Forth Estate? Why all the estates are so significant to our nation? Where are we? Where do we go from here?

YBhg. Tan Sri Mohd Sidek bin Haji Hassan began his speech  to provocate a conversation, a debate even, on the role of academia in influencing opinion, shaping thinking, growing minds. And if the social media is increasingly popular and impacting the lives of our young, is there a place for academia in this space? And if there is that space, can it be considered the Fifth Estate? There is general acceptance as to these four estates, namely the clergy, First Estate, the nobility, Second Estate, the proletariat, Third Estate, and the print media, Fourth Estate. The first three estates have their roots in feudal society, some put it down to French feudal society, some to the British estates of Parliament: the Lords Spiritual, the Lords temporal and the Commons.

In his speech  mentioned that today the influence of the Fourth Estate has waned in the face of the rise of the Digital Media. Whereas in years past the print media provided the outlet for the masses, today, people especially the young, find empowerment in the digital realm of Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and other forms of social media. So is this the Fifth Estate? Sceptics have challenged utopian perspectives on the role of the Internet in democratic political processes. These critiques can be useful, but often fail to understand the very real impact of enabling individuals to network in new ways. The rise of the press, radio, television and other mass media created an independent institution: the ‘Fourth Estate’, central to pluralist democratic processes. However, the growing use of the Internet and related technologies enables the networking of individuals in ways that create a new source of accountability not only in government and politics, but also in other sectors. How does the Internet create a space for this new form of social accountability? Is it indeed enabling a ‘Fifth Estate’?

He also mentioned that the Internet is a platform for networking individuals in ways that can challenge the influence of other more established bases of institutional authority, and that can be used to increase the accountability of the press, politicians, doctors and academics by offering networked individuals with alternative sources of information and opinion. Questions about the governance of the Fifth Estate are likely to become more prominent as people realize that the Internet is a social phenomenon with broad and substantial implications for political and social accountability, as illustrated by the crisis over WikiLeaks. The development and vitality of the ‘Fifth Estate’ rests less on new policy initiatives than by responding to the strategies of its enemies -- the other four estates, and the mob, of the Internet realm.

YBhg. Tan Sri Mohd Sidek bin Haji Hassan in his speech raised a few questions,so where does this leave the academia? Can we regard academia as the Fifth Estate? Or are members of the academia a part of the Fifth Estate? I do not think the Academia can claim that they are THE Fifth Estate. Yes, they are part of the Fifth Estate if one agrees that their role goes beyond providing checks and balances. There are some points that are prerequisites for the academic fraternity to claim the status of a Fifth Estate:

a. We must believe that ours is a noble profession and that we are in it out of conviction and choice, and not out of circumstance. We must have the skills, knowledge and expertise. We are in this field because we are convinced that we can make a difference in the lives of the people we teach; that we want to be involved.
b. We must believe that ours is a profession of immense power and influence. We have the power to shape minds, thought and character. We believe that education shapes and empowers the human intellect and spirit.  So to be a force in the Fifth Estate we must reclaim our intellectual leadership. This must of course be derived from the quality of scholarship of the leaders of the universities. Therefore the academia can visible in the public eye.
c. We must believe that in the course of our work we can give voice to the marginalised. In this space we re-assert that all-important relationship between the university and society. In this we must be willing to take up the cause of the marginalised. Our research should guide the conversations on topics that concern society and the minorities who have no one to speak for them.
d.We must use our expertise to differentiate ourself from the citizen journalists that operate in the blogosphere. Many bloggers advocate the same things we dislike in the Fourth Estate. They are often biased and tend to take extreme positions, regardless of the facts.
e. Focus on the people, not on the technology. This is what sets we apart from the other folks who claim the Fifth Estate. For them it is Facebook, Twitter and their blogs. We are trained to analyse, to teach, to communicate. This is about extending our reach beyond our classroom. What power we have at our fingertips! Use it well.

The end of his speech, he mentioned that  there is a place for academia in the Fifth Estate. As much as a place for government and government officials. Like many of us here. For in the final analysis, what the Fifth Estate has to do is to influence people, and for the right reasons; in what is right, what is true and what is good. For is it not said somewhere that the voice of the people is the voice of God! 

In my opinion, conceptualization of the Fifth Estate builds on the depiction by Manuel Castells of the Internet as creating a space of flows, in contrast to a space of places. When we ‘go to’ the Internet, we enter this new space of flows that connects with people and places. This is dramatically different from a physical place, such as this hall. Both are important and serve major social roles in shaping the quality of our information environment. Academics themselves mobilize around local issues, such as university governance, as well as more international issues like copyright through mailing lists, Web sites and blogs. Even in academia, there is an emerging Fifth Estate, enabled by the Internet, providing checks and balances on the more established academic institutional structures.  Knowledge acquisition, deliverance and administration is a continuing process. Therefore collaboration between academicians and practitioners are actually for enhancing knowledge and bring the our nation more competitive.

