Looks like the days of your “neighbourhood” automotive workshops are numbered, in Selangor at least. As reported by The Star, the state government has directed workshops located within housing areas to be moved out and into designated light industrial zones.
State local government and tourism committee chairman, Datuk Ng Suee Lim, said the relocation aims to ease congestion and curb pollution in housing areas, while also stopping operators from occupying public parking bays. He added that the move follows various complaints from residents regarding noise and the obstruction of back lanes by vehicles.
In contrast, Ng noted that centralising workshops in light industrial zones allows for layouts to be properly planned, accommodating specific areas for tools, work and storage.
The relocation is rolling out in stages, beginning with formal reminders to existing workshops to vacate residential areas. Consequently, new applications will only be approved if the businesses are situated within light industrial areas.
The Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) has already initiated the process under its Vehicle Service Activity Guideline. Its then mayor, Datuk Mohd Fauzi Mohd Yatim, stated that vehicle workshops, car wash operators, tyre shops, and accessory outlets must comply with these new standards.
MBSA held a town hall session in November last year to brief operators on the guidelines; by July 2025, the council had received 545 new workshop applications. However, the approval process was rigorous, with only 177 fully approved. Another 142 were granted temporary conditional licences, while 11 applications were deferred and 215 were rejected outright.
Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) is taking a similar approach. In an effort to regularise existing operations, seven temporary permits have been issued in Taman Puncak Jalil and Taman Lestari Perdana in Seri Kembangan; its enforcement department has also been busy, issuing 379 notices for workshops to relocate across the Subang Jaya area.
MBSJ deputy mayor, Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali, further clarified that the Subang Jaya Draft Local Plan 2035 (Amendment 1) now stipulates that vehicle workshops can only be approved in industrial areas. He confirmed that MBSJ will no longer issue new licences for such activities in mixed developments.
