PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has decided on a special date – July 17, 2017 (17.7.17) – to launch the second phase of the Klang Valley’s Mass Rapid Transit 1 project.
He announced this at the unveiling of the National Development Plan, which comprises three documents for Malaysia's spatial development – the 3rd National Physical Plan (NPP3); the 2nd National Urbanisation Plan (NUP2) and the National Rural Physical Planning Policy (NRPPP) 2030.
"The MRT (1) phase 1, which began operations on Dec 16 last year, and the second phase, which will be launched in July, will complete the 51km Sungai Buloh-Kajang (SBK) line.
"Through both phases, the service is expected to benefit more than 500,000 passengers daily," said Najib.
He said other projects to boost the public transport system in the Klang Valley include the Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension, the High Speed Rail project and the East Coast Rail Link.
"A good public transport system can stimulate productivity and economic growth,” he added.
On another note, the Prime Minister said that Malaysia is expected to become an ageing nation by 2040.
He said the Malaysian population aged 60 years and above will increase to almost 20 percent by 2040, compared to only 9.24 per cent in 2015.
"This situation shows that there is a need to build more health facilities and senior citizen-friendly infrastructure to ensure that this group is not left behind. This is also to give them the opportunity to live a better life.
"I was informed that the National Physical Plan has taken into account the need to provide complete, integrated and senior citizen-friendly facility services.
"This includes multi-generation housing so that the elderly can live near or with their children," he said.
Also present at the event was Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.
Najib said the three documents of the National Development Plan are important, as they can be a main reference for various agencies in drafting national physical development programmes; an instrument to achieve high environment quality and sustainable development; and a guide to improving the people’s standard of living, which includes providing affordable housing for B40 and M40 income earners.
The NPP3, which is the highest planning document in the national physical development planning framework, is designed to translate strategic policies and sectoral states into spatial and physical dimensions.
The NUP2 is a policy to drive and coordinate development planning and urban administration, with a focus on balanced social, economic and physical development.
The NRPPP is the first spatial rural development policy in Malaysia, aimed at producing a holistic planning for rural development.