mip patron tun dr mahathir mohamad honoured - Malaysian Institute ...

MIP PATRON AWARD : TUN DR MAHATHIR MOHAMAD
Reported by: Rahim Ariffin Photos by: Naz Tajudin
Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP) has honoured Former Prime
Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by accounting him its patron
at a special luncheon, on 7th November 2012 in conjunction
with MIP’s 40th anniversary.
MIP President, Prof Dato’ Dr Alias Abdullah said the award was
to recognize Tun Dr Mahathir’s contributions to Malaysia’s
development.
“He is our top planner for the country with his economic
planning and strategies that have impacted the spatial planning,
development and physical form of the country. His involvement
in planning Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and the Kuala Lumpur
International Airport (KLIA) has changed our country in many
ways. It was Tun Dr. Mahathir’s knowledge and experience of
more than 20 years in developing this nation that had led to the
recognition”.
Tun who was named the recipient of the 2012 Rafik Hariri UN-
Habitat Memorial Award in June 2012, is recognised for his
leadership, statesmanship and good governance, thus there is
no doubt he is the best candidates our patron.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad giving his speech to all town
planners and participants at the luncheon
and villages. We have grown exponentially through his visionary
leadership.
Town and regional planners, the profession for which the Institute
regulates, has benefitted greatly from his leadership. We have
had to formulate development plans to catch up with his vision
of providing first world infrastructure, such as highways, a new
airport, the KLCC development, KL Tower, the production of
the Malaysian made car, the Multi Media Super Corridor and
most of all the new cities of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. All
the initiatives mentioned have meant the opening up of new
areas with allied facilities such as new townships for housing,
commerce, recreational and community facilities. Town
Planners in this country faced a giant task of balancing the
needs of development with preservation of the environment.
It was under Tun’s leadership that Town Planners formulated the
Philosophy of a Holistic development approach. This philosophy
was implemented in the design of the new Federal Administrative
Capital of Putrajaya, a brainchild of Tun.
Prof Dato’ Dr Alias Abdullah gives special momentos to
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
MIP invited some 700 participants all of whom are professionals
including engineers, architects, surveyors, and developers to
attend the event which was held at Renaissance Hotel, Kuala
Lumpur.
Indeed, there has been no better planner than Tun who has
shaped not just the economic landscape of the country but also
its physical form. His vision for a developed and prosperous
Malaysia, through his 22 years as the chief executive of the
nation, has brought about immense changes to cities, towns
The National Spatial Plan was then generated to transcribe the
economic growth plans by Tun into a spatial form, such that
development will be coordinated amongst the various states and
the nation’s natural heritage will be preserved.
Following this was the more detailed National Urbanization
Strategy which was to address balanced city development with
social and environmental needs. At the same time, Wawasan
2020, another initiative by Tun became the platform for future
growth strategies of the nation. Town Planners had to quickly
institute a paradigm shift in which human settlement planning,
design and related components would have to deliver a caring
society, amongst others.
(Contd. on Pg. 23)
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VVIP takes pictures with the Executive Committee at Luncheon with MIP Patron
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