COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE URBAN PLANNING DECISION-MAKING PROCESS AMONG THE LOW-INCOME SEGMENT IN ISKANDAR MALAYSIA

Abstract

Community participation in urban planning in Peninsular Malaysia is framed by the Town and Country Planning Act 1976. Iskandar Malaysia is facing rapid urbanisation, which sees development intensification, especially in Johor Bahru. As a result, it has inflicted challenges on local planning authorities in Iskandar Malaysia to plan and provide genuine participation to the community, especially the low-income segment. The question in this study is, "to what extent does the current participatory platform in Iskandar Malaysia offer a genuine opportunity to the low-income segment to participate in the planning and operational decision-making?". This study examines the current state of the low-income segment's participation in the development plan-making and planning permission processes. This study used document gathering and document analysis to collect and analyse the secondary data from selected local plans and planning permission applications of Johor Bahru and Kulai districts. A series of focus group discussions involving the residents' committees of the selected low-cost apartments around Johor Bahru and Kulai districts is also conducted; hence, thematically analysed to substantiate the document analysis' findings. The findings suggested limited opportunities for the low-income segment to participate in development plan-making and planning permission in Iskandar Malaysia.