1. Asian City Innovation Systems Initiative (CIS-
ASIA)
CITY INNOVATION SYSTEMS
PHASE II
Report on Malaysian Case
Studies: Decision Support
System
by
Safiah @ Yusmah Muhammad Yusoff

2. THE INNOVATION
What is this innovation all about?
E-Submission (electronic mode) for building
permits
Online submission for development proposals,
which used Decision Support System and
implemented under the One Stop Centre (OSC).

3. THE INNOVATION
Why is it an innovation?
New product
New process
New paradigm
New institution

4. THE INNOVATION
What is its value proposition?
Previous Present
Manual Online from submission to
approval
Time consuming Within 4-6 months
Separate and in stagger process Concurrent process
Various approach varies by Uniform and transparent
different technical department, approach
federal and state agencies

5. Background of the innovation
• How did it start?
The Government received many complaints
from the public. Therefore, the government
has directed all agencies involved to take
necessary steps to ensure that the service
provided is affective, fast, efficient and
competitive. This is how the idea of e-
Submission originated as the Government
needs to increase customer satisfaction and
produce high quality products.
• Where did the idea originate?
Ministry of Housing and Local Government

6. Background of the innovation
• Who created it?
i. Research and Technical Legislation
Department, Ministry of Housing and
Local Government
ii.Information, Communication and
Technology Department, Ministry of
Housing and Local Government
• Who first adopted it?
City Hall Kuala Lumpur

7. Background of the innovation
• Who implemented it?
Local Planning Authorities (LPAs)
• Who made it more successful and widely
adopted?
Ministry of Housing and Local Government

8. IMPLEMENTING THE INNOVATION
Key actors/communities/agencies – both informal
and formal
One stop centre
Land Office
Local Authority Planning Department
Local Authority Building Department
Local Authority Engineering Department
Technical Department

9. IMPLEMENTING THE INNOVATION
Interactions and linkages among actors
Policies and implementation procedures
Refer Fig. 1 & 2

10. FIG 1: FLOWCHART OF PROCESSING CONCURRENT
APPLICATION WITHIN 4 MONTHS
10

11. FIGURE 2: FLOWCHART OF PROCESSING CONCURRENT
APPLICATION WITHIN 6 MONTHS
11

12. CONCLUSION
Key Success Factors:
Uniform, fast and transparent public
delivery system
Reduce processing time frame
Reduce human interference

13. CONCLUSION
Areas for possible improvement of
innovation
Implementation process
Complaints of slow downloading of
documents
Reluctance of implementation
New technology
Financial constraint - allocation for
extra staff, hardware and software, and
training for small LAs

14. CONCLUSION
Next steps for case study:
1. Evaluation of the Implementation of e-
Submission
Feedback from applicants and Local
Authorities
Analysis of interrelationships among
the physical, information and cognitive
spaces and the six dimensions of city
innovation
2. City innovators
Identification of innovator/s

15. BACKGROUND
In this project an account of major innovation
that the Malaysian government systems have
implemented and the consequences on their
changes will be highlighted.
Focus more on the Decision Support Systems
(DSS), which has been adapted in urban
governance.
DSS is used in government systems to help
improve the process of decision making in
complex systems.
Applied in the information systems of any
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Planning Development Department.

16. Established as an electronic application system,
the DSS functions are mainly for information
management, retrieval, analysis and also to
assist in the management of data resources for
planning programs.
DSS acts as an integration centre for all
application being developed and is shown in a
web-based module.
This study examines
16

17. IDENTIFICATION OF CITY INNOVATION
PROGRAM
BACKGROUND
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government
(MHLG)-main agency for any kind of
development proposal by virtue that regulations
regarding development such as Town and
Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), Street,
Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133), Local
Government Act 1976 (Act 171), and Building
and Common Property (Maintenance and
Management) Act 2007 (Act 663) are under its
purview.
The approach to process development proposal by
the various technical department or agencies at
the federal and state levels as well as the 17
government linked companies also varies.

