ADIBAH NOOR - MINISTRY OF HOUSING LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S AMBASSADOR

28 August 2008 - Actress and singer Adibah Noor Mohd Omar has been appointed the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s ambassador and will be involved in promoting the ministry’s activities and programmes such as World Habitat Day Celebration 2008 -"Harmonious Cities" and World Town Planning Day 2008 - Planning for Sustainability. CONGRATULATION TO ADIBAH NOOR.

EFFICIENCY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE....?

“Efficiency” is defined as achieving the same outputs for less resource or additional outputs for the same resource. Consequently, an action that fully or partially alleviates a cost pressure is countable as a cash-releasing efficiency, but an action that frees up cash at the expense of the overall effectiveness of service delivery is not an efficiency gain. Efficiency, improvement and service transformation go hand in hand. Without the ability to continually modernise and become more productive, councils put existing service quality at risk. Sometimes these efficiencies will come from better implementation of tried and tested practices such as strengthening project management or closer scrutiny of expenditure, but innovation must take a more important role as the scale of the challenge increases. Therefore EFFICIENCY– achieving more for the same or less resource – is a vital aspect of service delivery. By getting lower prices for products, automating processes, reducing errors, and removing duplication, councils are able to hold down council tax and drive improvement where it matters most.

Sustainable efficiency means ensuring that members, managers and staff (whether engaged in operational service delivery or business support) have continuous improvement in value for money as core to their roles. Increasingly they will require knowledge and skills to utilise routinely the wide range of business improvement tools and customer-need analyses available to support effective decision making.Many local authorities already have sound foundations in place for effective improvement: an organisational culture that sets a high priority on value for money; access to good customer information and diagnostic tools to identify what needs to be done; and the leadership and skills needed to make it happen. For the efficiency challenge to be met, these strengths must be promoted more widely.

SOURCE : REGIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENT AND DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UNITED KINGDOM, 2003

THESIS PROPOSAL PRESENTATION

In second semester session 2008/2009 of study in UKM, I gave a opportunity and honour to present my thesis proposal on 27 August 2008 to faculty's lecturers and other postgradute students. Thank you to my core supervisor, Assoc. Prof Dr Hamzah Jusoh and second supervisor Dr Jalaluddin Abdul Malek for your encouragement and guidance. I just walked through my first door before I can reach to peak of my phd research...I received good inputs and feedback from lecturers and Professors. Still long way to go. Still many things to search. Below some samples of thesis proposal..

A REVIEW OF DATO' SERI ABDULLAH BADAWI'S ON GOVERNANCE

Under the administration of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi over the past three years, there have been some concerns and challenges just as there have been many success stories. It is only natural for a nation that is undergoing the long and laborious process of development to face obstacles and speed bumps along the way. However, it is with great perseverance that Malaysia must continue to overcome any barriers that can and will obstruct the process.

On a positive note, greater emphasis has been given to the need for transparency and accountability, cutting across the public and private sectors. We see the active promotion and implementation of key performance indicators that keep government-linked companies in check. There is greater fiscal discipine in the country’s budget. Finally, it is evident that we have witnessed a slow but gradual opening up of society; one that is increasingly more willing to engage in public discussion of issues that were previously considered threatening to the very fabric of our culture and our individual well being. Malaysians are now less constrained to express their criticism. But they are still under the fear of the ISA and often use it as an excuse not to see or say or hear anything. They are the so-called silent majority who want others to stand up and see if they are being chopped down! To me, they are our national liabilities and cannot contribute effectively to influencing the formation of new strategies for survival and progress!

However, the pledge of openness has also apparently indicated to certain quarters that they are given a free reign to make unnecessary and antagonistic statements. That society is given a license to air views and opinions does not translate into a license for open racialistic sentiment. I cannot stress more that with a culture of openness should come the equal responsibility to manage and handle this openness in a prudent and mature manner. Do we have the self-discipline and maturity to maintain the right balance? In fact, some of our leaders to whom we should look up, have failed miserably and have caused despondency in the strategic outlook for our future prospects.

The deeper problem for Malaysians today is that we have not the historical advantage of having cultivated a culture of open discussion, dialogue and debate in the most basic of institutions: the education system. Malaysia has in fact inherited a system of democracy without necessarily having developed simultaneously a discourse in democracy. It is akin to having a basic structure that propels Malaysia towards achieving a developed nation, but not having answered questions like “What it means to be Malaysian” foremost, and “What it means to be a developed Malaysian nation” – not just in its socio-economic statistical sense, but in philosophy and spirit. What is the driving force that really maintains the Malaysian society as it is today, and will this change in the near future?

We might say that the concept of the Malaysian nation and Malaysianness is based on the so-called “Social Contract”. However, this Social Contract, which is envisaged in the constitution, the Rukun Negara, the NEP, and Vision 2020 has been often badly breached in the implementation of sound policies! The underlying consideration of the basic right of fairness has been undermined, income gaps have widened, large numbers of the poor are still not enjoying their basic needs and human rights of access to drinkable water, decent housing, transport, healthcare, electricity and a clean and safe environment. This is unacceptable in Malaysia where we are blessed with God-given rich resources of arable land, water, good climate and commodities like tin, rubber, palm oil, timber, petroleum and gas etc. Why is this? What is happening to Malaysia?

