KUALA LUMPUR, 19 November 2025 – Strong governance frameworks, political commitment, and cross-sectoral collaboration are integral to tackling the pressing challenges facing cities today, from climate adaptation to inclusive development, according to leading decision-makers at the Cities: Possibilities 2025 – Malaysia forum held here.
Guest-of-honour Nga Kor Ming, Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia (KPKT) and President of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) Assembly, highlighted Malaysia’s “triple housing challenge” of addressing a backlog of inadequate housing, meeting future demand, and strengthening urban resilience against evolving climate risks.
He emphasised that his ministry is institutionalising the urban–climate link globally to secure a political mandate for multilevel governance, empowering cities as key actors. Nga also announced Malaysia’s plan to elevate the Asean Smart Cities Network (ASCN) to a ministerial-level forum by 2026, reinforcing regional collaboration to pursue smart and sustainable urban development across Asean member states.
Domestically, Malaysia’s Urban Renewal Act aims to rebuild ageing infrastructure and promote inclusive development, while the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework fosters a sustainable circular economy to minimise waste, a critical challenge for urban centres both locally and globally. Nga stressed that a “whole-of-nation approach” is essential to realising these goals, noting that KPKT is working closely with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability to implement nature-based solutions for nationwide flood control.
In his closing address, Jacques Werner, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Malaysia, commended Malaysia’s collaborative efforts and highlighted the launch of the Asean–Netherlands Development Partnership on Climate Change, Environment, and Water. He detailed its first programme in Kuala Lumpur, a two-day cross-learning event on nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, which facilitated knowledge exchange between Dutch and ASEAN experts, with insights shared during the ongoing COP30 negotiations in Bélem, Brazil.
Themed “Building future-ready cities”, the maiden Malaysian edition of Cities: Possibilities convened more than 120 decision-makers from government, urban planning, finance, industry, and academia. The forum was organised by Eco-Business in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with Asuene, ESGpedia, and Airbnb as supporting partners.
Edward Vrkić, Resident Representative to UNDP Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam, underscored the need for urban planning that anticipates climate change, shifting demographics, and technological disruption, while prioritising the well-being of all people. He noted that good urban design must go beyond infrastructure investment to ensure citizens live productive, safe, and fulfilled lives, requiring greater public participation in decision-making and agile government responses to social and economic challenges.
Echoing this sentiment, Meaghan See, Chief Commercial Officer for Eco-Business, said Malaysia’s leadership at UN-Habitat and its upcoming Asean chairmanship exemplify how cooperation, rather than competition, can unlock solutions greater than the sum of their parts. She pointed to Malaysia’s role in the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting in October, which endorsed the Enhanced ASEAN Power Grid Memorandum of Understanding, the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2026–2030, and the APG Financing Initiative, bold steps towards achieving a fully interconnected regional grid by 2045 to support sustainable urban growth.
Cities: Possibilities will next host its flagship Singapore edition on 26 November 2025 at Resorts World Sentosa, Equarius Hotel, convening key ecosystem leaders to forge alliances and share breakthrough strategies to accelerate the transition to a sustainable urban future.
