TAYYIB-BASED ETHICAL EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR URBAN PLANNING GOVERNANCE IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i42.2049Keywords:
urban governance, tayyib, ethical evaluation, sustainable urban planning, MalaysiaAbstract
Urban planning governance shapes whether cities develop in ways that are sustainable, inclusive, and socially responsible. In Malaysia, development proposals are typically assessed through statutory planning controls such as zoning, density, and land-use requirements. Although these mechanisms provide legal certainty and procedural consistency, they do not on their own ensure ethically adequate development outcomes. This study therefore conceptualises the Islamic ethical concept of tayyib as a post-compliance evaluative framework for urban planning governance. Using a qualitative conceptual design, the study draws on document analysis and thematic synthesis of three bodies of material: scholarship on urban planning governance and sustainable cities; Malaysian planning legislation and policy, including the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172) and the Second National Urbanisation Policy (NUP2); and Islamic ethical scholarship on tayyib. The analysis develops a multi-layered framework comprising regulatory compliance, sustainability performance, and ethical sufficiency. It also proposes operational indicators for environmental integrity, spatial justice, housing equity, community well-being, and governance accountability. Within this framework, tayyib functions primarily as an ex ante ethical filter during development control, with additional ex post use in post-approval monitoring and ethical audit. The framework offers a value-based complement to existing regulatory and sustainability assessments and supports a more holistic evaluation of urban development outcomes.
Downloads
References
Akther, S., & Islam, I. (2020). Ethics and professionalism in planning practice: An experience from Dhaka. In Urban and regional planning and development: 20th century forms and 21st century transformations (pp. 389–403). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31776-8_25
Bajracharya, B., & Khan, S. (2020). Urban governance in Australia: A case study of Brisbane City. In Advances in 21st century human settlements (pp. 225–250). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6709-0_8
Barrett, B. F. D., Horne, R., & Fien, J. (2016). The ethical city: A rationale for an urgent new urban agenda. Sustainability, 8(11), Article 1197. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8111197
Bedi, H. P. (2013). Environmental mis-assessment, development and mining in Orissa, India. Development and Change, 44(1), 101–123. https://doi.org/10.1111/dech.12000
Bowen, G. A. (2011). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3316/QRJ0902027
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.
Doak, J. (2009). Fora, networks and public examinations: Building sustainable development for South East England. In Public participation and better environmental decisions: The promise and limits of participatory processes for the quality of environmentally related decision-making (pp. 135–152). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9325-8_8
Fainstein, S. S. (2016). Spatial justice and planning. In Readings in planning theory (4th ed., pp. 258–272). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119084679.ch13
Hosen, M. K., & Shukri, S. F. B. (2024). Strategies for implementing Islamic governance: Insights from Malaysia (2010–2020). Islamic Quarterly, 68(4), 507–534.
Idris, P. S. R. P. H., Musa, S. F. P. D., & Sumardi, W. H. H. (2022). Halal-tayyiban and sustainable development goals: A SWOT analysis. International Journal of Asian Business and Information Management, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.4018/IJABIM.20220701.OA9
INCEIF University & ISRA Research Management. (2024). Scholars review of tayyib concept: Discussion paper.
Islam, M. M., & Islam, M. M. (2025). Applying the “halal” and “tayyib” norms in marketing: Islamic marketing. In Implementing halal principles and regulations in business governance (pp. 229–262). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/9798337339177.ch009
Jabareen, Y. (2009). Building a conceptual framework: Philosophy, definitions, and procedure. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 8(4), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690900800406
Jusoh, H., & Rashid, A. A. (2009). Efficiency in urban governance towards sustainability and competitiveness of city: A case study of Kuala Lumpur. World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 40, 443–456.
Kanasan, V., & Hassan, M. S. (2023). Challenges in addressing green growth in Malaysian cities. In Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering (Vol. 283, pp. 89–104). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4715-5_6
Kosoe, E. A., & Ogwu, M. C. (2025). Sustainable urban planning and environmental management. In Environmental science and engineering (pp. 463–485). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-85327-2_14
Kurzi, N. S., Schroth, O., Ismail, W. A. W., & Mohamed, S. A. (2024). Fostering perceived safety in neighbourhood parks: Exploring the influence of planting design, scenic vistas and maintenance factors. Planning Malaysia, 22(3), 409–424. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v22i32.1516
McAuliffe, C., & Rogers, D. (2019). The politics of value in urban development: Valuing conflict in agonistic pluralism. Planning Theory, 18(3), 300–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473095219831381
Mohd Sirajuddin, M. D., & Mahaiyadin, M. H. (2022). Tayyib from the perspective of Qur’anic thematic analysis: Proposing new insights for best practice in the global halal industry. Global Journal Al-Thaqafah, Special Issue, 108–118.