E-GOVERNMENT IN LOCAL AUTHORITIES TOWARDS ENHANCING URBAN GOVERNANCE EFFICIENCY

Since Malaysia implemented the first computer system in 1966, the Government has introduced various initiatives to facilitate the greater integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to improve capacities in every area of life, including the enhancement of education and training programmes. Malaysia saw the advent of the digital revolution from quite early on. We recognised the enormous potential of ICT. For improving our economic and social status, we embarked on the multimedia super corridor (MSC) project in 1996 to help Malaysia leapfrog into the information age. The MSC was envisioned as a global test bed for local and foreign companies to push the limits of multimedia. The MSC's intent was to create a cutting-edge environment to attract foreign businesses, while nurturing and developing local IT Champions at the same time . The MSC would then act as a catalyst for the adoption of ICT throughout the nation, eventually raising national productivity and making Malaysia excellence in ICT.

In 1997, the Malaysian Government launched the Electronic Government (e-Government) initiative to reinvent itself to lead the country into the Information Age. The implementation of e-Government in Malaysia heralds the beginning of a journey of reinventing the government by transforming the way it operates, modernising and enhancing its service delivery. E-Government seeks to enhance the convenience, accessibility and quality of interactions with the public and businesses at large. Citizens and businesses are also able to transact with the government anywhere and anytime at their convenience. The main goals of e-government are to improve the quality of public services and the efficiency of administrative work. However, it does not allow citizen participation in local government administration such as policy making and implementation processes using ICT.

Currently, Malaysia is making every effort to steer the economy towards a knowledge-based one. In July 2001, Malaysia launched K-Economy Master Plan was in the final stages of formulation. Furthermore, “Vision 2020”, Malaysia's long-term vision, calls for sustained, productivity-driven growth, possible only with a technologically literate, critically thinking workforce, prepared to participate fully in the global economy of the 21st century. Malaysia is on the right path and working to develop policies that align with international standards of intellectual property rights, and international standards or equipment. Malaysia has seen a tremendous increase in the adoption of advanced technologies, particularly relating to online service delivery channels, whether business to business (B to B), business to consumer (B to C), government to business (G to B), or government to citizen (G to C). In the case of the public sector, it is imperative that we keep pace with the technological advancements in ICT. We need to push forward to create and harness technological innovations in order to meet the needs of our citizens for faster, more convenient and more efficient means of interacting with the government. Globally, many governments have adopted high-end technology to implement their own vision for electronic service delivery, with varying degrees of success.

There is a growing recognition that e-government is not just about technology but about harnessing technology and making services available anytime and anywhere. Technology is only one aspect of e-government transformation. Other aspects such as redesigning government processes, systems, structures and developing new skills are equally important. Government has begun to recognise the opportunity cost of separate systems and processes that duplicate information gathering, as well as the high costs involved in providing multiple entry-points for online services. In view of this, it is high time that our public sector agencies realise and appreciate that delivering connected government online services requires multiple agency cooperation and collaboration. Public confidence in online service delivery will be a key factor in the success of e-government. Currently, e-government initiatives have started to articulate key priorities for cross-agency teamwork rather than leaving agencies to determine their own online presence. Government has begun to recognise the opportunity cost of separate systems and processes that duplicate information gathering, as well as the high costs involved in providing multiple entry-points for online services. In view of this, it is high time that our public sector agencies realise and appreciate that delivering connected government online service requires multiple agency cooperation and collaboration. Public confidence in online services delivery will be a key factor in the success of e-government.

WHAT MALAYSIA SHOULD BE IN THE ERA OF GLOBALISATION? Chapter 3

From Chapter 2.... First of all, we see the pursuit of fairness: political fairness; economic fairness; cultural fairness. We see political fairness in the practice of power-sharing, where all the major races are represented in government via a seat-sharing formula set up by the ruling coalition. All groups have a seat at the table, the cabinet meeting table. Issues and concerns are discussed and addressed, often behind closed doors, to reach consensus, where no one is out-voted by the majority; where the rights of every group are protected and safeguarded.From the outset, there was consensus on having cultural fairness.We likened Malaysia to a tapestry earlier and we think this image fits with our philosophy on culture.

We, each of us, are a thread making up a larger design, but look closely enough and you will see that each thread still retains its own qualities.Integration, not assimilation. Malaysia is built on the premise that the identity of each community must be preserved and protected, rather than allowing the culture of the majority to extinguish others. But of these, economic fairness has perhaps been the most visible and the most debated. We recognised long ago that without specific state intervention, enormous inequalities would fester among the people; inequalities intensified along ethnic lines. From this recognition came the New Economic Policy, with its twin objectives of eradicating poverty, regardless of race, and eliminating the identification of ethnicity with economic function.

Our efforts in this regard are now seen as visionary and far-sighted, as socio-economic disparities widen throughout the world and pose a grave threat to global peace and stability. The country's pursuit of economic fairness continues today, for example, in the approach of corridor development. The effort to spread development more consistently beyond the Klang Valley is underlined by the same basic principles, which are to eradicate poverty and to provide people with the opportunity to better their lives through employment, business and education. These efforts must reach everyone. Our pursuit of economic fairness is not without its lessons. For example, in implementing poverty eradication programmes, regardless of race, care must be taken to follow through word with deed.

