The explanations provided by Selangor Executive Councillor Ng Sze Han and the Selangor Non-Islamic Affairs Committee (LIMAS) regarding the 2025 Selangor State Planning Guidelines and Standards for Community Facilities appear to address public concerns on the surface. However, in reality, they unleash further questions over policy clarity and implementation. This raises concern that the state government may be relying on public statements to reassure stakeholders without fully resolving structural uncertainties affecting Non-Islamic Houses of Worship (RIBIs).

Ng Sze Han has repeatedly emphasised that the Planning Guidelines apply only to commercial areas (komersial). However, the existing Planning Guidelines cover not only commercial areas but also industrial areas (industri) and other land-use categories. This inconsistency requires clear clarification.

If the government’s explanation is limited to commercial areas while remaining silent on industrial zones, then the position on RIBIs operating in industrial areas or applications within such zones remains unclear. This ambiguity must be addressed to ensure consistent interpretation and implementation.

The state government has also stated that the Planning Guidelines apply only to new commercial development areas. However, this limitation is not explicitly stated in the policy document itself. In practice, enforcement authorities rely on formal State Executive Council (MMKN) decisions, written circulars and official policy documents, not press statements or social media explanations.

This raises concerns regarding implementation. Many existing RIBIs currently operate under Temporary Planning Permission (Kebenaran Merancang Sementara), typically valid for about three years before renewal is required. When these approvals expire, it is unclear whether renewal applications will be treated as continuations of existing approvals or as new applications subject to the latest Planning Guidelines. This is a critical issue requiring formal clarification.

The government has assured that existing RIBIs in commercial areas will not be affected. However, such assurances must be reflected in written policy documents to ensure consistency at the local authority level. Without clear codification, differing interpretations are likely.

While terms such as “more systematic planning”, “proximity to residential areas” and “promoting harmony” are used to describe the policy, assessment must go beyond language and focus on implementation. Planning for RIBIs involves multiple dimensions, including commercial zones, industrial zones, population density, land-use conversion and local planning conditions. The Selangor planning framework itself consists of multiple manuals and guidelines and cannot be reduced to selective references.

The core issue is not wording, but whether the framework is fair, consistent and practically implementable. If fairness is the objective, then planning requirements across all land-use categories must be reviewed holistically to avoid uncertainty and unequal treatment of different religious groups.

The state government has also cited Articles 3 and 11 of the Federal Constitution as guarantees of religious freedom. While this is acknowledged, constitutional guarantees must be translated into administrative procedures, planning guidelines and approval mechanisms to have real effect. Religious freedom cannot remain a verbal assurance or exist only in public statements; it must be embedded in enforceable policy and implementation systems.

MCA Selangor also notes concerns regarding the consultation process. While engagement with religious groups is welcome, it is necessary to ask why broader consultation was not conducted before the Planning Guidelines were introduced, and only took place after public concerns emerged. Effective consultation should occur before policy finalisation, not after controversy arises.

Based on the Selangor government’s explanation, the Planning Guidelines apply only to new commercial development areas. If this is the case, it implies that future commercial developments may find it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to accommodate RIBIs within shoplots or commercial premises.

At the same time, there appears to be no clear requirement for developers to reserve land specifically for RIBIs. This creates a policy gap between restricting commercial usage and ensuring alternative land provision.

Under existing Planning Guidelines, approximately 1.5 acres of land are required to be reserved for a RIBI only when a catchment area exceeds 5,000 residents.

This raises a key concern: what happens to catchment areas with under 5,000 residents? If such areas are not required to reserve land for RIBIs, and commercial premises are also no longer permitted for such use, residents may effectively be left without suitable religious facilities.

This is not merely theoretical but a practical issue affecting community access. A catchment area below 5,000 residents cannot be assumed to have no need for religious facilities. Policy must ensure that restrictions on commercial premises are balanced with viable alternatives.

If the government insists that future commercial developments cannot allow RIBIs within commercial premises, then a clear and workable framework must be established for cases where no gazetted land has been allocated. Without such mechanisms, communities risk being left without lawful or practical options for worship.

Ultimately, the issue is not only interpretation of the Planning Guidelines, but policy certainty and fairness. The public is seeking clarity on whether religious needs will continue to be accommodated consistently across planning contexts. Without clear safeguards, there is a risk that religious spaces within future developments will gradually diminish, particularly in smaller catchment areas below the 5,000-resident threshold.

What is required now is not further explanation through statements, but clear policy articulation, consistent implementation, and assurance that the rights and practical needs of all communities are properly safeguarded in planning decisions.

Datuk Ir Lawrence Low
MCA Selangor State Liaison Committee Chairman
MCA Vice President

31 May 2026

-MCA Comm-