MUTIARA KATA DR ROBIAH K. HAMZAH & PROF DR MUHAYA MOHAMAD

Setelah mendengar kuliah Dr Robiah dan Prof Dr Muhaya di Radio IKIM setiap pagi sejak akhir-akhir ini, antara mutiara kata yang sungguh indah yang boleh dijadikan panduan hidup:

1. Manusia yang mempunyai arah akan menguasai nasib dan gaya hidupnya.

2. Untuk jadi hebat tidak perlu jadi orang lain, jadilah diri sendiri.

3. Ibadah bukan beban, ia hadiah terindah daripada Allah s.wt .

4. Tidurlah bersama kesyukuran, jangan tidur bersama kesedihan.

5. Orang dungu hanya tahu setelah terkena.

6. Lihat apa yang kita lihat, fikir apa yang kita fikir.

7. Bukan semua yang disukai memberikan kesukaan akhirnya.

8. Sabar itu lebih mudah daripada tidak bersabar.

9. Jangan bertanya kepada kejahilan kerana ia akan menjawab.

10. Musuh ketat bagi terbaik adalah baik.Buat betul biar betul-betul.

11. Apabila semboyan nafsu dibunyikan, bolehlah berikan ciuman dan ucapan selamat tinggal kepada sebarang kebaikan!

12. Semakin menuju ke utara, selatan semakin menjauh.

13. Keinginan ialah penipu dalam diri yang tidak memerlukan izin untuk masuk.

14. Sesetengah nikmat itu hanya datang sekali tetapi bersyukur kena selalu.

15. Emas dan kerikil tidak boleh ditimbang sekali.

16. Fikir kematian seperti mengaktifkan penggera jam, dengannya kita terbangun; tanpanya kita terus lena.

17. Serik ialah pusingan-U terakhir untuk kembali ke jalan betul.

18. Selarikan apa kita yakin, apa kita bikin.

19. Ketagihan pujian ialah mukadimah kebinasaan.

20. Lidah seperti sebilah pedang, sarungkanlah agar terselamat daripada hirisannya.

21. Apabila semua perkara telah tewas, harapan jangan tewas !

22. Semakin kita beremosi semakin akal tidak berfungsi.

23. Sekali kita mahu belajar seisi dunia mahu menjadi guru.

24. Sekiranya kelebihan diri seluas lautan, kerendahan hati harus selebar bumi.

25. Jika hati membisik: Bolehkah aku berubah? Katakan: Tidak! Kepada soalan itu.

26. Antara lukisan dan tajuk, manakah lebih awal? Jawapannya: Sudut Pandangan!

27. Sekiranya Hamman itu baik nescaya Lembah Luxor dipenuhi masjid.

28. Syukur andainya kita boleh bersyukur.

29. Sekiranya seseorang bertanya mengenai harga diri, jawapannya ada pada kesetiaan.

30. Apabila dua orang pahlawan menghunuskan senjata beradu,yang bakal tewas berkata: Aku akan mati hari ini; yang bakal menang berkata: Aku ingin mati hari ini!

31. Puppet digerakkan oleh tali. Manusia punyai tali ghaib yang menggerakkan hidup!

32. Seorang pendita menuruni lembah, menakluki puncak gunung untuk menguasai hikmat, ia menemuinya di puncak faham.

33. Tanya kepada fitrah, jawapannya tidak pernah menipu.

34. Pada setiap butiran pasir tersembunyi hikmah.

35. Kalaulah fatamorgana sememangnya air sudah tentu gurun itu lautan.

36. Sebelum mendaki, pastikan terlebih dahulu tangga disandarkan ke dinding.

37. Dua benda perlu bergabung untuk memperolehi hasil, anak benih dengan tanah, perancangan dengan menuliskannya.

38. Sedetik menoleh kepada Allah s.wt , baru tersedar bahawa selama- lamanya kita diperhatikan oleh kasih sayang-Nya.

39. Orang yang hidup untuk memberi akan hidup dilimpahi pemberian Allah s.wt .

40.  Cintakan Allah s.wt adalah naluri terindah.
41. Jangan kerap mengucapkan kesukaran di setiap perbuatan, selalu mengucap kesyukuran.