No family, no matter their racial origin, can be allowed to live below the poverty line. And in implementing affirmative action, the principle of fairness must be upheld in all senses of the word. We do not believe that any Malaysian is against helping underprivileged groups, but people want to see opportunity followed by hard work, not shortcuts or rents. People also want opportunities to be given to those most in need. Moving forward, as we refine and sharpen these policies, this quality of fairness must be seen to prevail, and must prevail in dealing with issues of poverty, education and income irrespective of race. Secondly, we see the emphasis on responsibility, particularly to each other, as an integral value of the nation.

In this age of relative affluence and stability, we sometimes forget that there are many groups within the country, each with its own set of demands; each with their own set of sensitivities. These differences are very real, yet we do not descend into sheer, unmitigated chaos. Why? Because we think there are enough of us who do not forget, who know and remember our complexity.Those who do not forget understand that our situation demands balance, conscientiousness, a sense of accountability to the whole rather than the few.For us, this characterises a true Malaysian. A true Malaysian understands the impact of careless words and actions. A true Malaysian is aware of who will be provoked into retaliation and who will actually suffer the consequences.Because of this, a true Malaysian will try to be judicious in word and deed, even when striving for change.

The value of responsibility is as important today as it was in 1957 or 1969. If we are to evolve into a society that can live with media freedom, public debate or public shows of expression, the value and the burden of responsibility must lie with the ordinary people, not just with those who manage the country. If the choice is between public safety and public freedoms, We do not hesitate to say here that public safety will always win. We will not sacrifice our sense of accountability to the greater public, especially in the face of police intelligence about planned fighting or other violent intent. We must never, ever, take our peace for granted. We must continue to be responsible to each other. The third value we see guiding our efforts all these years, especially in our darkest days, is self-belief. Many of the doctrines and measures we have undertaken fly in the face of popular thinking, from the New Economic Policy in 1970 to capital controls during the Asian financial crisis.

We held fast through massive criticism and doubt, and this trust in ourselves has paid off. On the international stage, we consistently punch above our weight, from speaking up for developing countries to hosting international events, to chairing international groupings. Deep down, we know that "Malaysia boleh". We know that we have a lot to offer despite our youth and our size. we know that we are more than able to lead. For us and our children, the sense of self-belief is crucial as we step into a time of greater competition, global economic change and high commodity prices.The requirements for survival and success evolve through the ages, but it is now evolving very rapidly. Make no mistake, it will be a challenging time for us all. We not only need to cope and adjust, we must triumph over the changes required of us. But with faith and determination, we will continue to prevail. If we stay committed to giving our best, if we hold ourselves to the highest standards of excellence, we will succeed.

Fairness, responsibility, self-belief. These values are embodied in the country's policies and achievements throughout the last 50 years and we believe, with time and experience, that it will characterise us as a people. For these are values that guarantee sustained unity and continued progress. These are values that we would want for ourselves and our families, not only as citizens of Malaysia but also as human beings. Of course, these matters are far from settled; the quest to find what we stand for is the work of many generations.But in the final analysis, we can agree on one thing: that we love this blessed land. We love its diversity and its eccentricities. This is the only country we have, the only place where we feel truly at home, and we want it to succeed.So let us begin with fairness, responsibility and self-belief. Let us understand and appreciate the meaning of these values and start upholding them together.Everyone -- leaders, political parties, companies, NGOs, people from all walks of life. Let us start building our hearts and minds as we enter into our next 50 years as a nation. This is the long-term project for Malaysia's future, for which we truly pray for success and for God's blessings and protection.

WHAT MALAYSIA SHOULD BE IN THE ERA OF GLOBALISATION? Chapter 2

From Chapter 1.....As we draw closer to the end of a memorable year, it is worthwhile to consider this question of Malaysia's role in the world going forward, that is, the question of what next for Malaysia. For the sake of our future, we should continue to:

• Drive the economy towards higher-value sectors and activities;
• Upgrade our education system;
• Reduce inequalities in income and opportunity;
• Improve the quality of life; and,
• Improve the effectiveness and performance of our public institutions, from the civil service to the judiciary.

If we stay committed to this course, we can only grow stronger in the eyes of the world. We would evolve from our middle-income status, we would have a dynamic, innovation-driven economy, we would have skilled and capable future generations, and we would have public institutions of strength and integrity. However, I think there is something more that we must have, not only to rise in the eyes of the world but also in the eyes of our people. We should not only think of what the country should do, but what the country should be. A country is not only defined by its achievements, it is also defined by what it stands for.Finding what a country stands for is far more difficult and complex. It takes many years, perhaps hundreds of years, before a country's values are crystallised.The United States has a constitution that is over 200 years old, which promised all citizens a voice, but it was only in 1920 when women were granted the vote.

It was in 1964 when the right to vote was effectively enforced for African-Americans. In the case of a country as young as Malaysia, only 50 years old, the question of what we stand for, the values that connect us to each other, is still being formed. The endeavour to find an answer to this question will go on beyond my lifetime. However I believe that our 50-year history provides us the outlines. As someone blessed by God with the opportunity of becoming prime minister, of being in public service for over four decades, of serving some of the finest men and women in Malaysia's history, I see three values that have dominated our 50 years as a nation. These are the values that will to shape our nation as we embark on our next 50 years. Continued......

