KUALA LUMPUR, January 19 — KL’s members of Parliament (MP) will now get to voice their opinions regarding any future larger-scale projects in the city center, effective immediately.  

The announcement was made by Federal Territories (FT) minister Hannah Yeoh during the inaugural meeting of the FT ministers council and KL’s MPs today. 

Yeoh said that the meeting also marks the first official engagement on the introduction of the Private Member’s Bill under the Federal Capital Act 1960.

If the bill is passed, this will see the governance of KL moved from a system where power is centralised in the Federal Government–appointed mayor to a council-based system. 

“The Private Member’s Bill was presented by the Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi during the last Parliament session.

“Today we have approached the FT Department’s legal advisor office to get their response and official engagement, and we have also discussed among ourselves on models that are more suitable for KL. 

“However the FT department is currently conducting a more comprehensive study on the Federal Capital Act—which is expected to be completed within two or three months,” Yeoh said. 

In the meantime, when announcing that all large-scale projects must now includes the opinions of respective MPs, Yeoh said that the move is to strengthen accountability and transparency in urban planning affairs. 

She also said that large-scale projects must also be presented and discussed via the local constituency One-Stop-Centre (OSC) meeting. 

“MPs will also be given access to the OSC portal, allowing them to be notified early of development applications within their constituencies prior to approval. 

“Before this, MPs were only notified after decisions were finalised—Now, they will be given access to the OSC portal to provide their input to the Mayor before a final decision is made.

“The practice of carrying out development in Kuala Lumpur without the knowledge or involvement of the people’s elected MPs must stop,” Yeoh said. 

She said that urban governance shouldn’t been done behind closed doors or without the involvement of KL’s MP especially when it comes to building a transparent and accountable city that prioritizes the people’s interests.

She added that MP will now play a more significant role in the administration under Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and she wishes all the MPs all the best in their duties.