THE ROLE OF URBAN GOVERNANCE TOWARDS AN INTEGRATED REGULATORY APPROACH FOR THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK IN MALAYSIA’S CITIES

The key roles and responsibilities of an urban transport authority should entail; budgeting and funding, integrated transport planning, standards development, fares definition and economic regulation, tendering and licensing, performance monitoring, standards enforcement, infrastructure ownership and management, ticketing and fares collection and traffic management. What applies to Malaysia? Three areas for consideration:

a. Is there a need for an integrated Transport Authority to regulate and manage the urban transport sector in the major agglomerations?

b. Are urban public transport service offerings developed based on an integrated urban and transport planning approach? Are urban transport services closely integrated to provide a seamless service proposition?

c. Is the performance management of the service providers / operators consistent, transparent and comprehensive? What sanctions are appropriate for non-performing operators?

Regulatory fragmentation has been frequently indentified as the root cause for Malaysia’s public transportation system woes. Institutional inefficiencies, lack of integration and absence of key functions are the three identified areas of regulatory fragmentation in governance that normally leads to such woes. The result will normally leave a country or city with a myriad of problems such as underdeveloped public transportation, high pollution levels, congestion issues and low safety levels. The cited examples of 6 densely populated cities i.e. London, Singapore, Paris, Hong Kong, Auckland and Berlin as places to learn from because of their quality reputation in transportation governance. In applying a comprehensive transport governance framework (policy, planning & regulation, operations and enforcement) to the transport authorities of the six cities, six valuable lessons were learnt. These consisted of:

a. Separation of regulation from operations

Regulatory and operations functions are separate with the planning/regulating body having no interest in the ongoing operations. Such operations could be performed by either public or private sector operators with the infrastructure and rolling stock being owned by the regulating body.

b. Planning integration

All planning and regulatory functions for all public transport modes that are undertaken by one organisation that facilitates integration. It was discovered that intermodal integration is ensured at three levels which are; capacity & route planning, infrastructure planning and fare planning. Transport planning is also highly integrated with urban development.

c. Functions-based structure

The transport authority adopts a function-based organisational structure to ensure integrated planning across all modes of public transport and to have a direct link with the public transport operators.

d. Budgeting and funding

Authority is typically responsible for collecting subsidies from government and allocating them to the public transport operators. The allocation is a key in managing the sector and ensuring coordination / integration. In some cases, funds are allocated by the transport authority to the local authorities for infrastructure projects like roads.

e. Active monitoring

The performance of public transport operators are monitored and evaluated against defined KPIs covering operations and environmental areas. The service contracts provides sanctions, including termination, in cases of non compliance.

f. Industry consolidation

The private sector would be consolidation into cohesive organisations that are generally done by the authorities. This move is to ensure effective regulation and to scale up investments which otherwise might be difficult to source from individuals and small operators.

BRIEFING FOR STUDENTS AND LECTURE FROM UNIVERSITAS ISLAM NEGERI (UIN) ALAUDDIN MAKASSAR 12 MARCH 2012

FDTCP INITIATIVE TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PART 3

Manual of Sustainability Assessment

The efforts of making urban and rural areas in Malaysia sustainable were not only done at the conceptual level or just for the purpose of assessment, but the concept of sustainable development has also been streamlined or incorporated in all levels of development plan from National Physical Plan at the federal level, to Structure Plan at state level as well as in Local Plan and Special Area Plan at the local level. Special Sustainability Assessment (SA) method has been introduced and applied in the process of preparing and finalising each local plan to ensure that the proposed future land use development of an area are in line with the aim to achieve sustainable development.

Futher enquiry about this article kindly contact :

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 : azmizam@townplan.gov.my

Green Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines

FDTCP is working on Green Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines, whilst the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water is at their final stage of preparing the guidelines on Green Township and Low Carbon City. There are also initiatives by professional bodies to formulate the Green Building Index Township Tools, Residential New Construction Guide, Green Building Certification and so on.

The endeavour to promote, implement and enforce the sustainable development goal in Malaysia has now move to a new phase, in line with the international efforts to tackle the issues and phenomenon of global warming, climate change, natural disaster and so on. It has also move to anticipate the ideas of low-carbon city, renewable energy and various `green’ initiatives, such as green technology, green transportation, green building, green township, green neighbourhood and others `green’ brand and tagline.

Green Neighbourhood Planning Guidelines is an integrated manner with the priority given to the protection and consumption of natural resources, application of green technology and recycling. It seeks to preserve the environment, reduce the ecology footprint, reduce the production of carbon emission, improving public health, safety as well as generalwelfare of city dwellers.

8 Planning Principles

i.        Priority given to sustainability and environment of aspect;

ii.      Creating sustainable communities living in harmony, healthy and interact with each other;

iii.    Create high accessibility environment;

iv.    Comfortable human scale neighbourhood design;

v.      Containing the features of affordable housing;

vi.    Provide Green Infrastructure “green infrastructure”; 
vii   Energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE).