Malaysia urges global shift towards action-based urban cooperation

New Straits Times

04-07-2025

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia calls for a bold shift in global city cooperation, urging mayors and urban leaders to move beyond discussions and act on shared challenges through concrete urban partnerships.
In a statement today, the Housing and Local Government Ministry said its minister Nga Kor Ming, in his capacity as the UN-Habitat Assembly (UNHA) president, made the call in his special address during the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2025, which is being held in Vienna.
Nga, in addressing over 75 mayors and city leaders from around the world, underscored the urgency for city-level action rooted in local implementation and backed by innovation.
"Collaboration must lead to projects that solve real urban challenges.
"We must institutionalise knowledge-sharing and back our intentions with innovation funding, technical hubs and measurable outcomes," he said.
Nga outlined a forward-looking approach that encourages cities to work together through mechanisms such as joint innovation funding, regional coordination on shared urban concerns, and standardised urban metrics to track the effectiveness of their initiatives.
He stressed that these are not mere theoretical but tested strategies grounded in Malaysia's own experience.
"Through platforms such as the Malaysia SDG Cities Roadmap, the Asean Smart Cities Network, and the Asia-Pacific New Urban Agenda Platform, we actively promote knowledge exchange and scalable solutions for sustainable urban development," he added.
In reinforcing his call, Nga highlighted transformative urban models from around the world, including Barcelona's Superblocks, Yokohama's Zero Waste policy, and Curitiba's Bus Rapid Transit, describing them as examples of urban innovation that achieved global impact through networked learning.
According to the statement, Kuala Lumpur Mayor and Advisor on Sustainable Urbanisation Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif also shared several key insights on delivering affordable housing during her intervention speech at the Mayors Forum yesterday.
She highlighted that affordable housing is more than a development target, it is a reflection of the government's social compact with the people.
"Real affordability takes more than policy, it demands shared conviction... a truly inclusive city is one that listens, adapts, and responds in order to build a genuine sense of belonging with its people," she said.