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Geographical Information System (GIS) In Malaysian Planning Education Mansor Ibrahim, Muhammad Faris Abdullah and Dazilah Abdul Samad Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia Abstract In most developed countries, the major users of GIS are not restricted to planning authorities at local, regional, and central government agencies, but covered across other non-planning agencies like engineering firms, resource management firms, and increasingly, financial, real estate and marketing firms. In Malaysia, it is not an exception though the coverage is still not wide spread and some of them are in infant stages. Particularly in urban and regional planning, GIS is being used in all the development plan preparation but it is not being fully exploited. In many instances, this is being limited to mapping only, as if GIS software is just graphic software where its use is solely for the purpose of maps and plans production. It is not surprising as most of the planners are not well-versed in GIS and they are not properly trained in their planning education either locally or overseas. This paper specifically looks at GIS training in local planning schools. Content analysis of the syllabus, extent of GIS application and its importance, and issues pertaining to GIS education are discussed. INTRODUCTION Urban and regional planning is a process that uses a variety of tools - zoning, transportation planning, environmental policy, housing programmes, etc. to achieve envisioned and desired goals within the natural and built environments (Henderson, 1997). There are many actors involved in planning process that have different underlying professional training. However, as asserted by Laurini (2001), most of planning activities have four common characteristics: planning is future-oriented; planning is concerned with defining and evaluating alternative solution to problems; planning is political; and planning has a special responsibility to represent underrepresented groups. Information, be it qualitative or quantitative, is very necessary in planning. Good planning needs good information that is free from errors, regularly updated, easily accessible, cheaply available, higher degree of standardization etc. As geographical information is a subset of the information system for planning, the role of GIS that can present comprehensive information system for any particular planning entity and activity can be very useful for its utilization. By its very nature, a GIS uses maps as the indexes for associated databases. Presently, there have been practical methodologies for integration of ostensibly unrelated datasets in planning in GIS. For instance, now we can see the case in which the GIS are embedded into the urban modeling package or vice versa, the modeling package is embedded into the GIS (Laurini, 2001). In addition, with the prices of hardware coming down and the capabilities of the desktop GIS packages continuing to improve, we can see for the entire field of planning to become more GIS-oriented. And now, with the increasing use of internet and the information superhighway, database resources will be more widely available and GIS will become the standard for the planning profession (Parent, 1994). In Malaysia, how far GIS is being utilized in planning? What is the level of importance of the subject matter in planning education of the country? These are the subjects of discussion in the following. GIS IN MALAYSIAN PLANNING The usefulness of GIS as a tool in planning is well documented. Hence, the researchers feel that there is no longer a need to elaborate on this at this juncture. On the other hand, this heading will look at the extend of GIS application in Malaysian planning and to relate to GIS training requirement in planning education. With the advancement in technology, and coupled with government policies and initiatives on the use of information and communication technology, GIS has today found its way into Malaysian planning in quite a number of ways. For instance, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have developed their very own GIS-based spatial information system for the purpose of their campus planning, space planning and assets management (Muhammad Faris Abdullah, et.al., 2003). The system, which rests on a MapInfo platform, includes a combination of GIS, computer-aided design (CAD), database management (DBM) and 3D softwares. On a more formal front, GIS can also be seen integrated into Malaysian planning through the process of development plan preparation. The idea to integrate GIS in development plan preparation was suggested to the Federal Department of Town and Country Planning (FDTCP) in 1995 by several of the local academics. Taking cue from the suggestion, FDTCP held two workshops, largely attended by their own officers, to discuss how this can be implemented. Following the workshops, in 1997, a briefing for private planning consultants was held by FDTCP. Although the briefing was generally to inform the private planning consultants on the new approach towards local plan preparation, quite a significant portion of the session was spent by FDTCP to inform planning consultants on how GIS should be integrated into development plan preparation. Nevertheless, due to limited understanding of GIS at that time, both among the FDTCP officers and private planning consultants, the conclusion derived from the briefing session was that, as far as GIS is concerned, all maps and plans used in development plan preparation must be in digital form. This requirement for digital maps and plans was actually a good small step in the right direction towards a wider use of GIS in development plan