WHAT MALAYSIA SHOULD BE IN THE ERA OF GLOBALISATION? Chapter 1

After 2 weeks searched for relevant literature review for my thesis, I read a compilation of our Prime Minister's 2006-2007 speech. A few of his speeches are related to my thesis. Below is my conclusion..... 2007 we saw the launching of two new growth corridors -- the Northern Corridor Economic Region and the East Coast Economic Region. Together with the Iskandar Development Region, launched last year, these three growth corridors represent a new effort to extend growth and prosperity to all corners of Peninsular Malaysia. The plans for Sabah and Sarawak are also followed.This year saw the commencement of some major initiatives in high-priority areas.

• The Education Blueprint and the Strategic Plan on Higher Education were rolled out, targeting deficiencies in the system and working towards implementing long-term improvements;
• The task force to facilitate business, or PEMUDAH, was established and is working to reduce the cost of doing business in Malaysia;
• Civil service salaries were reviewed to encourage retention of talent, and a contract scheme for top civil servants was announced to reward more closely to performance;
• The stock market reached record highs with market capitalisation breaking the RM1 trillion mark;
• International trade of goods and services also exceeded RM1 trillion;
• Real property gains tax was done away with, driving activity in the property market;
• The biggest listed plantation company in the world, Sime Darby, was created; and
• The first ever Malaysian went into space.

It was truly a tremendous year, for Malaysia, for Malay-sians.Malaysia was held to be a true example of nation-building success: multi-ethnic and peaceful; a remarkable track record in reducing poverty; extensive social mobility which produced a huge middle class; a thriving open economy. We ourselves are seen as a model with much to offer the world. Repeatedly we are asked and even urged to impart our knowledge and experience, so that more people in the developing world may know sustained peace and prosperity. This is not mere politeness or courtesy, nor boasting or beating one's own chest. Time after time, Malaysia continues to surprise and inspire those who work actively in socioeconomic development and poverty eradication. Following 9/11, this recognition was further reinforced due to Malaysia's Muslim majority. Continued in Chapter 2....

CITY REGION AS THE ENGINE OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

It has long been predicted that improvements in transportation and communications technologies, in terms of both cost and quality, will eventually undermine any need for urban concentration. With each round of technological change in this area, scholars and journalists keep telling us that large-scale urbanization is a thing of the past. But with each such round of development cities not only do not disappear, they become larger and more important. This is because although advances in modern transportation and communications technologies enable many forms of economic and social interaction to occur over ever-greater distances, in other cases they actually heighten the need for proximity. The key to understanding why this is true lies in the ways that different economic activities are interconnected in terms of what we might call their transactional or network relationships to each other and to the rest of the world.

In very schematic terms, two different kinds of productive activity are typically to be found in any advanced economic system, each of them corresponding to a fundamentally different type of network structure. On the one hand, certain kinds of production are highly routinized: they rely on forms of knowledge that are relatively well codified and on machines and work processes where repetition is the dominant pattern of action. In economic terms, this means that it is possible to plan this sort of activity with some degree of confidence and to carry it out at very large scales. The necessary materials and inputs used in production can thus often be acquired according to a given schedule, and they can be purchased in large volumes. This means, too, that these materials and inputs can be brought in cheaply over large distances, for the ability to plan and to purchase in large volumes means that their unit costs can be kept low. Under these circumstances, the linkages between functionally related firms are likely to have a rather limited impact on locational decisions, and firms will be relatively free to seek out locations quite distant from one another. In practice, and because production is routinized in this type of system, the chosen locations will often coincide with pools of cheap, unskilled labor, sometimes far from any major urban center.

On the other hand, we find economic sectors where quite different kinds of conditions hold. Vast areas of the contemporary economy involve activities where enormous uncertainty prevails, and where there are strong limits on producers' abilities to routinize or simplify their operations, especially in regard to their mutual interactions. In high-technology industry, for example, producers are frequently faced not only with rapid shifts in basic technologies themselves, but also with demands for their products that vary greatly from one customer to another and from one moment to the next. In high-level business and financial services, the changing project-oriented and client-oriented product means that firms must be organized so as to vary the mix of skills and resources that they bring to each particular job; further, the skills and resources themselves (especially human intellectual assets) are not widely available because they are quite specialized. In industries faced with markets that fluctuate because of constant design changes or fashion effects (more broadly, product differentiation processes), firms must be prepared to change and recombine equipment and labor and to monitor shifts in the market, often on a day-to-day basis.

References
1. J. Friedmann and G. Wolff (1982) "World city formation: an agenda for research and action," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 6, 309 - 344.

2. P. G. Hall (1966) The World Cities, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. D. Held (1991) "Democracy, the nation-state, and the global system," in D. Held (ed.) Political Theory Today, Stanford: Stanford University Press.