18. The government has directed all agencies
involved to take necessary steps to ensure that
the service provided is affective, fast, efficient
and competitive-increase customer satisfaction
and produce high quality products.
18

19. DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL ACCORDING TO
ACT
Subsection 2(1) of Act 172 explain the meaning of
“development” as the carrying out of any
building, engineering, mining, industrial or other
similar operation in, on, over, or under land, the
making of any material change in the use of any
land or building, or the subdivision or
amalgamation of lands.
Subsection 19(1) of Act 172 further provides that
no person shall commence, undertake, or carry
out any development unless planning permission
in respect of the development has been granted.
19

20. The requirement to obtain planning permission is
crucial to ensure that the development as
proposed by the development proposal will bring
about an orderly, safe and well-preserved
environment.
Planning permission is a development control
tool imposed by the LPAs in implementing
development control over every planning
application.
This means that whoever is interested to
undertake development has to obtain the
planning permission and abide by all the
conditions imposed by the LPAs in granting the
planning permission.
Planning permission is a procedures that 20
requires the applicants to submit document,
plans and fees as may be prescribed by LPAs.

21. DEVELOPMENT THAT REQUIRES PLANNING
PERMISSION
Every development activities are required to
submit an application for planning permission
such as:
i. Operational work
ii. Material change
iii. Subdivision and amalgamation of land.
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22. OPERATIONAL WORK
Carried out work as follows:-
i. Earthworks
ii. Building operation including demolition of
building
iii. Engineering operation
iv. Mining operation
v. Industrial operation
Or similar operation, in, on, over, or under land.
22

23. MATERIAL CHANGE
Means undertaking a significant change in the
use of land or building or any of their parts
thereof.
Subsection 2(2) of Act 172 further describe what
constitutes a material change in the use of land,
to include dump site and any use of land that
contravenes any provision of the development
plan.
While a material change in the use of a building
includes:
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24. i. Any increase in the number of units in a
building
ii. The use as a dwelling-house of a building not
originally constructed for human habitation
iii. Any alteration or addition to the building
iv. Any use of a building that contravenes any
provision of the development plan
v. The use for other purpose of a building
originally constructed as a dwelling-house.
o “Development” in this context does not involve
any physical change of the land or building
24

25. SUBDIVISION AND AMALGAMATION OF
LAND
Approval for subdivision and amalgamation of
land requires the approval of planning
permission.
25

26. PROCEDURES AND PROCESS FOR
DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
MHLG is committed to ensure that all
development proposals should be expedited in
line with the aspiration of the government in
providing better services to the public.
All development proposals will processed within
6 months from the date of submission. Is
reasonable and well accepted by all relevant
quarters in development industry.
The Cabinet meeting on the 7 June 2006 resolved
that all development under the Built Then Sell
concept will be processed on a fastlane basis.
26

27. Under this fastlane basis, the development
process which involves application related to land
matter, planning permission, building plan,
earthwork plan as well as road and drainage plan
approval will be processed concurrently.
The whole process will take just 4 months.
The One-Stop Centre will accept all applications
and the processing time are subjected to the time
frame norms prescribed for each relevant process.
27

28. APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT
PROPOSALS
Involves 4 main stages which require approval, namely,
application for land matters, application for planning
permission, application for building plans and application
for earthworks plan and road and drainage plans.
Related with legislations namely National Land Code 1965
(NLC 56), Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172),
and Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133).
Application for land matters is processed by the District
Land Office/Department of Land and Mine whereas for
planning permission, building plan and earthwork plan
and road and drainage plan, approval are processed by the
local authorities which involve the planning department,
the building department and the engineering department.
The flow chart provided in Figure 1 shows the processes
as carried out by the related departments according to their
own specialized responsibilities.
28

