Commentary: Should Selangor take Kuala Lumpur back?

The Selangor state government could use the concept of subsidiarity, which delegates power to the person or organization who is most in charge of the urban planning and services, to address these issues more efficiently.

Reintroducing local government elections, a trigger ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan after championed, may further enhance accountability. Planning policies to minimize overlap between Selangor and Kuala Lumpur in a synergistic way may also reduce effort redundancy.

For example, coordination between the state and federal governments has been a challenge in cleansing and rejuvenating the Klang River, which flows through both Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. When both companies are no politically aligned, decision-making is complicated. Uniting governance may simplify such initiatives.

Investors may find it appealing to keep Kuala Lumpur as a natural, state-free operational hotspot. In order to meet Selangor’s needs, Shah Alam may continue to serve as the management capital.

Managing Kuala Lumpur’s massive budget perhaps stress Selangor’s administrative power, and solutions may be allocated towards industrial rather than rural locations.

But, Kuala Lumpur’s high home value would mean that Selangor can derive higher revenue from the property tax ( also known as quit book ) charged on the state’s properties. Additionally, transferring assets, which could increase state government income, may be necessary in order to reintegrate Kuala Lumpur into Selangor.