Malaysia's bid for UN-Habitat Assembly presidency has gained support, says Nga

The Star

Malaysia has gained support for its bid to be the United Nations Human Settlement (UN-Habitat) Assembly presidency for the 2026-2029 term, says Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming.   He said during his keynote speech at the two-day Future Cities Summit 2024 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (Oct 22).   Read more at https://shorturl.at/mfHHx  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00The true power of future cities lies in the ability to transform the economics of urban

00:13living, which is a complex interplay of technology, policy and innovation.

00:20Cities like Zurich, Oslo, Canberra, Geneva and Singapore have already embraced these

00:28smart city concepts.

00:30In Malaysia, it is also something that we have been working on over the last two years.

00:37In fact, this year, Kuala Lumpur has climbed 16 spots in the World Smart City Index, this

00:46year to become the world's 73rd smartest city from the 89 spots last year.

00:52The report has highlighted several commendable performances of KL, including access to make

00:59medical appointments and search for job opportunities online.

01:04However, definitely more needs to be done.

01:08Traffic concessions and affordable housing remain among the most concerning issues in

01:13Kuala Lumpur.

01:14While smart technology may improve traffic flow or energy efficiency, it is also about

01:20fostering an inclusive economy, an economy that benefits everyone and puts humanity

01:27above all.

01:29From an economic perspective, a liveable city will attract residents and investors, bringing

01:35in new revenue streams.

01:38The influx of business and investment increases tax revenues and creates jobs, further boosting

01:46the local economy.

01:47At our ministry, we are constantly working to ensure the right policies and regulations

01:54are in place for these plans to crystallise and help shape investment decisions, social

02:01and economic growth, as well as to ensure integration and inclusivity.

02:08The smart city concept was established in the 2018 KPKT Smart City Framework, which

02:15is a key component to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals SDG and becoming a sustainable

02:23nation by 2030.

02:27Under the ministry, Urbanist Malaysia, an agency under KPKT, has been tasked to promote

02:35the urban sustainability and resilience agenda to achieve the goal of creating liveable cities

02:41in Malaysia.

02:43Today, Malaysia's SDG benchmark has reached 43 per cent, which is way above the global

02:50average rate of 17 per cent.

02:53However, we are also well aware that the room for improvement is definitely high.

03:00We are also implementing the new urban agenda to help local governments achieve SDGs.

03:07I am proud to share that Malaysia is now running for the UN-Habitat Assembly Presidency

03:14for the year 2026-2029 term.

03:19We have received support from ASEAN, China, Russia and Turkish States.

03:25Our partners in the Habitat Agenda, as we prepare to assume the ASEAN chairmanship

03:31in 2025, it is vital for all Malaysians to unite in driving forward sustainable initiatives

03:39and setting a powerful example for the region.

03:44To demonstrate our commitment to establish smart cities aligned with SDGs, I am pleased

03:52to announce that the Government has allocated $15.1 million in the recent Budget 2025 for

04:00smart city development, which is a 24-time increase compared to the previous Budget.

04:07We invite all stakeholders gathered here today to share their insights and ideas on how we

04:15can elevate the initiative to new heights.

04:17And of course, we welcome the Star Media Group to compile all the outcomes or the findings

04:24of this conference and give a copy to the Ministries for us to study and, if we find

04:34it appropriate, to implement it in future.

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