Housing, Local Govt Ministry to ensure 4th National Physical Plan implemented comprehensively

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 (Bernama) -- The Housing and Local Government Ministry, through the Department of Town and Country Planning (PLANMalaysia) has close cooperation with various ministries, federal and state agencies to ensure that the 4th National Physical Plan (RFN4) is implemented comprehensively.

Ministry secretary-general Datuk M Noor Azman Taib said federal ministries and agencies play the role of interpreting and implementing strategies outlined in the plan in the form of actions and programmes to ensure it can be implemented more efficiently by implementor agencies at the state and local level.

He said in line with the ministry’s main agenda of Liveable Malaysia, RFN4 was drafted to drive the direction of the country’s strategic planning and the physical development.

“The policies drafted in RFN4 are strengthened by considering the planning aspects of national security, digital infrastructure improvement, smart development, carbon neutral, food security and a liveable and inclusive community,” he said during his speech while officiating the National Agenda Discussion: Towards Liveable, Prosperous and Resilient Cities today.

PLANMalaysia director-general Dr Alias Rameli, officials from related ministries, departments and agencies, representatitves from local authorities and town planning consultants were also present at the event.

M Noor Azman said RFN4 also focused on actions to conserve existing forest areas and the importance to ensure linked forest landscapes through the preservation of ecological networks to ensure future wildlife sustainability and the functions of ecosystems as well as boost the resilience of natural habitat landscapes.

“In line with that, the ministry, through PLANMalaysia, has conducted a review of theCentral Forest Spine (CFS) Ecological Network Masterplan 2020 aimed to ensure that the forest network in Peninsular Malaysia and the country’s biodiversity are preserved more effectively,” he said.

According to him, RFN4 also drafted actions involving the roles and partnerships between ministries and agencies to ensure the risk management and resilience of natural disasters can be carried out more effectively through adaptation and long term preventive measures.

He said the RFN4 is often used as reference by other countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand, proving that the spatial planning approach and methods implemented by the country were so successful that they have become regional examples.

Besides RFN4, M Noor Azman said PLANMalaysia also produced spatial planning documents that completed planning at town and rural levels, including the National Town Policy and the National Rural Physical Planning Policy.

-- BERNAMA