Were PJ residents informed of plot ratio change allowing more floor area?

 

Our second article, "Population data mismatch undermines PJ transport master plan", examined whether the numbers underpinning PIPPJ 2.0 can be relied upon. This article examines a 2023 change to the way building size is calculated for planning purposes in Selangor.

The Draft Petaling Jaya Local Plan (RTPJ) 2035 (Replacement) identifies areas around MRT, LRT and KTM stations for higher-density development.

Together, these areas cover 45.5 percent of the Draft RTPJ (Replacement) planning area. The higher plot ratios applying to these areas are 1:6 and 1:8.

Imagine the same piece of land. Before 2023:

• Same land

• Same plot ratio: 1:4

• Smaller building

From 2023:

• Same land

• Same plot ratio: 1:4

• About 30 percent more floor area may now be allowed

The number stays the same. The building may not. More floor area. More units. More residents. More traffic.

Were these higher plot ratios, and what they now mean following the 2023 change, fully disclosed during the Section 12A public exhibition of the Draft RTPJ (Replacement)?

What changed in 2023?

In 2023, the Selangor government changed the way plot ratios are calculated across all local authorities in the state, from gross floor area to net floor area.

At the March 12, 2026 technical session, after the Section 12A public exhibition had closed, the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) illustrated that a plot ratio of 1:4 can now permit approximately 30 percent more floor area than the same 1:4 would have allowed under the previous calculation method.

If this is the effect on a plot ratio of 1:4, what does it mean for higher-density areas covering 45.5 percent of the Draft RTPJ (Replacement) planning area, where plot ratios of 1:6 and 1:8 are proposed?

Why does this matter?

Whether the 2023 policy change itself warrants further examination is a separate issue.

This article focuses on whether residents were clearly informed what the change means in practice during the Section 12A public exhibition of the Draft RTPJ (Replacement).

The questions are:

• Were residents clearly informed during the Section 12A public exhibition that, following the 2023 change, the same plot ratio could now permit substantially more floor area than before?

• How does the higher-density development proposed in the Draft RTPJ (Replacement) fit within a verified carrying capacity and an Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan? Residents deserve to understand not only what is proposed, but also what it means for their neighbourhoods and whether Petaling Jaya can support it.

A 30 percent increase in effective building size, confirmed by MBPJ only after the public exhibition closed. Will the State Planning Committee resolve this gap before gazettement of the RTPJ (Replacement)?

"I viewed the Draft RTPJ (Replacement) exhibition twice. There was no way for me to know that, with the proposed land use changes, buildings in Petaling Jaya could end up about 30 percent larger than indicated.

“Can MBPJ confirm that this will not worsen the current traffic congestion faced by all of us every single day, contrary to its mission of a sustainable, smart and resilient city?" - Ms Yen, Section 8 - Mkini

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PJ SEJAHTERA is a community advocacy group.

SUSTAINABLE PETALING JAYA ASSOCIATION (SPJA) is an NGO promoting sustainable development.

All figures and technical references in this statement are sourced from MBPJ's own planning documents, including the RTPJ (Replacement), PIPPJ 2.0, and official MBPJ presentation slides from the technical session on March 12. A summary of that session was shared with MBPJ on March 15. No corrections were received.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.