PETALING JAYA, Nov 4 — The Fifth National Physical Plan (NPP5), launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today, outlines 13 initiatives, including to maintain a 50 per cent forest cover and boost sustainable city development until 2040.
At the launch ceremony today, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said that in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs), the country’s New Urbanisation Agenda (NUA) and 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) will balance rapid development with environmental sustainability and the people’s well-being.
“They will also strengthen connectivity and regional economic networks, especially through studies and recommendations for a high-speed rail alignment that links the southern, central and northern regions of (Peninsular) Malaysia.
“(These plans) protect and preserve national food security areas, gazette inclusive infrastructure and facilities towards an ageing nation, and diversify spatial planning measures to support the transition to a resource-efficient and cyclical economy.
“They (include climate-resilient measures like) Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-Based Adaptations and drive transitions to achieve our net-zero carbon goal by 2050,” he said at the ceremony, during which NPP5 and the Third National Urbanisation Policy (NUP3) were launched, in conjunction with World Urbanism Day here today.
NUP3 meanwhile directs Malaysia’s sustainable urbanisation agenda until 2035, and with city dwellers projected to make up 80 per cent of the population by 2040, the government is committed to face challenges arising from changes in demographics and household sizes, the labour market, and facility provisions.
“NUP3’s main focus is to build an environment that isn’t just efficient in a governance sense, but also provides quality, safe and urban community-friendly living spaces without sidelining anyone,” Nga added.