3. S. Sassen (1991) The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS ON URBAN GOVERNANCE AND CITY REGION

There are now more than 300 city-regions around the world with populations greater than one million. At least twenty city-regions have populations in excess of ten million. They range from familiar metropolitan agglomerations dominated by a strongly-developed core such as the London region or Mexico City. Everywhere, these city-regions are expanding vigorously, and they present many deep challenges to researchers and policy makers as we enter the 21st century. The processes of world-wide economic integration and accelerated urban growth make traditional planning and policy strategies in these regions increasingly problematical while more fitting approaches remain in a largely experimental stage. New ways of thinking about these processes and new ways of acting to harness their benefits and to control their negative effects are urgently needed.

The concept of global city-regions can be traced back to the "world cities" idea of Hall (1966) and Friedmann and Wolff (1982), and to the "global cities" idea of Sassen (1991). We build here on these pioneering efforts, but in a way that tries to extend the meaning of the concept in economic, political and territorial terms, and above all by an effort to show how city-regions increasingly function as essential spatial nodes of the global economy and as distinctive political actors on the world stage. In fact, rather than being dissolved away as social and geographic objects by processes of globalization, city-regions are becoming increasingly central to modern life, and all the more so because globalization (in combination with various technological shifts) has reactivated their significance as bases of all forms of productive activity, no matter whether in manufacturing or services, in high-technology or low-technology sectors.

As these changes have begun to run their course, it has become increasingly apparent that that city in the narrow sense is less an appropriate or viable unit of local social organization than city-regions or regional networks of cities. One tangible expression of this idea can be observed in the forms of consolidation that are beginning to occur as adjacent units of local political organization search for region-wide coalitions as a means of dealing with the threats and the opportunities of globalization. In this process, we argue, global city-regions have emerged of late years as a new and critically important kind of geographic and institutional phenomenon on the world stage.

In what follows, I attempt to bring these remarks into closer conceptual focus. My discussion is driven by five main questions, i.e.,

1. Why are global city-regions growing rapidly precisely at a moment in history when some analysts are claiming that the end of geography is in sight, and that the world is turning into a placeless space of flows?

2. How have forms of economic and social organization in city-regions responded to globalization, and what new problems have been created as a consequence?

3. What main governance tasks do global city-regions face as they seek to preserve and enhance their wealth and well-being?

4. Is it possible for the less economically advanced parts of the world to harness the potential benefits of global city-region development to their own advantage, and what are the main drawbacks of such development for them?

5. How can we define the public interest in culturally heterogeneous global city-regions? In particular, how are traditional notions of democracy and citizenship being challenged by the emergence of global city-regions and in what ways can they be made more effective in this new context?

References
1. J. Friedmann and G. Wolff (1982) "World city formation: an agenda for research and action," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 6, 309 - 344.

2. P. G. Hall (1966) The World Cities, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson. D. Held (1991) "Democracy, the nation-state, and the global system," in D. Held (ed.) Political Theory Today, Stanford: Stanford University Press.

3. S. Sassen (1991) The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

NEWSPAPER CUTTING ON KUALA LUMPUR CITY- A Vision for A World Class City

Click the news paper cutting if you wish to read in detail....

THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SEPANG AND KUALA LANGAT DISTRICT

Sepang and Kuala Langat, although are located nearer each other, have differences in its economic focus. The major economic driven in Sepang is the service sector followed by the manufacturing sub sector. In Kuala Langat, the manufacturing sector is the major economic driven followed by the agricultural sector. There is future prospect for the relocation of economic gravity to Sepang District, as the catalyst of Sepang is the Multimedia Super Corridor which is similar to Silicon Vallley, based in Cyberjaya. Location wise, Cyberjaya is placed next to the Federal Government Administration Centre, Putrajaya. It covers an area of 7,000 hectare and functions as Nucleus of National IT Communication and Multimedia. It is also expected to be the Intelligent City of The Future, as well as a model for the nation.

Approximately 400 renowned international IT Companies have showed interest and are expected to commence operation here by the year 2020. The Multimedia University operating in Cyberjaya has commenced its sessions in the year 1999. To facilitate the expansion of Cyberjaya, it is hoped that this university can produce many of the work force required by the operating companies in Cyberjaya and in the MSC generally. The backbone of this Intelligent City is the latest fibre optic network which is able to connect the MSC directly to Japan, the USA, Europe and other South East Asian countries. With that multimedia and information technology facilities and infrastructures, Sepang will continuously be a world focus. Aside from national projects which are rapidly developing, Sepang also has uniqueness as the first international standard Formula One (FI) Race Circuit in Malaysia that is located here, close to the KLIA. For the Kuala Langat District, this district is increasingly growing with the effective transportation infrastructure and economic activities.

There are various economic potential and prospect for this district. The agricultural sector is an important source of growth having the potential for modernisation. A significant increase in food output, industrial agricultural, and contribution of the fisheries sector and the farming sector is expected to expand and become the basis to the economic growth in the region. The existence of mega projects such as industrial growth in Kuala Langat District is also able to attract investors to invest and subsequently to generate income for Selangor. The growth of export and domestic oriented industries are also expected in this district. The District of Kuala Langat possesses strength and potential from the aspect of tourism as it has a variety of products. Among the tourism products which it can offer are tourism activities based on history and the heritage, coastal areas, recreational and sport activities, local cuisine, homestay, visits to fruit orchards and tea plantation as well as local crafts.