29. APPLICATION FOR LAND MATTERS
Application for land matters involving provisions
under section 124 of the National Land Code
(land conversion) section 135 (for subdivision)
and section 146 (for amalgamation) can still be
submitted under normal process.
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30. APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION
For any development proposal, the approval for
planning permission is an important requirement
as provided under section 20, of Act 172.
Application for Planning Permission is defined as
all development as prescribed in Form A,
Schedule 1 Planning Control (General) Rules
1986, as follows:-
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31. i. To make material change/s in the use with the
accompanying plan
ii. To subdivide the land in accordance with the
accompanying plans
iii. To amalgamate the land in accordance with the
accompanying plans
iv. To erect/construct/carry out on the land a
building/buildings/works in accordance with the
accompanying plan
v. To make material change/s in the use of the
building on the land in accordance with the
accompanying plans
vi. To carry out additions/alteration to a building on
the land in accordance with the accompanying plans
vii. To carry out engineering/mining/industry
viii. Amendments on planning approval.
31

32. APPLICATION FOR BUILDING PLANS
Applications are required to be submitted to the
respective local authorities as provided for under
section 70 of Act 133.
Terms and technical requirement for submitting
plans are described under the provisions of the
Uniform Building Bylaw 1984.
For building plans approval submitted must
ensure adequate measures for safety and
comfort.
Other requirement are as stipulated under the
Standards Specifications, Guidelines or Technical
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Rules issued from time to time.

33. APPLICATION FOR EARTHWORK PLANS,
ROAD AND DRAINAGE PLANS
Section 70A of Act 133 provides that no individual or
persons may commence or carry out any activity
without prior approval of the respective local
authorities concerned-must be based on the layout
plans submitted and under the stagger application
must be based on the layout plans approved.
Section 9 of Act 133 provides that no individual or
persons may construct any road without prior written
approval from the respective local authorities.
Any persons with the intention to construct any new
road must submit plans showing level and the
proposed construction as well as the drainage.
33

34. ALTERNATIVE FOR CONCURRENT
APPLICATION
Alternative 1: concurrent processing for all 4
applications i.e. applications for land matters,
planning permission, building plan and earthworks
plan well as road and drainage plan.
Alternative 2: combination of 3 applications such as
application for land matters, planning permission and
building plan or application for planning permission,
building plan and earthworks plan.
Alternative 3: combination of 2 applications such as
application for land matters and planning permission
or application for planning permission and building
plan or application for building plan and earthworks
plan or application for planning permission and
earthworks plan. 34

35. APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
ACCORDING TO CONCURRENT PROCESS WITHIN
4 MONTH (UNDER THE BUILD THEN SELL (BTS)
CONCEPT)
Applicant shall submit to the OSC the following
applications:-
i. Simultaneous application for subdivision and
conversion under section 124A NLC or application
for surrender and realienation under 204D NLC
ii. Application for planning permission
iii. Application for building plan approval
iv. Application for earthworks plan and road and
drainage plan
o The application process under this concurrent
approach shall take 92 days. If the application falls
within an area with a gazette local plan, the process
shall take 67 days. 35

36. APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS
ACCORDING TO CONCURRENT PROCESS WITHIN
6 MONTH
Who choose the STB concepts the process and
procedures for obtaining approvals are the same-
submit to the OSC Secretariat (Refer Figure 2)
In line with the Government intention to
expedite the delivery system with regards to
applications for land development, planning
permission and building plans, the STB concept
shall also be given due attention.
Approvals under this concept shall not take more
than 6 months.
36

37. METHOD AND SOURCES OF DATA
Literature review based on DSS in urban
governance in Kuala Lumpur
Primary and secondary sources
Interviews and discussions with relevant
agencies
37

38. ANALYSIS
Carried out based on two sets of conceptual
frameworks:-
i. The analysis will illustrate how the 6
dimensions of city innovations interplay with
one another, particularly the
technological/product and institutional
dimensions.
ii. The inter-relationships among physical, cyber
and cognitive spaces.
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39. SIX DIMENSIONS OF CITY INNOVATIONS
The six dimension of city innovations that will be
discussed are:-
i. Product-(E-Submission for building permits,
involves building, layout plans and infrastructure
planning using the MHLG guidelines)
ii. Process- (online process of tracking plans
submission and files)
iii. Services- (local authorities)
iv. Institution- (OSC Secretariat, City Hall Kuala
Lumpur)
v. Paradigm- (manual, separate and in stagger system
to an online, all together and concurrent system)
vi. Position- (local authorities) 39