Article Public Planner’s Perception of the Community Participation in Planning and Operational Decision- Making in Iskandar Malaysia Khalid Zanudin*, Ibrahim Ngah, and Siti Hajar Misnan Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Malaysia *E-mail: [email protected] (Corresponding author) Abstract. Rhetorically, effective community participation in urban planning helps the local planning authority in making a better decision, hence provided a sustainable and quality living environment to the community. The allocation for the community to participate in urban planning in Peninsular Malaysia is highlighted in the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172). This study attempts to examine the effectiveness of community participation in planning and operational decision-making in Iskandar Malaysia. Iskandar Malaysia comprises of four local planning authorities that are responsible for governing the spatial planning in the region. Thus, it leads to the questions; what constitutes the effectiveness of community participation in the planning process? To what extent does the current participatory process offer a genuine opportunity to the community to incorporate their interest in the planning and operational decisions? This phenomenological study used thematic analysis to evaluate the insight claimed by selected public planners as the key- informants using the in-depth interview as the method for data collection. Following the 12 interviews conducted; a total of 37 themes and 68 sub-themes are transpired. A table is used to presents the factors that influence the effectiveness of community participation in Iskandar Malaysia. The findings suggested that public planners in Iskandar Malaysia believed the effectiveness of community participation in the region is significantly associated with the operational compared to structural and cultural dimensions of the process, hence hinder the capability of the community to access to genuine participation avenue. Keywords: Community participation, planning decision, operational decision, Iskandar Malaysia, thematic analysis, public planner. ENGINEERING JOURNAL Volume 25 Issue 1 Received 9 June 2020 Accepted 25 November 2020 Published 31 January 2021 Online at https://engj.org/ DOI:10.4186/ej.2021.25.1.275 This article is based on the presentation at the 4th International Conference on Research Methodology for Built Environment and Engineering 2019 (ICRMBEE 2019) in Bangkok, Thailand, 24th-25th April 2019. DOI:10.4186/ej.2021.25.1.275 1. Introduction into the process [3], [4]. Also, community participation promotes the democratisation of decision-making by A local authority is responsible for providing quality addressing the interest of multiple stakeholders [3], [4]. living to its community; as well as accountable for their This section elaborates the current state of community decision. However, the impact of urbanisation on major participation in both planning and operational decision- cities in Peninsular Malaysia has seen local planning making in Peninsular Malaysia. authority (LPA) face a daunting challenge to accommodate the increasing demand for basic amenities 2.1. Community Participation in Development Plan- and affordable housing [1]. Besides, the LPA needs to Making Process provide more opportunity for the community to participate in the decision-making process [2]. As one of the urban planning mechanism, the main Conceptually, community participation is essential in objective of the development plan is to guide the helping the decision-maker to deliberate a decision by direction of future land development in Peninsular incorporating the community’s opinion and knowledge in Malaysia. To produce a sustainable development plan; the decision-making. Community participation is also an the community must be able to participate in the effort to democratising the planning and operational development plan-making process [5], [6], [7]. The decision-making with stakeholders’ interest is inclusively participatory process in the development plan-making considered, hence resolved conflicts [3], [4]. has been underlined in several sections of Act 172. Community participation in urban planning in Section 9, Act 172 has underlined the publicity Peninsular Malaysia (except Kuala Lumpur) is guided by process as the primary avenue for the community to the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) [5]. participate in the State Structure Plan (SSP). There are Rhetorically, community participation is important in two phases of publicities underlined - in the first phase, achieving a sustainable and quality living environment, by community and other stakeholders are informed of the incorporating the present and future community’s key findings of the assessment report; while the second interests [5]. Thus, the questions raised in this study are; phase is for the State Planning Committee (SPC) to “what constitutes to the effectiveness of community present the proposed development direction and strategy participation in the planning process?” and “to what to the public [8]. Nonetheless, it is comprehended that extent does the current participatory avenue offers a the provision for the community to participate in the genuine opportunity to the community to incorporate process is limited after the assessment report, and the their interest in both planning and operational draft plan is prepared. The community did not involve in decisions?" the data collection and proposal stages thus led to the This phenomenological study has employed an in- deficiency of community experiential knowledge in the depth interview to collect data and thematic analysis to proposal. analyse the data. The number of interviews required is Besides, the legitimacy of data gathered by the LPA determined using the concept of data saturation with past is dubious as the community are not well-informed of research that offered the guideline to estimate the sample the entire process. The method for information sharing size for a phenomenological study is reviewed. The outlined in Section 9 (2) is also less adaptive to the purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of diversity of stakeholders which led to the marginalisation community participation in planning and operational of certain segments from participating in the process. decision-making in Iskandar Malaysia (IM). The The element of community participation and evaluation is elucidated by thematically analyse the public incorporation of community’s interest is further planner’s perception. Findings suggested that the highlighted in Section 10(3) (a) where SPC has to effectiveness of community participation in the decision- consider any objection made before the approval of the making process is significantly associated with the SSP. Following the objection, the objector is eligible to operational than the structural and cultural dimensions of attend and justify his concern in front of the public the process. The study concluded with the present inquiry and hearing committee [8]. However, SPC is not practices of community participation in the planning obliged to incorporate the objection in their decision. On process in IM to be ineffective; thus hinder the ability of the other hand, the SSP is required to translate the the community to incorporate their interest in both national development strategy; hence demonstrate the planning and operational decisions. centralisation of the development plan-making process [9]. 2. Community Participation in Planning and In the context of the Local Plan (LP), section 12A Operational Decision-Making in Peninsular stated the needs for LPA to promote community Malaysia participation in preparing the LP. Community is invited to a publicity program through conventional methods Community participation in urban planning provides such as local newspaper, banner and radio broadcast [8]. a clear picture to decision-maker of public preferences, The community is entitled to submit their objection hence lead to a better choice made through the concerning the LP during the publicity program. Like incorporation of community’s experiential knowledge 276 ENGINEERING JOURNAL Volume 25 Issue 1, ISSN 0125-8281 (https:/engj.org/) DOI:10.4186/ej.2021.25.1.275 SSP, objection received to be brought forward to the operational decision by the LPA might inflict high public inquiry and hearing committee [8]. compensation if the decision is to be revoked [11]. Empirically, community participation is absent Therefore, greater community involvement in planning during the proposal stage hence raises the concern of the permission can lead to better decision deliberated, hence soundness of the proposal in addressing the community prevent potential disputes. interest. The validity of the data collection is also In Section 22 and Subsection 22 (2A), it is debatable due to the method of engagement and comprehended that the LPA will deliberate any objection communication. It appears that the medium for before the granting of planning permission. However, information sharing and engagement as stated in Act 172 this avenue is doubtful as a result of the absence of are limited thus marginalised certain community notification to the neighbouring landowner [8], [10]. segments from the planning process and its benefit. Whereas, in the case of state-interest development Meanwhile, the public inquiry and hearing committee involving the SPC as the decision-maker and required is established