World Applied Sciences Journal 14 (Exploring Pathways to Sustainable Living in Malaysia: Solving the Current Environmental Issues): 22-30, 2011ISSN 1818-4952; © IDOSI Publications, 2011

Corresponding Author: Zakiah Ponrahono, Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.Tel: 603-89466771, Fax: +603-89438109.

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Matrix Sustainable Strategies Compatibility Analysis of Malaysia’sSustainable Development Strategies in Three-Tier Development Plan System

Zakiah Ponrahono, Che Musa Che Omar, Ahmad Makmom Abdullah and Azizi Muda1 1 1 2

Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental Studies,1

Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, MalaysiaDepartment of Geography and Environment, 2

Faculty of Social Science and Humanity, UPSI, Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia

Abstract: Sustainable development is widely explained throughout the planning world as a very importantapproach in balancing the use of limited resources for future needs. One of the best endeavours to implementthe theory and concept of sustainability is through the adoption in the development plan system. However,standard and precise sustainable assessment method is needed to evaluate the sustainability of strategies,policies, plans, programs and projects of development plan. Thus, in this study Matrix Sustainable StrategiesCompatibility Analysis is developed and used to evaluate the integration of sustainable strategies formulatedin Malaysia’s three-tier development plan system. National Physical Plan was selected as core reference inevaluating its compatibility with other national, state and local plan sustainable strategies. The result ofassessment is significant to figure out the integration of development plan system and the importance of clearinterpretation of sustainable strategies.

Key words:Matrix Compatibility Analysis Matrix Sustainable Strategies Compatibility AnalysisSustainable Development Development Plan Local Plan

INTRODUCTION formulated [7]. For the purpose of the study, Matrix

Sustainable development is one of Malaysia’s sustainable strategies was developed. It is an initialdevelopment strategies focuses to become a fully process to evaluate the appropriateness anddeveloped nation by the year 2020 through the effective compatibleness of sustainable strategies formulated instrategic planning. Strategic planning is a driven force of Malaysia’s development plan system. The result willdevelopment that relates to scarce resource of land and useful for the decision making process in accepting,sustainability goal measurement which is importance in correcting and enhancing the sustainable objectivesplanning and development process [9]. However, there is formulated.an issue on how the sustainable strategies formulatedfrom national and state is integrate to the local level. The Matrix Sustainable Strategies Compatibility Analysis:compatibleness strategies to each level are necessary in In order to ensure the assessment process is relevantachieving the aim of sustainable development [2]. and practical to the local environment, the values of

The result from sustainability assessment will useful goals and objectives should be represented in clear [2].to set a benchmark for policy enhancement and the key For the purpose of assessing the regional and nationalinformation for further action of planning approach [1]. scale of sustainable strategies, the Matrix SustainableThe systematic evaluation significantly will contribute Strategies Compatibility Analysis was used in assessingtowards the future direction of sustainable development goals integration. This method is an adaptation of Goalsapproach in the development plan system through the Achievement Matrix with the modification on scale ofenhancement, acceptance or rejection of strategies strategies assessment and the objectives of assessment.

Sustainable Strategies Compatibility Analysis for

Define assessment baseline (sustainable strategy)

Evaluate Sustainable Strategy with the assessment baseline

Produce Matrix Compatibility Analysis Table

Justification on Compatibility Assessment

Review of 7 government officialdocuments/reports

•To list out sustainable strategies according to hierarchy inMalaysia’s Development Plan System• Vision 2020, National Physical Plan, 9th Malaysia Plan,National Urbanization Plan, Selangor Maju 2005, SelangorState Structure Plan and Shah Alam Draft Local Plan 2020

Compatibility MatrixAssessment Table

Developing Cross Variables •Development of coding for

sustainability level achieved insustainable strategies/factors

BaselineDevelopment

Developing CoreVariables for matrix table

Cross-assessment of sustainablestrategies/objectives with developed baseline

Result of assessment represented in MatrixTable

Five colours were used as coding to represent the result of compatibility matrix

•National Physical Plan was selected as corebaseline

1

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4

5

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Fig. 1: The simple step of Matrix Compatibility Analysis

Fig. 2: Sustainability Strategies Compatibility Matrix Assessment Methodology

An assessment steps directly translated from the manual goals will determine the direction of planning andof Sustainable Assessment but the baseline strategies development [7].were developed based on main development strategies To conduct the assessment on sustainablereference of national level. strategy using the Matrix Sustainable Strategies

A set of National Physical Plan goals, objectives Compatibility Analysis, the selected baseline wasand principles were studied and referred for placed in a column table and the strategy to be assesseddevelopment of Matrix Sustainable Strategies is placed in the row table. The strategy in rowCompatibility Analysis. The scoping of baseline table was compared to the baseline. In this stage ofstrategies was ascertained with the legal bound of assessment process, the verification and measurementAct 172 under the subsection of Part III (Development referred to the categories that specified by the colourPlans) and Act 1129 subsection of Part IIA (Regional coding (Refer to Table 1). The findings of thisPlanning Committee) and Part IIB (National compatibility were represented in the matrix table.Physical Plan) (Refer to Figure 1) [5, 6]. In addition, This technique was adapted with modification from thethe result of sustainability assessment will set Manual of Sustainability Assessment 2010 from Federalthe benchmark for policy enhancement and become Town and Country Planning Department of Malaysia.key information for further action of planning The steps of compatibility matrix assessment are shownapproach [1]. Measurement to a set objectives and in Figure 2 [4].

