The initiative is aimed at creating a smoother and more responsive administration for residents and the business communities of Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya and Klang, said menteri besar Amirudin Shari.

In his budget speech at the state assembly, Amirudin said statistics department figures show that 3.4 million people, or close to 11% of the country’s population, live in the four cities.

He said the regional government for the Greater Klang Valley would lead to the streamlining of business applications, licensing and approval, and the rejuvenation of mature cities. “It will also be a test bed for more digital-driven administration, in terms of traffic and disaster management among others,” he said.

The initiative will help speed up the transition from use of private vehicles to use of public transport and optimise government resources as well as prevent overlapping responsibilities.

The metropolitan authority would be “the first local administration that would be senior citizen, disabled and child-friendly”, he said and would be the first low-carbon area in the country.”

In January, Amirudin said his government plans to establish the regional government over the next 10 years. He said today that the state government had studied the likes of the Greater London Authority, Liverpool City Region, and Tokyo Bay Area in coming up with the initiative.