Pembandaran di Pinggir Wilayah Metropolitan Lanjutan: Beberapa Implikasi terhadap Corak dan Kualiti Kejiranan (Urbanisation at the Fringe of the Klang-Langat Extended Metropolitan Region: Some Implications on the Patterns and Quality of Neighbourhoods)

Abstract

The present urban-based economic activities of many developing countries tend to concentrate mainly in and around metropolitan regions that, in effect, have influenced the pattern of settlements and neighbourhoods in the rural-urban fringe of those regions. In Malaysia, the process may be observed in the Klang-Langat Valley, a region that comprises rural and urban settlements which in this article is termed as an extended metropolitan region (EMR). This article analyses the process of urbanisation and its impacts on the characteristics and neighbourhood quality of the fringe areas of the EMR. Census data together with information gathered through field observations and a questionnaire survey were used for the analysis. Results of the analysis show that rural-urban neighbourhoods in the district of Kuala Langat, Sepang, Kuala Selangor and Hulu Selangor are currently undergoing rapid urbanisation and socioeconomic transformation. These changes are observable from their physical surroundings and the socioeconomic well-being of the inhabitants as measured from their housing quality, levels of accessibility to basic service facilities and security. Despite all these positive impacts, urbanisation has also brought some social ills to the communities as indicated by the increasing incidences of unemployment and drug addiction among the youth. Crimes such as theft, burglary and robberies in the housing areas are also widely reported. These patterns of change tend to indicate that the fringe zones of the EMR are physically and socially dynamic and call for some form of immediate actions and policy measures to address the issues.

Keywords: neighbourhood, extended metropolitan region, transformation and socioeconomic well-being

ABSTRAK

Kegiatan ekonomi bandar di kebanyakan negara membangun yang kini kian bertumpu di sekitar wilayah metropolitan telah mempengaruhi petempatan dan kejiranan di kawasan pinggirannya. Di Malaysia, proses perubahan ini dapat diperhatikan di Lembah Klang-Langat, sebuah wilayah yang meliputi petempatan desa dan bandar yang dalam makalah ini dikenali sebagai Wilayah Metropolitan Lanjutan (WML). Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis proses rebakan bandar dan kesannya terhadap ciri dan kualiti kejiranan di zon tersebut. Data banci penduduk dan maklumat yang dikumpul melalui cerapan di lapangan dan kaji selidik, digunakan dalam kajian ini. Hasil analisis mendapati bahawa pada masa ini kejiranan desa-bandar khususnya yang terletak di daerah Kuala Langat, Sepang, Kuala Selangor dan Hulu Selangor sedang mengalami transformasi fizikal dan sosioekonomi yang cukup pesat. Hal ini dapat dikesan khususnya melalui ciri persekitaran fizikal termasuk persekitaran dan kualiti rumah kediaman, serta tahap kesejahteraan seperti yang boleh diukur berdasarkan ketersampaian isi rumah kepada perkhidmatan asas dan keselamatan. Di sebalik kesan positif, proses pembandaran dan perubahan yang pesat telah turut membawa impak sosial kepada masyarakat tersebut seperti yang dapat dikesan melalui peningkatan insiden penagihan dadah dan pengangguran dalam kalangan golongan muda. Jenayah seperti kecurian, pecah rumah dan rompakan di kawasan perumahan juga sering dilaporkan. Pola perubahan ini menunjukkan bahawa keadaan fizikal dan sosial kejiranan di zon pinggir WML ini sangat dinamik serta memerlukan perhatian segera. Langkah perlu diambil dan dasar yang sesuai wajar diformulasi untuk menangani isu tersebut.

Kata kunci: Kejiranan, wilayah metropolitan lanjutan, transformasi dan kesejahteraan sosioekonomi