The potential of value added economic development in Klang Valley 2 Region can help reduce the economic gap between the rural and town areas for the present and for the future.The initiatives taken by the Selangor State Government in planning, implementing and coordinating the development of the Klang Valley 2 Region is expected to contribute towards reinforcing the achievement of the Selangor the Developed State Vision as well as to enhance the position of Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Region-Klang Valley as one of the most important metropolitan cities in the world. Various potential and benefits from the aspects of economic and social relations in both districts can be utilised. In relation thereto, incentive and support initiatives towards the expansion of global and local businesses requires various actions and standardisation to be done by the local district administration, including the incentives for global and local investment, SMI development, and sectors of the local economy. Among the programmes and projects given emphasis are:

• Networking and linkages between the private and public sector
• Development of tourism sector
• Development of agriculture and fisheries sectors
• Encouragement of global business development
• Development of SMI
• KLIA
• Cyberjaya
• Mega projects

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.... that I missed to attend!!!

SHSD 2008

"International Conference on Sustainable Human and Social Development"
Paris, France

July 04-06, 2008

(detail programme in www.waset.org/paris08.pdf)

The International Conference on Sustainable Human and Social Development (SHSD 2008) aims to bring together researchers, scientists, engineers, and scholar students to exchange and share their experiences, new ideas, and research results about all aspects of Sustainable Human and Social Development, and discuss the practical challenges encountered and the solutions adopted.

However, my supervisor Assoc Prof Dr Hamzah Jusoh had attended the above conference and present our research on EFFICIENCY IN URBAN GOVERNANCE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF CITY: A CASE STUDY OF KUALA LUMPUR .

ABSTRACT

Malaysia has successfully applied economic planning to guide the development of the country from an economy of agriculture and mining to a largely industrialised one. Now, with its sights set on attaining the economic level of a fully developed nation by 2020, the planning system must be made even more efficient and focused. It must ensure that every investment made in the country, whether public or private, yields not only a maximum returns but must directly contribute towards creating the desirable objective of a strong, modern, internationally competitive, technologically advanced, post-industrial economy. The country must focus on securing a credible share of the lead sectors of the globalised economy. It must make itself fit and conducive to these sectors. The country must also be fully aware of the enormous competition it faces in a region with rapidly expanding and modernising economies, all contending for the same pool of potential international investments.

The vision for ‘Kuala Lumpur - A World Class City’, encapsulates the ambition of Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 (KLSP2020) to make Kuala Lumpur a city that will assume a major global and sub-global role for the benefits of all its communities, workers, visitors and investors. The KLSP emphasizes that the vision and goals of Kuala Lumpur has been formulated with the aims of creating a sustainable city with City Hall ensuring that the planning for Kuala Lumpur will strike a balance between physical, economic, social and environmental development. It may appear logical to expect that only one large centre would have emerged in a small country like Peninsular Malaysia while other centres would have declined. However, Malaysia is fortunate in that a strong urban hierarchy had already been developed over many years in the colonial and post-colonial eras and this hierarchy, with strong local groups of entrepreneurs, continues to provide a sustainable geographical base for further industrialisation and economic modernisation.

A pattern of polycentric interdependent urban centres has emerged with the Kuala Lumpur conurbation being the ‘advanced’ city supported by the George Town and Johor Bahru conurbations. Rapid globalisation, progression in science and technology and the need to capitalise on knowledge-based economy requires the country to have a strong foundation in order to be competitive with other nations. In this context, the direction of development has to be planned and managed systematically and comprehensively to induce the country’s capacity to compete globally. The urban sector is an important catalyst towards national economic growth and a vital investment centre for the nation. Good urban governance is characterized by sustainability, subsidiarity, equity, efficiency, transparency and accountability, civic engagement and citizenship, and security.

Many challenges faces the city of Kuala Lumpur in this new millennium, transformation of Kuala Lumpur into a world class city and sustainability city will certainly involve concerted efforts by all parties involved. In line with this, the importance of governance and good governance is eminent in administration of developing city like Kuala Lumpur. The task to turn Kuala Lumpur to be amongst the world cities is certainly a difficult one and there are series of programmes and initiatives that has to be carried out by City Hall Kuala Lumpur, being the city manager. As described above, city competitiveness is harnessed through ‘city marketing and city management’. Both strategies are achievable through the process of good governance which integrates all sectors including public, private and other social organisations. In city marketing, a city promotes its buildings, physical infrastructure and development to enhance its image. Good urban governance is also fundamental issue in development. High technology and high skilled industries, together with finance, transportation, tourism, business, information and professional services shopping and other commercial activities, are the principal components of the nation’s economy, which must be developed to a level well beyond where it is now. In this respect, Kuala Lumpur being the premier city must play the leading role.

p/s. The paper can download at http://www.waset.org/pwaset/v30/v30-79.pdf. Actually I so excited because in the early stage of my research, its has been published in the international conference. Thank you Dr Hamzah for your encouragement and support.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NURIS ZULAZLIN 26TH JUNE 2008

TODAY MY DAUGHTER'S BIRTHDAY, ALIN 6 YEARS OLD... AYAH LOVE U

URBAN PLANNER

Planning as a Career
Ø Are you interested in shaping the way our cities, towns and villages are developed and built?
Ø Do you want to play a role in preserving biodiversity and safeguarding our architectural heritage?
Ø Would you like to help shape policies to combat global warming, contribute to the creation of self-sufficient communities and shrink our ecological footprint?
Ø Do you believe in social justice and strengthening communities to be able to influence policies that affect their lives?
Ø Do you agree with taking a long-term view on economic development to ensure that future generations can benefit from the earth’s resources as much as we are doing now?
Ø If you can say yes to even one of these questions then consider a career in planning.

