Malaysia to lead UN-Habitat 2026–2029
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said this marked the first time Malaysia would assume a leadership role in UN-Habitat — a responsibility the country is fully prepared to undertake as it showcases its achievements and offers practical solutions to global urban challenges.
The four-year presidency follows UN-Habitat's system of regional rotation. Malaysia will succeed Mexico, which has represented Latin America and the Caribbean from 2019 to 2025.
Nga said that Malaysia's strong track record in sustainable urban development, housing provision, and waste management positions the country well to lead global dialogue under the theme of building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities.
"This appointment is a significant milestone in Malaysia's growing global leadership, particularly as we also assume the Asean chairmanship this year," he said.
"Our track record speaks for itself. Malaysia has achieved 43 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators — far surpassing the global average of 17 per cent. Our contributions encompass affordable housing, urban regeneration, and sustainable waste management.
"As of March 2025, we have completed 179,769 affordable housing units, with more than 235,000 currently under construction and over 76,000 in the planning stage — totalling 98.4 per cent of our national target."
Nga said that urban regeneration and legal reform would be key focus areas during Malaysia's presidency.
These include plans to table the Urban Renewal Act and the proposed Building Managers Act, aimed at addressing dilapidated buildings and poor property management.
"We are also pioneering innovative waste management through the National Circular Economy Council and our Circular Economy Blueprint (2025–2035), in addition to converting former landfill sites into public spaces," he said.
He added that Malaysia would use its presidency to amplify the voices of the Global South and foster multilateral cooperation through people-public-private partnerships.
"This is more than a diplomatic achievement — it reflects Malaysia's evolution into a responsible and forward-thinking global partner.
"It also provides a platform for us to raise the voices of the Asia-Pacific region and empower communities worldwide in their pursuit of liveable and sustainable urban environments. This strengthens Malaysia's standing in the Global South."
Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the UN-Habitat was established in 1977 and became a full programme under the UN General Assembly in 2001.
With the support of 193 member states, UN-Habitat leads global efforts on human settlements and plays a central role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 — to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Urban Renewal Act a win-win for all, says PLANMalaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: The Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) has dismissed criticism that the proposed Urban Renewal Act would favour developers, saying it is intended to create a win-win outcome for all. It said the bill did not involve land or property seizure and centred on negotiation and public consultation. "Retaining original owners and residents proves that there is no element of land or property seizure, nor does it raise issues related to oppression, forced eviction, or gentrification," it told the New Straits Times. The agency said one of the key implementation mechanisms of the bill was to obtain the consent of property owners through negotiation, not through forced acquisition. It said owners would also be consulted comprehensively without exception, and that all property rights would be preserved on a "one-to-one" replacement basis, with upgraded facilities. "The transfer to higher-value new property ownership is intended to retain residents in the same location, now upgraded with better infrastructure and higher economic value." The agency reiterated that government intervention — not developers — will lead the consultation process, with landowners protected under the Federal Constitution. To prevent project failure or abuse, the bill would mandate strict eligibility requirements for developers, including sufficient capital and a strong track record. "This is a mitigation step to prevent abandoned or delayed projects," it said, adding that contingency plans will be drawn up for each urban renewal project. PLANMalaysia also clarified that property owners might initiate urban renewal themselves, and communities would be involved through local planning processes under existing town planning laws. It added that 80 engagement sessions have been held to date with stakeholders, residents, non-governmental organisations and experts. "The bill is intended to benefit all parties, with the primary focus being the public as landowners. "Therefore, it cannot be said that it is skewed solely towards developer profit."
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
URA bill's broad scope may open door to abuse, says residents' group
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Residents Action for Sustainable Development Association believes that the proposed Urban Renewal Act's broad scope could open the door to ambiguity and potential abuse. The coalition's public policy adviser JS Han said a typical redevelopment process begins with acquiring consent from residents in exchange for compensation. "For those who agree to participate in the redevelopment, there are usually two types of packages — either you agree to take on a replacement unit, and they will pay you some rental provisions to wait for a couple of years, or you sell your unit to the developer," he said. Han said under the Strata Titles Act 1985, the consent threshold that needs to be achieved by the developer is 100 per cent. He said developers, particularly small-scale and individual agents, had been approaching residents well before the bill was announced. Han said this was due to the relatively low-entry barriers compared with conventional property development, where developers must purchase land outright. If the bill is introduced as proposed, the consent threshold for redevelopment will be reduced to 80 per cent for buildings under 30 years old, 75 per cent agreement for buildings over 30 years old, and a simple majority (51 per cent) for abandoned or derelict housing. "It falls short of a fair, transparent, and equitable urban renewal process that we looked forward to," said Han, adding that the bill's broad scope opens the door for ambiguity and potential abuse. He warned that the use of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 as an enforcement mechanism for dissenters — those who do not agree to redevelopment — was concerning. Han also expressed concern over the alleged lack of community participation mechanisms on designating areas for urban renewal within the bill, warning that in its current form, the bill risks becoming a tool to facilitate commercial profits, rather than encourage good urban planning principles. "The communities that are impacted by redevelopment are actually the least able to withstand the financial burdens that come from project delays and abandonment." He said while urban renewal was "inevitable", the proposed Urban Renewal Act must be improved to suit the unique circumstances of each location. Han said the coalition acknowledged that some residential properties in the capital might be dilapidated, but cautioned against redevelopment based merely on age. He said compensation must be fair and equitable, backing the government's sentiment that no resident should be worse off after redevelopment. Han added that compensation models could be far more creative, including the use of profit-sharing models and shares in commercial rental space for mixed-use developments. "Rather than converting one (housing unit) for one, why don't you convert one for two or one for three? "And when he rents out the other one, at least that will provide income that will pay future higher maintenance."