preparation. However, as digital plans and maps can be easily produced using CAD software, not all consultants decided to venture into using GIS software in their work, instead they remained with CAD software, which many of them were already familiar with. Having decided to go digital as far as maps and plans are concerned, the FDTCP then requires private planning consultants to submit all the data obtained through development plan studies in digital form so that the data, including maps and plans, can be compiled in their databank. To facilitate the data compilation process, FDTCP begun to dictate the GIS software to be used (which is MapInfo), how digital maps and plans should be prepared and what layers to be included in which maps or plans. FDTCP even issued a standard metadata format to be used in all development plan preparation. Today, a GIS consultant or planning consultant who are well-versed in GIS is specifically appointed into a development plan study team to oversee the GIS part of the study. Despite the commendable efforts by FDTCP, GIS use in development plan preparation is still subjected to several limitations. Although GIS is being used in all the development plan preparation today, it is not being fully exploited. In many instances, this is being limited to mapping only, as if GIS software is just another graphic software where its use is solely for the purpose of maps and plans production. The most significant feature of GIS software that sets it apart from graphic or even CAD softwares is its capability to perform spatial analyses. However, private planning consultants, in the course of preparing development plan, have failed to exploit this capability. In the rare cases where GIS is being used to perform some form of analyses in development plan preparation, these are being limited to simple spatial analyses, for instance overlay. Even then, the overlay analysis is performed at its most basic manner, for instance, which does not involve assignment of weightage to the layers. Based on discussions with several private planning consultants, it seems that the most advanced use of GIS in development plan preparation lies in the ongoing preparation of the National Physical Plan. Here, GIS is being used in performing quite a number of analyses and also to generate alternative development strategies. Due to limited use of GIS in development plan preparation, the GIS consultant appointed into the study team has now become a compiler of digital data. The functions of the GIS consultants are reduced to checking and ensuring that all digital data submitted to them follow the standard provided by FDTCP. In some cases, printing of maps and plans would also become the tasks of the GIS consultant. The planning consultants would submit their plans and maps to the GIS consultants in digital form and it is up to the GIS consultant to make sure that the drawings are in accordance to the pre-determined standards before printing them. The GIS consultant would also, at the end of the day, compile all the digital data for submission to the FDTCP together with a written report describing the data model as well as the metadata. According to observers, the current limitations in terms of GIS use in development plan preparation arisen due to inadequate comprehension among private planning consultants on the analyses capability of GIS and also on how GIS can help to ease their work. In addition, the preparation of development plan does not solely involve analyses of spatial data, in many instances, analyses of aspatial data, or a combination of both, are equally important. Marrying the spatial analyses with aspatial ones might be a little on the complicated side to many planning consultants. GIS IN MALAYSIAN PLANNING SCHOOLS Education sector in Malaysia has shown a very rapid growth in the last decade as a result of the government’s vision to turn Malaysia into an international education centre. Many private institutions of higher learning have been established in addition to the public universities. This paper will only be looking at the public universities. At present there are ten public universities in Malaysia. Out of this number only four universities offer programmes in urban and regional planning (Table 1). 
As the information and communication technology (ICT) becomes the in-thing today, these planning schools have been placing strong emphasis upon ICT related subjects such as GIS, Data Processing and Planning and Decision Support Systems (Table 2). The emphasis is reflected in the total number of credit hours of these subjects, which ranges from 6 credit hours to 19 credit hours, depending on the number of subjects being offered. Narrowing down the scope of analysis to GIS subject alone, it is offered either as a core or compulsory subject or as optional or elective courses. In the Planning Schools of UiTM, IIUM and UTM, the subject is offered in both undergraduate and post-graduate programmes as a stand-alone core or compulsory courses. IIUM for example, is offering GIS subject at second year level for its undergraduate programme. The subject is also offered in its post-graduate programmes.. The most important objective of the course is to develop an understanding of using GIS in urban and regional planning activities. In order to achieve the objective, the course covers from elements of GIS until product generation (Attachment A). The Planning School of USM however, is only offering GIS in its MSc in Planning programme as a topic in its Computer Application in Planning course. There is an indication that the students who opt for elective in GIS tend to gain more knowledge and hands-on exposure in the subject matter.
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