Some of the things that planners do include:
Ø managing development and helping to create affordable housing
Ø playing a role in regenerating socially-deprived areas and creating new jobs
Ø designing our towns and cities to include attractive buildings, vibrant public spaces and bustling shopping centres
Ø working to protect our countryside, trees, hedgerows, forests, grasslands, waterways, rivers and shorelines
Ø helping to bring back historic buildings into sympathetic use
Ø creating policies for managing traffic and providing sustainable solutions to our transport needs
Ø improving energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions in our homes, factories and businesses
Ø engaging communities to have a say in how their living space is developed and protected to improve their quality of life.

A balancing act
Planning is a balancing act between constructing modern communities and conserving our natural and built heritage to create diverse, vibrant and sustainable places where people want to live, work and play. Balance means poise, stability, fairness, neutrality – all qualities indispensable for planners. If you can be poised, stable, fair and neutral in the face of competing interests, then planning could be the career for you!

NEWSPAPER CUTTING ON KUALA LUMPUR CITY- A Vision for A World Class City

Click the news paper cutting if you wish to read in detail....

21st JUNE 2008 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ZUL'AINI ZULKIFLI

Today is my wife birthday, Zul'aini binti Zulkifli. HAPPY BIRTHDAY IBU FROM US...WE LOVE YOU...

THE BLUE PRINT FOR NATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY

DEVELOPED NATION

INTRODUCTION

National Physical Plan (NPP) is a long term strategic plan for the period until 2020, that contains written statement formulating strategic policies for the purpose of determining the general directions and trends of the physical development and conservation of Peninsular Malaysia, accompanied by indicative plans. NPP has been prepared under the provision of Section 6B of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172). NPP has been approved by the Cabinet on the 20th April 2005 and by the National Physical Planning Council (NPPC), chaired by the Prime Minister, on the 26th April 2005. This approval means that from now on the NPP is to be the national physical planning guideline and to be implemented by all the states in Peninsular Malaysia, and consequently :

a. NPP policies shall be coordinated with other relevant sectoral policies,

b. NPP proposals shall be refined by the Structure and Local Plan to be the basis for physical planning at the state levels, and

c. NPP proposals shall be the basis for the formulation of the Five Year Development Plan programs and projects.

Act 172 (Section 6B) (5) states that : It shall be the general duty of the Federal Government and the Government of every State to assist in ensuring that the objectives of the national physical plan are achieved.

NATIONAL PHYSICAL PLAN

Through its system of Five-Year Plans, Malaysia has successfully applied economic planning to guide the development of the country from an economy of agriculture and mining to a largely industrialised one. Now, with its sights set on attaining the economic level of a fully developed nation by 2020, the planning system must be made even more efficient and focused. It must ensure that every investment made in the country, whether public or private, yields not only a maximum returns but must directly contribute towards creating the desirable objective of a strong, modern, internationally competitive, technologically advanced, post-industrial economy. The country must focus on securing a credible share of the lead sectors of the globalised economy. It must make itself fit and conducive to these sectors. The country must also be fully aware of the enormous competition it faces in a region with rapidly expanding and modernising economies, all contending for the same pool of potential international investments.

The National Physical Plan will complement the Five-Year Economic Development Plans and provide the spatial dimension to the sectoral distribution of national resources. Debate and discussion over where public investments should be directed to will continue but within the forum provided by the National Physical Plan preparation process at its inception and at its quinquennial reviews. In between, the nation should concentrate on carrying out the actions and projects agreed upon. Within the national framework state and local initiative is encouraged. The initiative of State Governments has always been a major contribution to national development and this will always be valued.

The proposals of the National Physical Plan will be constantly monitored and will retain an element of flexibility so that the country can respond quickly to any unexpected changes in the world economic situation. There are, however, certain proposals that should have permanency. This is particularly true of the areas proposed for conservation. The country should not only aim at prosperity but also to maintain the natural beauty of its lands and waters and in ensuring a healthy environment for its people.

URBANISATION

The NPP recommends the adoption of ‘Selective Concentration’ Development Strategy, where urban development will be concentrated in selected cities that have high growth potential and can offer a high quality of living environment.This strategy also aims to avoid random spread of investment to areas with little growth potential, that will result in a net loss in terms of finance and resources.Four conurbations that is Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Johor Bahru and Kuantan are to be the prime centres for international and local investments, to provide the vehicle for Malaysia towards a strong position as a trading nation to compete in the global arena, while encouraging balance regional growth whereby Kuantan is designated to fulfil this function. Besides the four main conurbations, development is to be focused at selected urban growth centres that are state capitals - Ipoh, Melaka, Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Alor Setar, Kangar and other selected towns such as Temerloh-Mentakab, Lumut-Sitiawan-Manjung, and Muar-Batu Pahat-Kluang.