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World Appl. Sci. J., 14 (Exploring Pathways to Sustainable Living in Malaysia: Solving the Current Environmental Issues): 22-30

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Strategy baseline is selected as core for assessing efficient, equitable and sustainable National Spatialthe compatibility of other national, state and local Framework to guide the overall development of thesustainability strategies. The National Physical Plan (NPP) country towards achieving developed nation status by2005-2020is a long term national level plan that spells out 2020 [8]. In defining the baseline of NPP for Matrixthe policies on physical development direction and is Sustainable Strategies Compatibility Analysis, the overallthe best baseline sustainability strategies determination objectives and principles are summarized into 8for the period of 2005 to 2020 [9]. The main aim of NPP is development strategies sectoral; physical, economic,to be the main reference for state and local level modern agriculture, tourism, residential, natural resourcesdevelopment plan. NPP is the establishment of an and environment, transportation and infrastructure.

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Matrix Compatibility Assessment of Vision 2020 and Matrix Compatibility Assessment of Ninth MalaysiaNational Physical Plan: 9 challenges of Vision 2020 were Plan and National Physical Plan: The results onassessed with the 8 development sectoral policies of compatibility analysis of the five key thrusts NinthNPP baseline. The results are shown in the compatibility Malaysia Plan 2005-2020 Thrusts are shown in the matrixmatrix Table 2. Table 3.

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Matrix Compatibility Assessment of National Urban Matrix Compatibility Assessment of Shah Alam DraftPolicy and National Physical Plan: The result show one Local Plan 2020 and National Physical Plan: Thecontradiction objective between modern agriculture in the assessment is carried out to study the compatibilityNational Physical Plan with developing competitive urban of the national and state development strategieseconomic of the National Urbanisation Policy. The results with the objectives of the Shah Alam Draft Local Planare shown in the compatibility matrix Table 4. 2020 development. The results of the compatibility

Matrix Compatibility Assessment of Selangor Maju Table 7.2005 and National Physical Plan: Compatibility analysisof ten objectives of the Selangor Maju 2005 ensures the DISCUSSIONsustainability approach is carried forward in thedevelopment plan process at state level. The results of Sustainable measurement should be conducted fromthe assessment are illustrated in the compatibility matrix the beginning of a development plan formulation [2].Table 5. The sustainable assessment is a systematic evaluation for

Matrix Compatibility Assessment of Selangor Structure making [1]. It is to ensure that policy or development planPlan 2002-2020 and National Physical Plan: The formulation has clearly interpreted the concept, theoryobjectives formulated in the Selangor Structure Plan and practice of sustainability to be implemented within the2002-2020 were assessed to ensure that the sustainability development period. One of the very common techniquesapproach is carried forward in the development plan to assess policy, objectives or strategies is using theprocess at local level. The results of the compatibility matrix relationship. The objective of assessing using thisanalysis are shown in the compatibility matrix Table 6. technique is to figure out clear relations, compatibility,

analysis are illustrated in the compatibility matrix

the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of policy

Vision2020

9th

MalaysiaPlan

NationalUrbanization

Policy NPP

National Sustainable Strategies

StateSustainableStrategies

Selangor State Structure Plan

2020Selangor Maju

2005

Shah Alam Draft Local Plan 2020

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Fig. 3: Relationship of Matrix Compatibility Analysis result on Sustainable Development Strategies of Malaysia’s Three-tier Development System

misinterpretation or contradiction of the objectives The summary of findings of the overall matrixformulated with one another. The reference objective is analysis is shown in Table 9. Therefore, thethe core reference or benchmark of the target achievement assessment on sustainable strategies in local planneeded. using profound and systematic sustainability

The overall result on matrix compatibility analysis assessment is vital. A systematic evaluation will provideon sustainable development strategies for Malaysia’s baseline for decision makers to manage resources in athree-tier development plan system is compatible to each sustainable way. In a nutshell, the development planother. It is suitable and can exist together without system such as local plan implementation will be moreconflicts or issues. The overall relationship is illustrated comprehensive and can be improved through thein Figure 3 and summarized into Table 8. The overall evaluation of sustainability strategies formulate. Thiscompatible assessments show the positive relation in study is just one step forward towards achievingeach strategy. This result is significance to validate the sustainability in future.integration of three-tier development plan system inMalaysia. The results also explain on the importance REFERENCESof sustainable strategies formulation from the nationallevel in ensuring its implementation on the state and local 1. Hezri, A.A., 2004. Sustainability Indicator Systemlevel [2]. and Policy Processes in Malaysia: A Framework

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4. Jabatan Perancangan Bandar dan Desa, Semenanjung 7. Mark Deakin, Gordon Mitchell, Peter Nijkamp andMalaysia, Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Ron Vreeker, 2007. Sustainable Urban DevelopmentTempatan, 2009. Manual Sustainability Assessment Volume 2: The Environmental Assessment Methods,Dalam Penyedian Rancangan Tempatan. Jabatan. Routledge, London.

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6. Legal Research Board, 2001. Town and Country 9. Nolberto Munier, 2006. Handbook on UrbanPlanning Act (Amendment 2001) (A 1129), Sustainability, Springer, Netherlands.International Law Book Services.