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Refine Urban Renewal Act bill, experts tell govt
KUALA LUMPUR: With the proposed Urban Renewal Act set to be tabled in Parliament this month, experts have called for the government to refine the bill, cautioning that a one-size-fits-all approach risks undermining its effectiveness. They said the bill, which aims to revitalise deteriorated urban areas in the country, must ultimately strike a balance between the valid concerns of homeowners and the government's efforts to address urban decay. It aims to allow redevelopment, revitalisation and rejuvenation projects to proceed without the consent of all homeowners involved. First announced in 2023 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a draft of the bill was published by the Town and Country Planning Department (PLANMalaysia) on Feb 21 for public consultation through the Unified Public Consultation (UPC) website. According to the draft, renewal needs 80 per cent consent from homeowners for 30-year-old buildings, 75 per cent for those older than 30, and 51 per cent for abandoned or unsafe buildings. Currently, for strata titles, developers must acquire 100 per cent consent to terminate a strata scheme for redevelopment, as stipulated under the Strata Titles Act 1985. For landed titles, there are no such statute and consent that must be obtained from each individual landowner for their respective lot. The draft bill states that the government would ensure homeowners who have consented will receive an offer "no less favourable" than what they currently enjoy, appointing a mediation committee to reach an "amicable agreement" with them. Anwar said the government's move to introduce the urban renewal law was rooted in the need to provide better living conditions for Malaysians long trapped in dilapidated housing. He said the legal status of land involved in the urban renewal projects would remain unchanged, regardless of whether it was privately owned, under state authority, or located on Malay reserve land. CLEARER SAFEGUARDS NEEDED Henry Butcher Malaysia director and founding partner Lim Eng Chong said clearer safeguards, a transparent tender process and greater fairness to property owners were crucial. He said there should be a proper transparent tender process to receive proposals, review and awards. He raised concern over the clause allowing compulsory acquisition of land or buildings approved for renewal, which makes no clear mention of how fair compensation will be determined. "Yes, such mechanism can be found in the Land Acquisition Act itself, but I think it should be clearly spelt out here to ensure fairness to proprietors," he said. Lim also called the bill's thresholds of consent for affected properties "arbitrary", questioning the rationale behind them He said the engineer's recommendation mentioned in the draft bill, and as provided in the Street, Drainage and Building Act, to determine whether a property is derelict is key in preventing negligence or abuse of the bill and its role should be expanded. EMPLOY TARGETED APPROACH Universiti Kebang-saan Malaysia (UKM) provost Professor Emeritus Dr Barjoyai Bardai said the bill should include exem-ptions and nuanced guidelines to account for structural condition of properties or their historical value. "We need to have specific criteria for certain types of land or property, because the same standards can't be applied broadly as is currently being proposed," he said. Barjoyai noted that some flats over 30 years old, while still structurally sound, lacked modern amenities such as lifts, yet offered no incentive for private developers to invest in upgrades. "This might be where the government could instead focus on improvements and rejuvenation for these areas." He acknowledged that the concept of the proposed legislation mirrored Singapore's urban redevelopment model, where apartments are typically rebuilt every 25 to 30 years and owners are offered replacement homes in the same location. "So the question is: has the time come for Malaysia to follow what Singapore has done?" He added that although Malaysia did have older apartments, their concentration was only high in a handful of urban areas in the country, such as the Klang Valley. He urged policymakers to consider a more targeted approach. "Whether it's low-density or high-density housing, if there's a historical factor or the buildings are still in good condition, there could still be room for improvement rather than demolition." Centre for Market Education research fellow Dr Consilz Tan said the bill must ultimately strike a balance between the valid concerns of homeowners and the government's efforts to address urban decay. "Each urban renewal project must consist of members from the community and conduct needs-based analysis when redeveloping the area," she added, urging for clarity in the proposed legislation. At the same time, she believes the bill is able to address the issue of urban decay and infrastructure upgrades where we will be able to prevent urban slums and enhance the living standards. Tan said the Urban Renewal Bill provides a legal framework for revitalising these areas, ensuring modernised public utilities, better transport networks, and to improve safety measures. On Aug 8, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said he planned to table the the bill this month. In April, he said the bill was in its final stage, with the final draft submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers for final vetting. He said the ministry had undertaken extensive consultations during the drafting process, describing it as one of the most thorough exercises ever conducted for a piece of legislation. In March, National House Buyers Association said any law that enabled developers to enforce the will of a majority of homeowners to deprive a minority of their property without adequate compensation would contravene Article 13 of the Federal Constitution. In May, the Malaysian Institute of Planners called on the government to provide clearer include clearly defined mechanisms for resolving disputes among property owners.