LEVEL OF URBANISATION

Rapid urbanisation has resulted in an increased level of urbanisation in Peninsular Malaysia from 27.6% (1970) to 65.4% (2000), and it is estimated to rise to 75% in the year 2020. This situation calls for better management of these cities in order for them to be the economic catalyst, liveable and are able to provide a quality living environment.

source : Federal Department Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia, 2006

EFFICIENT URBAN GOVERNANCE + URBAN MARKETING + URBAN COMPETITIVENESS = WORLD CITY?

Singapore has been ranked 1st, Shanghai 5th, Beijing 8th and Hong Kong 10th in terms of governance according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s inaugural Urban Governance Survey. Other cities noted for their strong governance include Barcelona (2nd), Dubai (3rd), New York (4th), Budapest (6th), Brisbane (7th) and Auckland (9th). The survey, which is part of Jones Lang LaSalle’s World Winning Cities research programme evaluated 33 major cities around the world. Overall, the survey found that there is no single winning model of urban governance, with examples of good governance spread across the globe. Successful governance is not dependant on urban size, geographical spread or economic maturity, but rather on a high quality of urban management and strong marketing capacity.

The best performers in terms of urban marketing are those that are capable of building a shared “urban- vision” and are characterised by a consistent approach across all marketing agencies with a mandate to profile and brand the urban internationally. In this regard, New York came out tops for being active in all aspects of urban marketing from the use of financial incentives to urban regeneration initiatives. The urban is working to retain and enhance its global position through extensive planning efforts, communication campaigns and infrastructure developments. In Asia, the two major Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing are recognised for their strong marketing capabilities through international events. Shanghai recently held the successful Formula 1 and will be host to the 2007 Special Olympics and 2010 World Expo. Beijing played host to the 2004 ATP Tennis Tournament and the world will again focus on this capital urban in the rundown to the 2008 Olympics.

Efficient urban governance has a critical influence on an urban attractiveness to both investors and occupiers of real estate. Governance is however a difficult concept to define and quantify. Efficient urban governance can be defined as the process for making and implementing decisions. The Survey’s Urban Governance model measured seven aspects of governance – integrity, autonomy, stability, efficiency and effectiveness (that are grouped into a score for Urban Management), along with the efficiency and effectiveness of Urban Marketing programmes. For each of these indicators, a mix of quantifiable data and softer, qualitative information was collected. Singapore was most noted for its physical integrity and urban autonomy, together with Barcelona and Dubai. These three cities have a single administrative and political body whose geographical area of responsibility broadly matches the geography or urban economy.

Interestingly, Singapore and Dubai are “urban states” and are characterised by their prominent regional position and cultural diversity. Furthermore, they have strong urban autonomy too given their high cap urban to allocate financial resources according to their spending priorities, as well as raising resources to fulfill the same priorities without depending on central government transfers. In both Singapore and Dubai, over 50% of local public sector expenditure is raised by local public sector revenue sources. The Australasian cities of Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland have shown high financial stability over the past five years and together with London and Paris, have performed well from the financial stability aspect.

A urban is “efficient” when it is capable of providing outputs such as financial management, service delivery or infrastructure investment, in the best way given the resources available. Outputs can be delivered through local and central government structures, Public-Private Partnerships and non-profit organisations. The efficiency of the mixed model (public/private) is very much aligned with the idea that good governance is a result of the concerted action of a network of players. Cities covered in the survey still largely support their budget position through public funds, with the exception of Hong Kong, which displayed a high level of efficiency with its mix of fixed investments strongly biased towards the private sector (about 25% public and 75% private). While the level of private investment is somewhat lower in the Chinese cities (Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai), they still score reasonably strongly on this criteria with an average of 50% public and 50% private resources.

Urban marketing programmes are another barometer of good governance. In many instances, cities have used major events to raise their profile in the international arena. In Asia, the two major Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing are recognised for their strong marketing capabilities through international events. Shanghai recently held the successful Formula 1 and will be host to the 2007 Special Olympics and 2010 World Expo. Beijing played host to the 2004 ATP Tennis Tournament and the world will again focus on this capital city in the rundown to the 2008 Olympics, Of notable mention is Barcelona which used the 1992 Olympic Games as a catalyst to renovate the urban. After the Games, it has maintained and reinforced its image through a marketing strategy that “sells” the urban as the leisure and cultural center of Europe. Using buildings to market cities is another tactic used in urban marketing programmes. Dubai epitomizes the use of the built environment as a catalyst for investment. It has built a major harbour, Jebel Ali which has become the cargo hub of the Gulf region used increasingly for trading with China by over 2,500 companies located in the tax free zone.

It has also become a leading world tourist destination in part due to the “iconic” value attached to the Burj-Al Arab Hotel. In New York, the physical regeneration of the World Trade Centre area symbolises the re-birth of the urban. Landmark developments like the Opera House in Sydney and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur also serve to raise the international profile of these cities.

source : BusinessWeek, April 2008 and Jones Lang LaSalle's Annual Report 2007.