Naime, A. (2017). An evaluation of a risk-based environmental regulation in Brazil: Limitations to risk management of hazardous installations. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 63, 35–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2016.11.005
Nizarudin, N. D., & Zakariya, K. (2025). Retrofitting green infrastructure in Kuala Lumpur: A document analysis of policy gaps and climate resilience. Planning Malaysia, 23(1), 555–568. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i35.1697
Nordin, N., Ab. Aziz, M. R., Alam, A., Ratnasari, R. T., & Rusydiana, A. S. (2026). Waqf-backed urban regeneration in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia: A tayyib approach to housing and community well-being. Planning Malaysia, 24(41). https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i41.1988
Nordin, N., Zaid, A. Z. M., Astutik, A. P., Rashid, N. K. A., Zahari, Z., Ifwat, M. S., & Embong, R. (2024). Integrating tayyib principles in halal health products and services: A holistic consumerism approach. Global Journal Al-Thaqafah, Special Issue, 228–239. https://doi.org/10.7187/GJATSI122024-15
Peris Blanes, J. (2008). Key governance principles underpinning urban sustainable development planning and management. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 117, 55–65. https://doi.org/10.2495/SC080061
PlanMalaysia. (2016). Second National Urbanisation Policy (NUP2) 2016–2025.
Rahman, S., Wei, L. C., & Mabahwi, N. A. (2025). Challenges and readiness for the Urban Renewal Act: Perspectives of town planners in Penang. Planning Malaysia, 23(5), 193–212. https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v23i38.1845
Roosli, R., & O’Keefe, P. (2011). An evaluation of barriers in implementing disaster planning and the housing programme in Malaysia. Risk Management, 13(4), 209–227. https://doi.org/10.1057/rm.2011.16
Roslan, S. N. M., Gohain, K., Mustafa, A. M. A. A., Ismail, M. M., & Kumaran, V. V. (2025). Designing affordable urban ecosystems: A quantitative model to enhance the quality of life for the urban poor in Malaysia through employment, housing, and digital access. Challenges in Sustainability, 13(1), 18–34. https://doi.org/10.56578/cis130102
Santoianni, D., Sebik, J., Fisher, S., Bevillard, M., & Haskins, K. (2023). Integrating environmental justice considerations into business strategy. Proceedings of the Air and Waste Management Association’s Annual Conference and Exhibition.
Saporito, E. (2016). New challenges for participatory approaches in spatial planning. In SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology (pp. 1–15). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30829-6_1
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Somasundram, S., Sambasivan, M., Rasiah, R., & Pei-Leng, T. (2018). Ranking the challenges of the urban community in Malaysia. Institutions and Economies, 10(4), 69–89.
Teriman, S., Yigitcanlar, T., & Severine, M. (2009). Urban sustainability and growth management in South-East Asian city regions: The case of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong. Planning Malaysia, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.21837/pmjournal.v7.i1.71
Titov, E. A. (2021). Urban governance: Concept and modern research. Public Administration Issues, 2021(1), 173–194.
Tomer, A., & Kaushik, T. K. (2026). Smart sustainable cities: Addressing privacy, equity, and social justice through fuzzy decision-making. In Fuzzy logic in revolutionizing renewable energy (pp. 77–104). Jenny Stanford Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003741916-4
Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172). (1976). Laws of Malaysia.
Yasmeen, K., Yasmin, K., & Al Abri, S. (2024). Islamic framework for sustainable development. International Journal of Islamic Finance and Sustainable Development, 16(4), 136–160. https://doi.org/10.55188/IJIFSD.V16I4.978
Yusof, M. J. M., & Rakhshandehroo, M. (2016). The nature, functions, and management of urban green space in Kuala Lumpur. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 33(4), 347–360.
Yusup, M., Ishak, N. S., Arshad, A. F., & Abdullah, Y. A. (2016). Local authority empowerment towards quality living environment for coastal reclamation area. In MATEC Web of Conferences (Vol. 66). EDP Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/20166600037
Zahir, A. Z. A., & Khamidi, M. F. (2025). Urban development under neoliberalism: Addressing socio-spatial inequality in Malaysia. Journal of Design and Built Environment, Special Issue VII, 193–211.
Zanudin, K., Ngah, I., & Misnan, S. H. (2021). Public planners’ perception of community participation in planning and operational decision-making in Iskandar Malaysia. Engineering Journal, 25(1), 275–285. https://doi.org/10.4186/ej.2021.25.1.275
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
