Malaysia to promote more sustainable developments

THE government, under the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Declaration roadmap, aims to promote more sustainable developments to tackle the dislocation between income levels and house prices.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) ED Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif said last year Malaysia launched the national physical, urbanisation and rural plan to address the mismatch of the people’s income levels and house prices.

“The three national agendas were formulated last year and all relevant stakeholders took the new urban agenda into account,” she said at the ninth World Urban Forum (WUF9) in KL Convention Centre yesterday.

“In line with the pursuit of sustainable development, Malaysia is doing its best to balance out the two,” she said.

On the national policies and guidelines, Maimunah said in order to outfit mobility within the city, the government is aggressively looking at public spaces and the regeneration of old areas.

Maimunah said the main goal of the policy is to achieve sustainable development through integrated and holistic development.

According to Maimunah, the integrated and holistic development policy was formulated with the perimeters needed for the new agenda.

“A clear dialogue with all relevant stakeholders is emphasised under the roadmap,” she said, adding that the KL Declaration will also focus on creativity, as well as innovation.

Maimunah said to become a more sustainable urban hub, the country needs to preserve the national heritage.

“Heritage and culture is one of the impetus ingredients for us to move towards a more sustainable region,” Maimunah said.

The WUF9’s closing ceremony yesterday was officiated by Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government (KPKT) Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said as the host and signatory of the KL Declaration, Malaysia will uphold the principles and goals of the policy.

“We will ensure the strategies along with the action plans are enforced and implemented into Malaysia’s development policies and growth plans.

“The government must make it their priority to combat urban issues as well as climate change without comprising equality, social cohesion and the economic growth in all sectors,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the home minister, said the government will foster more smart partnerships by adding more effective action plans to achieve the desired outcome for the good of the rakyat.

He said the government ensures this year’s Budget 2018 and the 11th Malaysia Plan will be implemented effectively and efficiently.

“We will also continue with the people’s home ownership agenda introduced in 2013.”

Ahmad Zahid said the government plans to build one million affordable homes through the collaboration of the government and the private sector.

Organised by KPKT and UN-Habitat, WUF9 — which ran from Feb 7 to 13 — managed to garner more than 22,000 participants from over 100 countries.

This was the first forum held after the third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III) 2016 in Quito, Ecuador.

Carrying the theme “Cities 2030 — Cities for All: Implementing the New Urban Agenda”, the forum has become the first platform to debate the implementation and achievement of the New Urban Agenda.

[By Izzat Ratna / Source, Malaysian Reserve]